News of the release of a new addition to the Appleton Estate premium rum range was enough to lure rum collectors, tastemakers, and wine and spirit industry execs to The Sunken Garden at the Hope Botanical Gardens on Monday, July 18.

They were introduced to the newest expression from the famed rum distillery: Appleton Estate Decades. The new blend, crafted by Appleton Estate Master Blender Dr Joy Spence, is a fortified nod to the rich history and heritage of the Jamaican people as the country readies for its 60th year of Independence.

Guests got first dibs on bottles of the premium blend, which retails for US$1,700, of which a mere 1,962 bottles were produced. The significance of the limited number that commemorates the year Jamaica gained its Independence was not lost on those in attendance who minutes prior had acknowledged the National Anthem and would later fiercely participate in the auction to acquire bottle number 1,962. Jamaican-born, Singapore-based philanthropist Ka-el Geewax walked away with the unique collector’s item for US$16,000.

Proceeds from the sale of the special-edition rums will be donated to the Appleton Estate Basic School in St Elizabeth.

Guest speaker Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett announced that, over the next 60 months, the ministry will acquire bottles of Decades for several special guests. “We will acquire 60 bottles, that will be my gift [on behalf of Jamaica] for the next 60 months as we move across the world,” said Bartlett speaking at the event. This after naming Spence and international cricketer Chris Gayle brand ambassadors for the year-long Jamaica 60 celebrations.

Appleton Estate Decades — composed of the finest rums that have been hand-selected over the last six decades — demonstrates the brand’s unwavering commitment to extraordinary quality and masterful blending, yielding complex flavours that have placed Appleton at the pinnacle of rum making for centuries. The bottle design follows Appleton Estate’s new packaging, launched in 2018, and includes the insignia which captures and displays the history of Jamaica and pays homage to the Appleton Estate, the birthplace of these world-renowned rums. The insignia is an artistic representation of five national treasures: The Lignum Vitae flower, the Blue Mahoe tree, buds of ackee, the Doctor Bird, and of course the Jamaican flag.

The Appleton Estate Decades Rum is only available in Jamaica.