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APPLETON ESTATE RUM TOUR
If
you love rum then you're sure to be fascinated with the famous Appleton
Rum Estate. You'll get an overview of the history of the estate,
get to see how rum is made and sample many different types of rum
along the way. Be sure to also check out the scenery on your journey
to Appleton Rum Estate. The estate comprises of 11,000 acres of
fields in the Nassau valley. The valley sits at the foot of the
Santa Cruz Mountains and is watered by the Black River which flows
through it.
The Appleton Rum Tour
The
tour starts with a video giving an overview of Appleton Rum Estate
and its activities. Next you get to see some remnants from the history
of the estate, including antique equipment and machinery. Two old
sugar cane crushers have been preserved, the estate's donkey is
on hand to give a demonstration of one and guests on the tour are
offered the chance to operate the second one. Your efforts will
no go unrewarded as you will also get to taste some of the freshly
squeezed cane juice.
The next stage of the tour takes you to the distillery to see the
famous rum being distilled. Here you will get to taste "wet
sugar" (aka molasses) and see it being distilled in giant copper
pots.
The
next stage of rum production that you will witness is the aging
house. Here you will see thousands of white oak barrels ageing various
types of rum. Some varieties of rum require three years of aging,
some require up to 30! The final stage of the process you will witness
is the blending. This is where the rums are blended in to the world
famous Appleton flavor.
The most popular part of the tour is a trip to the tavern where
you get the opportunity to sample the 16 varieties of rum produced
at Appleton Estate. You even get to take a mini bottle of rum to
savour at home.
Also
on site is a gift shop where you can purchase souvenirs and, of
course, Appleton rum! If you have an appetite for more rum after
the tasting session, there is also a bar on site where food and
drink are available.
History
The Appleton Estate was founded in 1655 and is believed to be
the land payment made to Francis Dickson for his role in the English
capture of Jamaica from the Spanish. His two grandsons, Caleb and
Ezekiel, are the earliest known owners of the estate. It was not
until 1749 that the estate began producing rum. Appleton Rum grew
in popularity during World War II when rum was sought to supplement
the insufficient supplies of Whisky on the Island. Appleton became
the rum of choice due to its smoothness and lightness.
Appleton Rum Estate currently produces around 10 million liters
of rum per year and 160 tons of sugar a day. Wray and Nephew (the
company which makes Appleton Rum) also owns the New Yarmouth and
Holland sugar estates. However, the Appleton Estate is the largest
and most modern in Jamaica.
- ADULTS: US$85
- CHILDREN 12 YEARS AND YOUNGER: US$80
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