Wray & Nephew offers a 50 Year Old Jamaican Independence Reserve Rum

     This is an idea that started when 24 oak barrels of Appleton Rum began aging in 1962 under the watchful eye of then master blender Owen Tuller.     The "angel's share reduced the finished product to only 14 barrels remaining for bottling.      This is the first part of a two part project that also includes the continuing of the aging process of part of the rum to an age of 100 years for the Jamaican Independence Centennial.

    Joy Spence the current master blender for Appleton describes the rum as having a "dark mahogany color with rich coppery reflections".   There is a powerful oak aroma infused with vanilla, cinnamon, maple, and orange peel.  The flavor is  smooth with a honey oak  finish.

     Appleton is looking to gross some $4 million from this part of the project.  There will only be 800 bottles available world wide and they will be retailing at approximately $5,000 per bottle.   This is described as the oldest rum in the world by Wray & Nephew's managing director Paul Henriques.    This is one very special event in Jamaica and a very special rum is proper and fitting to celebrate the 50 Years of Independence for Jamaica.   This is a project that took a lot of advanced planing and very special execution by very talented people to have it happen in such a spectacular way.  

     Congratulations to Jamaica for 50 years of Independence and to Appleton for such forethought and bring to fruition the huge undertaking.   ;o)