There Appleton Hearts Collection is the legendary limited edition range of single marks, 100% pot stills, selected by Luca Gargano and Joy Spence, the historical Master Blender by Appleton Estate, militant since 1997 and which has consecrated her as first female Master Blender in the world.
«Creating rum gives me the perfect balance between art and science,” says Joy Spence. “These two aspects are so inextricably linked in the process of creating rum that it is really difficult to say where the science stops and the art begins.».
The birth and development of the Appleton Hearts Collection project
The project Appleton Hearts Collection It originated from the meeting between Spence and Gargano, which began with a Private Barrel Tasting at Appleton Estate, where a series of exceptional vintage pot stills were subsequently selected for bottling.
It all started from the idea of bottling the most beautiful colors used by Joy Spence to create the blends that have made Appleton Estate famous and which have never been presented individually before. These come from centuries of rum blending tradition from column and pot still distillation.
«We both knew we wanted to develop a super premium project and, for the first time in the history of the brand, we collaborated! – says Spence – The connoisseur Luca Gargano is without a doubt one of the most authoritative living rum experts, so the choice to work with him came in a completely natural way».
The Appleton Hearts Collection, launched in 2020, represents a world first and it became a true cult object among collectors: the rums of this exclusive series are the first single mark rums, 100% pot stills and vintages, released by Appleton Estate.
The 100% pot still distillation, with the technique of cutting the heads and tails, allows to conserve only the heart of the distillate. These liquids, aged up to 30 years in a tropical climate, represent a unique detail in the world of rum.
The sixth and seventh editions have already demonstrated the enormous depth of the range, made possible thanks to the distillery's vast heritage of barrels: with its 200,000 units, Appleton Estate has a stock that is unique in the world and has allowed the creation of this co-bottling.
«The Hearts Collection should be enjoyed neat, in a small glass to better savour this nectar. – Spence tells us – The way to properly taste the Hearts Collection should follow a three-step ritualthe:
- Deposit 30ml of Hearts Collection in a shot glass. Swirl the amber liquid and notice the slow honey-golden descent of the tears down the sides of the glass.
- Bring to the nose and savor the subtle aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg. Aerate the rum to reveal notes of honeyed vanilla, oak, and orange blossom.
- Taste and be seduced by the dry, long and complex oak finish. The end result is a luxurious rum, full-bodied and complex.
We called this project Hearts Collection For pay homage to the heart of Jamaica. I am very proud of this collection, which has been received enormously positively and of which we have obviously produced a very limited quantity» concludes Spence.
After the 1984, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2002 and 2003 vintages it is time for the Release 1998, a unique blend of 19 barrels, #417649 and from #422371 to #422388, chosen from the almost two hundred thousand of the Jamaican distillery – distilled in a Forsyths still and bottled at 63° after 25 years of aging in a tropical climate. The total congener content is 995 gr/hlpa. The collection becomes more and more complete; the re-evolution of the pot still continues.
