Tasting: Appleton Estate Hearts Collection Rums (2002, 1993)

It’s kind of incredible to examine the market for limited edition releases in other corners of the spirits world, after you’ve absolutely submerged yourself in bourbon hype for a while. After years of rampant retailer price gouging and a steady devaluation of the concept of limited edition releases in general, people only paying attention to the world of American whiskey could be forgiven for the fact that they’ve likely forgotten what kind of bang it’s even possible to get for your buck elsewhere. But as a reminder, allow me to submit the following: The two most recent releases of the Appleton Estate Hearts Collection. These are two limited edition, Jamaican 100% pot still rums, aged 20 and 29 years and bottled at a robust 63% ABV (126 proof), and both are available for $300 or less.

Is that cheap? No, absolutely not. But considering the tiny fraction of liquid that is even left in a barrel after 20 or 29 years of tropical heat aging in Jamaica, and compared with the going rate for bourbon that is often half or a third of this age in the U.S., it’s a rather incredible disparity. In other words, this is much more legitimately a “rare” product than the latest 12-year cask strength bourbon from MGP that an independent bottler is trying to get $300 for. Or just ask yourself: What do you think the MSRP (never mind the secondary price) would be like if these were 20 and 29-year-old cask strength bourbons from Buffalo Trace we were talking about here? Now you get the idea.

Suffice to say, I appreciate Campari’s Appleton for putting out a release like this where $220 could realistically net a collector a once-in-a-lifetime bottle. What are these? Well, these Hearts Collection expressions are the sixth and seventh in a series of cask strength pot still rums from Jamaica’s Appleton, a collaboration between Master Blender Joy Spence and noted independent bottler (Velier) and connoisseur Luca Gargano. Unlike the traditional product from Appleton, which is a blend of pot and column still rums, these are 100% pot still spirit, presumably aged in ex-bourbon barrels, and bursting with estery goodness as a result. This particular batch comes from just 13 barrels (the 1993) and 20 barrels (the 2002) respectively, with MSRPS of $300 and $220. Previous Hearts Collection vintages have included 1994, 1995, 1999, 1984 and 2003. They won’t be easy to find, but your local rum bar may have snagged a bottle.

As for us, we have a few small samples, so let’s get to them.

Appleton Estate Hearts Collection 2002

MSRP: $220

On the nose, this 20-year-old expression is redolent in rich tropical fruit and considerable sweetness. I’m getting quite a bit of cocoa, stone fruit, vanilla bean, roasted nuts, maple and pencil shavings, along with sweet orange and modest pot still funk. It smells mouthwatering and inviting, and certainly hasn’t in any sense been overtaken by oak or overt woodiness.

On the palate, this one is indeed on the sweeter side, with a rounder profile than the 1993 ends up having. I’m getting lots of cocoa and considerable baking spice, with a heavy dose of allspice and ginger cookies, with flashes of dark dried fruit, plum and cinnamon. There really isn’t a ton of oak, surprisingly–it’s actually subtle enough on the palate that you can trace back impressions of the more grassy, resinous original sugar cane underneath it all. The toasted cocoa is an especially nice through-line, and the overall impression is a combination of sweet, fruity and spicy elements, although there is a modest drying astringency as well. All in all, it’s really quite accessible and delicious.

Appleton Estate Hearts Collection 1993

MSRP: $300

On the nose, the 29-year-old 1993 Hearts Collection sample has a somewhat more dry and aromatic profile, pushing in directions that are more funky and herbaceous. It’s a queer combination of elements of great maturity–leather, tobacco, etc.–with more exotic and fresh tropical fruitiness that evokes coconut flesh and melon. Musty old oak is playing alongside molasses cookie and rubber, with an overall more complex and challenging profile to the average drinker.

On the palate, this is indeed sharper and more angular in general than the sweeter and more easygoing 2002 Hearts Collection sample, with less ripe tropical fruit and sweet baking spice, and significantly more oak influence. The bright tropical fruit tones are still there, though, with something like kiwi and lime/ginger curd that is welded to more funky old oak, with intense charred wood/espresso roast and tannic tobacco following quickly on its heels. Trailing peppercorn spice is both buzzy and fruity in nature.

Well, this is certainly a unique one! I think it’s safe to say that the 2002 is the more accessible of these drams to lovers of Appleton Estate’s core product lineup, while the eccentricities of the 1993 will appeal to the more passionate die-hard collectors in the audience. Regardless, these are truly novel experiences that make an easy case for justifying why they’re “limited releases” in the first place. If only it could be this way in every corner of the spirits world, eh?

Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and resident craft beer and spirits geek. You can follow him on Twitter for more drink writing.