All spirits were not created equal. Just ask any serious rum connoisseur and they will explain that some drink because they can while others drink because they are compelled to by the sheer quality of what they imbibe. When it comes to Appleton Estate rums, people consume because the spirit simply moves then to partake in a culture, a well-crafted legacy, a quality brew that still speaks to our tradition while embracing all that lies ahead.
And the future of Appleton Estate is indeed very bright despite 2020 being a year of uncertainty the world over on many different platforms from health to travel and everything in between. For many, it was the year of retooling but for these rum masters, it was business, as usual, making spirits that speak to consistency, quality and further building the legacy of brand Jamaica.
In May 2020, rum gods Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum rolled out the global relaunch of its iconic brand with the introduction of its newly redesigned packaging including a re-imagined bottle and label plus the release of a new premium blend, the new 8-year-old reserve. Since then, the news has been met with excitement worldwide as rum aficionados eagerly awaited the opportunity to savour its flavour. All of their labels now have the artistic impression of our national symbols on the Appleton Estate insignia hence you will see the ackee fruit, the Lignum Vitae, the Blue Mahoe, the National Flag and the Doctor Bird, all of which is synonymous with Jamaica.
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BUZZZ Magazine caught up with the woman behind its engineering Master Blender Joy Spence who shared that the relaunch is a celebration of the brand’s pursuit of excellence and the company’s continued commitment to the highest standard of rum production. The idea for the relaunch was conceived some time ago as they sought to widen their reach as well as become the leader in the premium range. All of this, they hope to accomplish in four short years but they have always loved and welcomed a good challenge.
“This was in the pipeline long before covid hit. In fact, from last year, we began planning multiple scheduled launches worldwide. We were able to have a live launch in Canada before the borders closed, and we can do it now by Zoom having sent samples to the various countries to facilitate Zoom tastings with key influencers and top journalists from major magazines, to get the message out.”
We are celebrating the spirit and passion of our rums which shine through every bottle
Joy Spence, Master Blender
“We are celebrating the spirit and passion of our rums, which will shine through every bottle of our rum. Our goal is to be the premium leader in the aged rum category, so this requires more age statements, so we have more rum with age statement in the range as in the spirit world premium is akin to an age statement. We have also upgraded our cork finish while changing the expression of the reserve to include a minimum age statement.”
To read more, please purchase a copy of Buzzz Caribbean Lifestyle Magazine Vol 10 #7 in a store near you.
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