(Photo: Appleton Estate)

The Jamaican rum brand, Appleton Estate, has added two new vintages to the extremely sought-after Hearts Collection lineup.  The new expressions included in the collection are the 1993 and 2002 editions. 

The Hearts Collection first debuted in 2020 in partnership with rum expert Luca Gargano. The series of rums is comprised of rare limited edition vintage rums spanning different years and decades. Currently, the collection is comprised of the 1994, 1995, 1999, 1983 and 2006 vintage rums. These vintages are very popular and are distilled from the highly regarded Forsyths pot still, which lends to the vintage’s distinct Jamaican flavor profile. 

The 1993 and 2002 vintages will be the sixth and seventh additions to the Hearts Collection respectively. The 1993 rum was selected from just 13 barrels and aged for an astounding 29 years. The 20 year old 2002 edition was selected from 20 barrels. The famous master blender, Joy Spence, carefully selected these barrels for the collection from nearly 200,000 barrels from the warehouse on Appleton Estate in Jamaica. 

“Rums aged in tropical climates develop richer, fuller flavors much more quickly than spirits aged at cooler climates, so when you taste a rum aged for more than 20 years like our new releases from the Hearts Collection, it’s a really extraordinary experience,” said Spence according to Spirits Business.

“I had long dreamed of releasing single vintage selections from Appleton Estate, so it’s been amazing to see the warm reception the Hearts Collection releases receive year after year, all around the world.”

According to the brand the 1993 vintage rum has aromas of spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, along with hints of mint, warm butterscotch, toasted oak and honeyed vanilla.

On the other hand, the 2002 edition offers notes of orange blossoms combined with molasses, warm vanilla, medium roasted coffee and caramel. The palate brings a rich, smooth honeyed taste. 

The Hearts Collection 1993 and 2002 vintages will be available in select retailers around the world from this February, including Italy, France, Germany, the UK, Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Singapore, Japan and Jamaica. The rums may not be available for long as expressions have sold out in minutes at several locations in the past according to the brand. 

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