J Wray & Nephew Thursday last invited guests to dine at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in a bid to experience its Appleton Estate line of limited-edition, luxury rums.

Soft lighting, cane field-inspired décor à la Ann-Marie Wyss and a cluster of corporate execs enjoying each other’s company set the tone for an evening that was as educational as it was entertaining.

The evening’s offerings started with hors d’oeuvres and cocktails in the form of Royal Aperitifs, a tangy coupling of champagne and rum, which teased the palate and informed of the wonderful flavour that was to come.

“Premium rums are growing worldwide and like our spirits, our coffee and our music, our rum is world renowned,” said Master Blender Joy Spence, who along with J Wray & Nephew Managing Director Paul Henriques hosted the function.

The conversation would continue over the evening’s first course — Honey Pumpkin Bisque with Cinnamon Croutons and a swirl of Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum Créme — as Spence, described by Henriques as “part scientist, part artist”, took her guests from the ‘cane field to the bottle’.

“These rums are aged to perfection,” Spence shared, noting that the line of luxury rums, with the eldest being the Appleton Estate 30 Year Old blend, was nurtured by three generations of blenders starting with her mentor and Master Blender for over two decades Owen Tulloch.

Guests were served the Salad Imperial, a mix of crunchy greens and walnuts with the sweet-but-tangy hints of pineapple and cranberry.

The evening’s entrées of Pan Seared Filet Mignon drizzled with Appleton Estate Extra 12 Year Old infused Guava Sauce or the Thyme Marinated Chicken Grilled to Perfection with Appleton Estate Extra 12 Year Old proved no match for their company, the Appleton Estate Extra 12 Year Old Jamaica Rum.

This delightful spirit, Spence shared, is to be savoured as a sipping rum and is aged in oak barrels for what is known as 12 tropical years.

She used this information to highlight that “a similar rum in Scotland would have to be aged for 36 years to achieve the same flavour profile”.

Interpret that to mean premium, full-bodied rum with complex woody, fruity and nutty notes.

“The complexity of orange peel on the top notes compliments the guava of the steak,” Spence said. To enjoy the aroma of this 12 Year Old blend is to enjoy scents of rich vanilla, coffee and coca.

Cleansing the palate with the aid of a lime sorbet, guests sampled the less-than-perfect chocolate mousse, which was made better by the accompaniment of the Appleton Estate 21 Year Old Jamaica Rum. And with this, powerful oak paired with the spicy tinge of ginger danced on the palate, making the rum’s long, dry finish seem all the more worth it.

Caramelised Banana would be the big finish that accompanied the evening’s headliner — Appleton Estate 30 Year Old Jamaica Rum of which only 1,440 bottles were produced.

The evening’s most elegant sip featured a complex blend of baked pear, oak and hints of vanilla and other spices that warms as it goes down.

“No other rum producer has a 30-year-old rum,” Spence said to much applause as guests indulged in what was a sweet surprise… chocolate-covered strawberries that beautifully complemented three decades of perfection.

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Photos: Garfield Robinson

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The evening’s dessert offerings started off with the Very Chocolate Mousse paired with Appleton Estate 21 Year Old Jamaica Rum.

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The jewel in the Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum crown — The 30 Year Old blend.

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Caramelised Banana and the accompanying Appleton Estate 30 Year Old Jamaica Rum.

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The complex flavours of the Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum 30 Year Old perfectly highlighted the tart of the strawberry and sweet of the chocolate.

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Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel waiters Carlos Matthews (left) and Ralston Brown display the evening’s signature cocktails.

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Hors d’oeuvres of crab cakes were served.

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Honey Pumpkin Bisque with Cinnamon Croutons and a swirl of Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum Crème.

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The Salad Imperial.

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J Wray & Nephew Master Blender Joy Spence explains the luxury rum to her guests.

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Lime Sorbet

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Thyme Marinated Chicken Grilled to Perfection with Appleton Estate Extra 12 Year Old Tangerine and Anise Glaze Steamed Wild Rice with Raisins & Toasted Almonds Vegetables of Market sautéed in Garlic Butter.

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Pan Seared Filet Mignon drizzled with Appleton Estate Extra 12 Year Old infused with Guava Sauce Slow-Roasted Rosemary potatoes and Vegetables of the Market sautéed in Garlic Butter.