Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2012 Announces Appleton Estate Reserve Category Trophy Winner

NEW YORK, March 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Appleton Estate Reserve is proud to accept the Ultimate Spirits Challenge Chairman's Trophy as the top overall selection in the rum category in the 2012 competition, surpassing all other rum brands. The Ultimate Spirits Challenge's elite judging panel, which includes Chairman F. Paul Pacult among other prominent authors, spirits buyers, journalists, educators, bar owners and consultants, tested for stand-out superior quality and value when rating the spirits. 

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"The Ultimate Spirits Challenge Chairman's Trophy is a great honor for Appleton Estate Reserve, and we are so grateful to accept this prestigious award," says Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum Master Blender Joy Spence.  "We are extremely proud of the high quality of Appleton Estate Reserve and take care to hand-blend over 20 different rums aged in oak barrels, creating notes of orange peel, vanilla and hazelnut."

"We are humbled by the selection of Appleton Estate Reserve being awarded the prestigious Chairman's Trophy from the distinguished Ultimate Spirits Challenge judging panel," says Appleton Estate Brand Manager Greg Levine.  "This esteemed award reflects the quality and craftsmanship Appleton Estate Jamaica Rums have become synonymous with in the top on and off-premise accounts across the country."

After the first round of the challenge, products that scored 90 points or higher were evaluated for a second time in a blind taste test by a different panel of judges. Top scoring products were then reviewed a third time to determine a select group of finalists, with the category's highest-scorer receiving the Chairman's Trophy accolade. Appleton Estate Reserve was awarded this prestigious honor with 96 out of 100 points for its varied bouquet and beautifully complex flavor.

Appleton Estate Reserve, a Jamaican rum born in the lush Nassau Valley and known for its quality, complexity and mixability, is a harmonious blend of 20 select aged rums. The judges described Appleton Estate Reserve having "eye-catching chestnut color," "flawless purity," "creamy and honeyed at entry, then the taste detonates into an explosion of cocoa, vanilla and baked fruits," and impressively "one of the great spirits of the world." Appleton Estate Reserve won an "extraordinary" rating out of the following accolades of "excellent," "very good" and "good."

The annual Ultimate Spirits Challenge, hosted at the Astor Center in New York City this March, honored 31 spirits across all categories with the Chairman's Trophy designation. Entries included a record number of more than 650 contestants from more than 70 companies and 30 countries around the world, making this the most competitive challenge to date since the first highly regarded competition three years ago.  Chairman's Trophy winners from Ultimate Spirits Challenge are invited to participate in a special tasting at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans in July 2012.

ABOUT APPLETON ESTATE JAMAICA RUM
Appleton Estate Jamaica Rums are created at the world-famous Appleton Estate, Jamaica's oldest sugar factory and distillery, and are exclusively distributed in the US by Kobrand Corporation.  Since 1749, these rums have been produced from meticulously cultivated sugar cane that is Estate-grown and harvested on the beautiful island of Jamaica. Appleton Estate Jamaica Rums deliver distinctive, rich, complex, luxurious flavors within its wide array of world class offerings. Appleton Estate signature rum brands are strictly Estate distilled using a proprietary yeast strain propagated from the sugar cane grown on the Estate, and produced through the painstaking combination of small batch copper pot and column distillation.  With the ideal climate on hand, Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum matures in carefully selected, hand-crafted oak barrels.  The process is finalized with the artful blending by Master Blender Joy Spence – the industry's first female Master Blender.  The Appleton Estate is committed to preserving the environment and reducing its carbon footprint, making a significant investment in plant, equipment and training to ensure that all operations in the Nassau Valley, as well as in its head office in Kingston, are green. www.appletonestate.com

About Ultimate Beverage Challenge 
Ultimate Beverage Challenge (UBC) provides expert evaluation of wines and spirits for producers, importers and marketers through its three innovative annual competitions – Ultimate Spirits Challenge, Ultimate Wine Challenge and Ultimate Cocktail Challenge. Based on exacting standards, expert judges and rigorous methodology, UBC raises the standards of spirits and wine evaluation and supplies ratings and accolades to help companies build their brands with buyers, both industry and consumer. UBC was founded by F. Paul Pacult, Sue Woodley and David Talbot. Challenge and event photos, videos and press coverage can be found at www.ultimate-beverage.com/.

SOURCE Appleton Estate