Appleton Estate’s Hearts Collection 1999 Vintage Rum Is Returning for the First Time Since 2020

(Photo: Appleton Estate)

Appleton Estate is releasing its Hearts Collection 1999 rum for the first time since 2020, with the returning expression now five years older.

The 2026 release is a 26-year-old Jamaican rum drawn from just 10 casks. Appleton Estate first released the 1999 vintage in 2020 as part of its limited Hearts Collection series. The remaining rum was left to age for another five years before being bottled in 2025.

The new release will roll out at select U.S. spirits retailers in October with a suggested retail price of approximately $500.

Master Blender Joy Spence created Hearts Collection 1999 in partnership with rum connoisseur and collector Luca Gargano. The rum is a single proprietary marque distilled in a Forsyth pot still and aged at Appleton Estate’s distillery in Jamaica’s Nassau Valley.

“1999 has become more memorable,” Spence said in a news release. “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.”

Appleton Estate describes the rum as having aromas of chocolate, coffee and dried fruit, along with spicy, herbal and floral notes. The palate leads to a long, honeyed oak finish, according to the brand.

Only 10 casks were used for the 2026 release. Appleton Estate says nearly 200,000 casks are currently aging in its warehouses, giving the distillery one of the world’s largest collections of aged rum.

The Hearts Collection debuted in 2020 as Appleton Estate’s first series of single-marque pot-still rums. The collection takes its name from the heart of Jamaica and consists of highly limited releases built around individual aged rum marques.

The 2026 release joins eight other Hearts Collection expressions listed by Appleton Estate: 1994, 1995, 1999, 1984, 2003, 1993, 2002 and 1998.

Appleton Estate Hearts Collection 1999 will be available in select U.S. retailers while supplies last. Consumers can sign up through the brand’s website for updates and presale information.