Joy Spence from Manchester Parish, Jamaica, is a woman of warmth and sparkle who many people would want as an auntie or granny. Dr Spence from Appleton Estate is a formidable chemist and someone with an incredible nose for flavour, who paved the way for a generation of female master blenders. The two sides of her character have come together to produce a remarkable rum, The Source, distilled in 1973 by her predecessor Owen Tulloch, but nurtured for the second half of its life under her supervision until its release, now at a spectacular 51 years of age. 

There was a time not so long ago when that number would have been impressive in a whisky. In a tropically aged rum, it is unprecedented. Dr Spence explains: ‘It ages three times faster in Jamaica than in Scotland – and that’s not a Caribbean folk tale. The Scotch Whisky Research Institute sent barrels of malt whisky over to age in Jamaica and determined that the ratio is around three to one.’ 

So, a 51YO rum is the equivalent to a 153YO whisky… impressive, but potentially excessive, surely? 

Ian Burrell, arguably the world’s foremost and certainly its most enthusiastic rum expert, is one of few people to have tasted it and is a relatively objective voice (relatively because he has Jamaican parents, is an advocate of Jamaica rum and treats Joy Spence like a favourite aunt!). Doesn’t 51 years of tropical ageing simply mean you get splinters on your tongue when you taste this rum? Burrell replies, ‘That’s exactly what I was worried about when I tasted it, but not at all. I’d say the 37-year-old Appleton Estate Hearts Collection 1984 is more woody than the 51YO – and I wouldn’t call that over-oaked.’ 

He’s right – the Hearts 1984 (around £1,000), released in 2021, is rich with coffee, toffee, blackstrap molasses, chocolate and cooked fruit, with a little tingle of herbal notes on top. 

Burrell continues, ‘Part of the equation is managing the maturation, but a lot of it is down to what’s called the mark, the recipe of how it’s made… there may be some cane juice in with the molasses to increase freshness; the fermentation time could be longer or shorter; then there’s the distillation method and blend – but the 51YO is 100 per cent pot still. Whatever the mark is, it’ll be different to the one used in that Hearts 1984, for example – it’s not just the same recipe aged longer.’  

Dr Spence refuses to reveal the secret of which mark it was that created this rum, but it was deliberately formulated to thrive in long, tropical ageing: ‘Our pot-still mark for this rum doesn’t behave like other marks. The idea is that you have a less tannic finish. As time goes on, it reacts less with the wood in terms of oak extraction, but it’s still developing. Acids react with the alcohol to create more complex fatty acids, contributing more flavour; and oxidation produces more esters, responsible for fruit aromas. You start to detect the cinnamon notes after about 35-40 years; orange blossom converts to a smoky orange because eventually the charring affects the rum; and overall, there is more complexity, a fruit medley, honeyed raisins and figs.’ 

One of the other issues with tropical ageing is evaporation – and it’s the worst of both worlds. It doesn’t strengthen in the heat like bourbon does in relatively dry Kentucky; it loses more alcohol than water due to the humidity (just like in Scotland) but does so at turbo speed. So, this rum began life filling 10 barrels and gradually had to be consolidated into ever fewer barrels (evaporation accelerates the emptier a barrel is).  

Given there is yet to be a 90-year-old whisky, it’s a wonder there is enough to fill the 25 bottles of Appleton Estate The Source 51YO available across the world (three of which are available through Berry Bros & Rudd in London). It’s a miracle it is bottled at 62% ABV. And it’s an explanation for the £59,320 price tag, which has raised eyebrows. 

Why this should be a shocking figure outside the world of luxury spirits is one thing, but within it, there is no reason – many an extremely limited whisky over 50 years of age has fetched higher prices than this, and to ignore the equivalent technical skill and craft from this source would be pretty blinkered. 

Typically, Ian Burrell has a positive spin: ‘Of course, people jumped online and said, “A 60-grand rum – that’s ridiculous.” But others asked, “A 60-grand rum – why?” Those are the people I want to speak to, because they’re open to the idea that rum could be that special, and maybe they don’t have the budget for the 51YO but would be able to afford a Hearts Collection bottling for £500. And it also brings to the table people who are not necessarily rum connoisseurs but appreciate and have the budget for the finer things. It’s great to have rum in that bracket.’ 

appletonestate.com 

A fine Cuban 

Proving how diverse the world of rum is, there is also a great single-cask rum to recommend, made on an island just 78 nautical miles away, produced in a totally different style. Exclusive to The Whisky Exchange, Havana Club Single Cask Barrel 111968 (no age stated) is a combination of distillates from a multi-column still (providing power and precision) and a low single-column still (supplying the aromatic compounds), blended by maestro ronero Asbel Morales before going into American oak. (Incidentally, the Cuban maestro ronero job title has been recognised by Unesco as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Hang on in there, heads of multi-asset solutions; your time will come!)  

It was then selected on a tour of the warehouse by The Whisky Exchange’s buying director Dawn Davies. According to her, ‘It’s a light and refreshing rum with a round, honeyed character. You can expect soft stone fruit and florals, with peach, apricot and lavender, complemented by marzipan and stewed fruits.’ 

Havana Single Cask Barrel 111968 (175 bottles), 48% ABV, £150, exclusive to thewhiskyexchange.com 

Sail on, rummy 

Finally, news from another of the great tropical island nations… the Isle of Wight. Well, the Isle of Wight as an outpost of Barbados. Mount Gay rum is celebrating a “Summer of Sailing” with a major presence at various events along the South Coast, and in the Solent, not least Cowes Week (2-8 August). Mount Gay will be represented on the water in the shape of the sails of its sponsored yacht, Luna, a Swan 42 with a handy record this season.  

Probably more noticeable to visitors to Cowes will be the legendary après-sail event, the “Red Hat Crew Party”, on Thursday 7 August, to which all crews are invited. Throughout the week, for those who haven’t been winching all day, the Mount Gay Bar in the Regatta Village will be serving three rums: Eclipse, Black Barrel and the delicious XO, served neat and in a selection of cocktails. 

mountgayrum.com