After visiting Jamaica countless times, I can’t believe this is the first time I am making it to the Appleton Estate. And I am so glad I did!

From the music, the food and the patois, rum too is a premium part of Jamaican culture. Located in the Nassau Valley in Saint Elizabeth parish, the Appleton Estate is one of the oldest rum estates in the world. Of course I had to do the Joy Spence Appleton Rum Estate Experience, named after Joy Spence the world’s first female Master Blender.

Getting There

We drove in from Mandeville and it was an hour long drive; however from Kingston, it takes just over two hours.

Even before you arrive on the property the experience begins with the vast fields of sugarcane crops in Cockpit County. It was beautiful.

Hours of Operation

Tours are held everyday except Sundays and public holidays, between 9am and 4pm. They take their last tour group at 3:30pm.

There are no set times when each tour starts - it is mostly determined by the number of visitors. Each tours lasts approximately 1.5-2 hours.

Walk-ins are welcome, but you can also make a reservation by calling them or sending an email.

The Price

Jamaican Residents & Cotizens: $2,000 JMD

Non- Jamaican Residents & Citizens: $30 USD

What To Bring:

• Sunscreen

• Camera

• Insect Repellent

• Money

• Comfortable shoes

• Loose and comfortable clothing

The Experience

We arrived at the estate at around 2 pm and ended up being on one of the last, if not the last tour of the day. On arrival to the Appleton Estate you are greeted by a welcoming staff. And after receiving your entry armband at the front desk; you will be guided to the bar in the lobby where you will be given a welcome drink. My drink was a classic Jamaican rum punch. The drink was a bit strong but a very delectable way to start a tour if I do say so myself. Yummy!

The wait time between tours do vary. But, as you await the start of the tour, you tend to feel a sense of excitement mixed with calm in the lobby. The free drinks also have something to do with that!

The Appleton Estate is the oldest sugar production factory in Jamaica and the second oldest in the Caribbean. So this time warp tour was most definitely already shaping up to be a blissful experience. The Joy Spence Appleton Estate Rum Experience is approximately 2 hours long. It begins with a 10 minute video presentation boasting the rich history of the estate and the qualities that makes the spirit such a delectable part of Jamaica's heritage. The presentation also introduces you to the master blender herself, Joy Spence.

Next, we did a tour of the entire production process from harvesting of the sugarcane (and getting to eat some) to the formation of molasses, the fermentation process and distillation, as well as the aging and blending techniques.

I don’t want to give you much more about what is involved in the tour because I would like you to visit!

Of course, we ended the tour by tasting! We had shots of three types of rum at different points of aging, with each one having a deeper, richer flavor. It definitely made me have a newfound appreciation for rum.

Let me know if you have been to the Appleton Estate!