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by
Rick VanSickle
NASSAU
VALLEY, Jamaica — The two-hour
drive from Negril, Jamaica, to the
historic Appleton Rum Estate in
St. Elizabeth is a pleasant journey
through rolling hills and quaint,
bustling villages.
It's
a rewarding trip that gives you
a sense of what the real Jamaica
is like, far away from the all-exclusive
resorts that circle the island.
Most visitors to Jamaica only see
the beaches, swanky hotels and big
buffets over-flowing with North
American style foods. Our destination
on this day is about as distant
from that as one can get.
Our
bus ride ends at the historic Appleton
Estate, birthplace of Jamaica rum.
It is the oldest sugar estate and
distillery in Jamaica, dating back
to 1749, and its history is proudly
displayed everywhere you look.
Rum
is the spirit of choice for most
Jamaicans. It is the perfect match
for the spicy island cuisine (one
can hardly imagine anything else
pairing so well with the hot sauces
Jamaicans prefer) and also the perfect
thirst quencher on a sunny, sweltering
day (which is every day here) after
a grueling day on one of the many
fabulous golf courses around the
island.
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Rum
is one of the most versatile
spirits in the world and Appleton,
with its unique premium line
of estate dark rums, takes
that to a new level. You begin
to appreciate the many variations
of rum and how well it matches
with most Jamaican food. The
exotic spices in the rum seem
to quell even the hottest
scotch bonnet peppers and
spicy sauces encountered at
most local restaurants here.
To dampen the fire even more,
mix the rum with a fruit punch
and watch how it melts away
the hot spices coating your
palate.
You
may well be wondering why
a wine guy is writing about
rum. Fact is, I have never
been to a Caribbean island
and found a decent bottle
of wine for sale. Most islands
either have a poor selection,
or it's over priced or, worse,
it's been stored improperly
in the relentless heat.
Rum
is the wine of the islands
and on a hot day, even in
Canada, it's a perfect summer
drink. So when in Jamaica
(or Cuba or Bermuda, etc.)
do as the Jamaicans do.
Appleton,
with its 11,000-acre estate
in Nassau Valley's fertile
sugar-cane fields, takes great
care in crafting its spicy
dark rum. It all starts with
the sugar cane. Just like
grapes, sugar cane comes in
many varieties and levels
of quality. Each parcel of
cane is distilled separately.
After
the cane is harvested, the
sugar is extracted and converted
to molasses. The master distiller
then adds spring water and
natural yeast and allows the
fermentation to take place.
At this point, the sugar in
the molasses has been converted
to alcohol and the liquid
is ready for distillation.
This is where the rum gets
its character.
After
distillation, the rum is aged
in once-used Jack Daniel's
oak bourbon barrels shipped
from the U.S.
Appleton
chars the insides of the barrels,
which adds new dimensions
to the flavour profile and
also gives its rums the darker
colours. All that's left now
is the blending of the rum,
the most crucial step.
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Appleton
Estate
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The
Appleton Line-Up
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Joy
Spence
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Bringing
all the vats together to produce
a consistent rum at each of the
four levels (for the Appleton premium
range) is a job that falls into
the hands of Joy Spence, the world's
first woman master blender. Tasting
with Spence is a true pleasure and
I have had the opportunity to enjoy
the finest rums made at the estate
with her both in Jamaica and back
in Canada.
During
a recent trip to Toronto Spence
was flown in from Jamaica to present
the 46-year-old "Legacy"
rum. The bottle for this historic
rum comes in a one-of-a-kind decanter
crafted to emulate an Appleton Estate
rum bottle made from mouth-blown,
hand-cut crystal from Nova Scotia.
The rum, decanter and six crystal
snifters carry a hefty price tag
of $60,000.
Once
poured, the room lights up a room
with intense aromas of vanilla,
nuts, toffee and dried fruits. All
this is amplified a million times
as you swirl the amber nectar and
bring the crystal snifter to your
nose. "Oohs" and "aahs"
could be heard as we enjoyed this
rare treat, which consists of only
one barrel in the world.
Such
extraordinary tastes — roasted
coffee bean, licorice, caramel and
dried apricots all drenched in woody
vanilla and spice. I would never
have imagined rum could taste this
good, even eclipsing a very fine,
very old Cognac.
Rum
Tasting Notes:
With
the warm weather finally near, we
take a departure from the wine world
and look at some fabulous rums in
the market place.
Rum,
made wherever sugar cane grows,
can be a great mixer for fruit juices,
ginger beer or even some soft drinks.
But the very best rums are enjoyed
straight up or on the rocks.
I love good rum and prefer to mix
it with a mango juice, mixed tropical
fruit juice or even real ginger
beer for a nice spicy treat. When
the temperature reaches its hottest
peak, nothing is more refreshing
than rum over crushed ice and fruit
juice. Not even a crisp Riesling
can achieve what this magical liquor
can achieve when you find one you
like.
Here
are a few I can highly recommend
(all widely available at liquor
and wine stores).
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