Patrons gathered at Appleton Estate‘s “On The Rum” Cask Collection Tour at 105 Water Lane in downtown Kingston on August 7 were treated to an impromptu masterclass in rum-making from Appleton Estate Deputy Master Blender David Morrison.
Addressing the audience, Morrison introduced guests to the concept of “finishing,” a process that gives certain spirits their distinctive character.
“Has anybody ever heard of the term finishing before?” Morrison asked the crowd. “This is going to be rum education tonight because let me tell you what finishing is.”
“Finishing is when you take a spirit that has been aged and you actually age it for an additional period of time in another barrel that previously contained another type of spirit,” he explained.
Morrison noted that the rum featured during the tasting was matured in sherry casks for an additional six months after its initial aging, adding new layers of flavor and complexity.
“Both our original rums use bourbon barrels, as well as the sherry casks that we gave for the last six months, so we end up with this really nice honey-bronze color,” he said.
Encouraging guests to engage their senses, Morrison then instructed attendees to observe the rum’s texture.
“Now I’m going to ask you to turn your glass upright just like this. Look at the pattern of the rum as it runs back into the glass,” he said. “You notice the formation on the sides of the glass, or what we call legs.”
The interactive session offered guests a deeper appreciation for the craftsmanship and aging techniques that define Appleton Estate’s signature rums.
Appleton Estate’s “On the Rum” Cask Collection Tour continues tonight at Usain Bolt’s Traxx & Records in Kingston. For the month if August the tour is set to make 21 stops with a live band at each location.
