Appleton Estate releases 17YO rum

Jamaican rum brand Appleton Estate has launched the limited edition 17 Year Old Legend, based on a bottling from the 1940s that inspired the Mai Tai cocktail.

The 17 Year Old Legend is a ‘historical blend’, a recreation of the 17 Year Old crafted by Caribbean exporter J Wray & Nephew in the 1940s – a rum renowned as the inspiration for the Mai Tai cocktail.

The original is said to be one of the ‘most sought-after bottles in the world’ today.

Appleton Estate’s tribute to the rum was created by master blender Joy Spence, who used four ‘very rare’ distillates to produce a near-matching taste profile.

Spence said: “With our 17 Year Old Legend, we knew we had a special story to tell.

“This project has been years in the making and truly one of the most challenging of my career. In carefully re-creating the beautiful taste profile of the original rum, we’ve created an expression that is a tribute both to our own heritage, and to the heritage of the classic cocktail craft.”

Only 1,500 bottles are available, said never to be produced again.

The original rum, blended by J Wrap & Nephew, was said to have ‘caught the imagination’ of bartender Victor Bergeron, founder of the acclaimed Trader Vic’s bar in San Francisco, US.

This is where the Mai Tai is widely said to have been invented. Appleton’s 17 Year Old Legend presents caramelised pear and banana notes, mingling with warm, nutty, oak, and floral herbal notes.

The finish is lingering and silky-smooth.

From June, the bottling will be available from select premium retailers in the US, Jamaica, the UK, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, and more for RRP US$500.

Thirty-six NFTs redeemable for bottles of the 17 Year Old Legend will also be available on BlockBar.com.

In January, the brand added 1993 and 2022 vintages to its limited edition Hearts Collection.