More about Wray & Nephew (Jamaica) Ltd (Appleton)
Status Operational
Established: 1749
Owner: Gruppo Campari
Capacity: Not supplied
Visitor Policy: Not generally accessible
Tel: Not supplied
Website: http://www.appletonestate.com
Established: 1749
Owner: Gruppo Campari
Capacity: Not supplied
Visitor Policy: Not generally accessible
Tel: Not supplied
Website: http://www.appletonestate.com
The Appleton Estate, the oldest sugar estate and distillery in Jamaica, has been in operation since at least 1749 and is now owned by Wray & Nephew. It is situated in the middle of the island in the lush Nassau Valley through which the Black River flows. The company’s sugar cane fields cover 11,000 acres of the valley and the large plant on the estate, which processes the cane to produce sugar, also includes the famous distillery which converts the by-product molasses into rum.
Address
Appleton Estate
Siloah
St. Elizabeth
Jamaica
Siloah
St. Elizabeth
Jamaica
The pot stills used at Appleton are of a type unique to the island. They consist of a copper kettle, a high wine retort and a low wine retort and a condenser. Wash containing approximately 8% alcohol is placed in the kettle and is boiled by steam. This produces a vapour of around 30% alcohol that travels through the swan neck into the first retort where it is bubbled through spirit at 30%. The vapour is enriched and leaves this still at 60% alc./vol. to pass through a second retort that contains spirit at 75% alc./vol. The final distillate or rum emerges at 80%-90% alcohol. This is a very economical pot still distillation, being triple distilled in one pass and with some 80% of the run being taken as the final cut.
Appleton rums are barrelled at around 80% alc./vol. with 1/4 to 1/2 a pound of toasted American oak chips added to each 190 litre barrel. They are married in ‘mother vats’ which are maintained at a minimum of 40% full to ensure consistency in the blend.
