Appleton Estate’s New Hearts Collection Rum Is the Year’s Best Rum

Well-aged, high-end rum is a growing category that has crossed over in terms of appeal to many whiskey drinkers and collectors. But there is one distillery and one series that consistently stands out as the best—Appleton Estate’s Hearts Collection. The latest release is a 1999 vintage rum aged for 26 years that is well worth the required splurge.

Appleton Estate, Jamaica’s oldest continuously operating rum distillery, has been around since the mid-18th century in one form or another, although the first rum bottled under that name didn’t arrive until the 1940s. Dr. Joy Spence has been master blender at the distillery, which is now owned by Campari, since 1997 (she’s the first woman to hold that auspicious title). Appleton produces some other fantastic expressions, including a 17-year-old that came out a few years ago and a remarkable rum aged for 51 years, but the Hearts Collection remains the pinnacle of the portfolio.

The Hearts Collection launched in 2020, and has included different vintages with varying age statements over the years, all of which were selected by Spence in collaboration with rum expert Luca Gargano: 1994, 1995, 1999, 1984, 2003, 1993, 2002, and 1998. The new 2026 release is a repeat of the 1999 vintage, but this time it was aged for five more years with a total of 26 years spent maturing in just ten ex-bourbon casks. The rum comes from a single marque (essentially a lot or batch), and was distilled on a Forsyth pot still and bottled in 2025. “1999 has become more memorable,” said Spence in a statement. “Returning to these casks revealed liquid of exceptional quality, that had only grown more delicious and complex with every passing year. We simply could not keep it to ourselves.”

This is a release that will really appeal to two audiences: the hardcore Jamaican rum fans looking for that hogo flavor, a term that refers to the funky, savory notes often associated with pot still rum from Jamaica; and the experienced whiskey drinking crowd looking to expand its palate into other high-quality, well-aged spirits. Twenty-six years is a long time for a rum to age in a tropical climate, as the interaction between spirit and wood is accelerated in the high heat and humidity (according to the brand, all aging is done in this climate). The result is stunning; a superb rum that has notes of caramel, banana, grilled pineapple, licorice, cinnamon, apple pie, brown sugar, and molasses on the palate. It’s bottled at a high 63 percent ABV, but the heat is controlled and never overpowering.

This is a very limited release, with just 1,406 bottles available globally priced at $500, but expect it to surpass that on the secondary market. You can currently find the new Hearts Collection 1999 at specialty retailers around the country.