Founded in 1655 as a sugar refinery, The Appleton Estate began producing rum in 1749, making it the oldest rum distillery in Jamaica still in operation. The Appleton Estate Special, the estate’‘s flagship product, was created during the Second World War to compensate the shortage of whisky on the island. Over the decades the distillery has survived various crises by using an independent sugar cane supplier. In 1997 Appleton Estate appointed Joy Spence as their Master Blender, the first woman to occupy such a position in the rum industry. The Appleton Estate is highly renowned among experts and regularly wins awards for the consistent quality of its production.

An old edition of Appleton 12 Year Old produced in pot stills and column stills by J. Wray & Nephew Ltd.