Appleton Estate debuts Hearts Collection 1998
Campari Group-owned Appleton Estate has added a 25-year-old rum to its Hearts Collection, priced at US$650.
In 2020, Appleton Estate launched the Hearts Collection, a series of rare, limited edition rums created in partnership between master blender Joy Spence and renowned rum expert Luca Gargano. The Jamaican rum brand has now released Hearts Collection 1998 as the eighth expression in its limited edition series. The 1998 vintage from this year’s Hearts Collection consists of a single proprietary marque distilled in a copper pot still, aged for 25 years and bottled in 2023. The 1998 expression comes from just 19 barrels. Spence said: “The 1998 release is very special, not only for its incredible depth and age, but also because it pays homage to one of the most cherished releases of my career. “Hearts Collection 1998 closely replicates one of the rare marques used in the Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend. Its striking vanilla notes and silky finish make this an ideal rum for sipping and savouring.” Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend was created to commemorate Spence’s 20th anniversary as master blender in 2017. The rum ranges from 25-year-old liquid to some that is 35 years old. Hearts Collection 1998 offers notes of warm vanilla alongside herbs and fruit with delicate molasses, ginger and smoked coffee, butterscotch and subtle oak. The rum will start rolling out in select US premium spirits retail outlets at the end of August, priced at approximately US$650. It will also be available in select markets across the globe. The debut Hearts Collection vintages were Appleton’s first pot still rums from a single barrel to be released. To date, there have been eight releases from the Hearts Collection: 1994, 1995, 1999, 1984, 2003, 1993, 2002 and 1998. The expressions have sold out in minutes in several locations, the brand said. In May last year, Appleton Estate launched the limited edition 17 Year Old Legend, based on a bottling from the 1940s that inspired the Mai Tai cocktail.
