Rum Road Trip to Jamaica

Visiting a Rum Legend

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In the world of rum, Jamaica is held in the highest esteem. It is an evocative place where island people, music, culture, and spirit combine to become the ultimate pilgrimage destination for rum lovers.

Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean Sea, after Cuba and Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles. This West Indies island has a tropical maritime climate, defined by a mountainous interior with narrow valleys and coastal plains. World-famous Blue Mountain coffee is grown in Eastern Jamaica’s Blue Mountains. Blue Mountain Peak is the highest mountain in Jamaica at 2,256 metres (7,402 ft) for those seeking a more exhilarating adventure. Jamaicans call their home island the Rock, where the name Jamrock comes from.

Jamaica’s largest mineral resource is limestone, with some of the purest deposits in the world. The limestone-filtered water helps distillers in the fermentation process of rum production. It also forms part of Jamaica’s healing waters and why the waterfall pools are aqua-coloured.

Jamaican rum dates back to the late 1600s. In 1893 there were 148 distilleries in Jamaica. Jamaica is best known for heavy pot distilled molasses rum. High ester, ‘funk’, or high hogo comes from wild and long fermentation (overripe fruit, and gasoline aromas). But not all Jamaican rums are heavy, they make lighter rums as well.

Historically Jamaica made high ester rum for export to Germany. In the 1700s, Germany raised taxes on imported goods, so Jamaica sent less but their more pungent rum was diluted with a local neutral spirit. It made it go further and created a product specifically for the German market, a “faux Jamaican rum” called Rum Verschnitt. (blended or cut).

Jamaican rum has been a sign of quality for centuries, its reputation as a leading rum producer is legendary status and highly collectible today. Jamaica protects its rum in law, regulated by JSPA. For instance, it’s illegal to add sugar to Jamaica rums.

There are 3 distilleries you can visit, and another 3 working distilleries not open to the public just now. The distilleries you can visit are Hampden Estate, Worthy Park Estate, and Appleton Estate. Although there are only three to visit, getting around them will still be an adventure.

Scattered across Jamaica’s mountainous interior, with a bumpy 2.5-hour drive separating each, visiting them all in one day is impractical. For a more relaxed and enriched experience, consider splitting your adventure into 3 separate day trips. This allows you to explore nearby sights and spend more time in each place.

You’ll likely arrive by flight or by cruise ship. In 2023 Jamaica had over 4 million cruise visitor arrivals, that’s nearly 3 million stopover visitors. Montego Bay’s beachfront resorts, clear waters, and easy airport access make it a popular base and there’s something for everyone. Ocho Rios along the north coast is another popular resort, and Falmouth in-between is the major cruise stop.

Negril on the west coast is another popular location as well as the capital, Kingston. If you have a 2-week vacation and want to take in the rum distilleries, you can stay a week in the north, and a week in the south or west to get the most out of your trip.

Hampden Estate

Hampden Estate rum is a relatively new brand, in 2017 but is one of the oldest sugar estates in Jamaica going back to 1749. It uses its own sugar, is a heavy pot still rum, and has dunder tanks, and muck pits, with a colonial house and tropical gardens. The Cockpit Country in Trelawny is a rugged terrain rich in limestone.

About 50 minutes by car from Montego Bay, it’s a bumpy ride, and only slightly shorter from Falmouth port. It’s not easy getting a taxi because of the roads – so it’s best to book ahead. Tours are 10am and 11am. Lunch is included with the tour and lasts for approximately two hours.

Hampden Estate has the Hampden Great House range and some of the highest ester rums, presented in marks (marques) with letter abbreviations coveted by rum geeks. For example, DOK has the highest ester range of 1500-1600. Other Jamaican distillers have their own mark names, but Hampden’s 2023 8 Marks Collection tasting kit release has taken it to the next level for rum geeks.

Montego Bay

Some places for rum lovers to look out for are; Lester’s Bar at the Eclipse Half Moon in Montego Bay. Rehab Sports Bar & Grill, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville in Montego Bay. Juici’s Juici’s Patties for some of the best Jamaican patties

Near Ocho Rios on the north coast are the must-see cascades at Dunn’s River Falls, and the Blue Hole natural limestone pools. Near there is Sandals Dunns River, which has Dunn’s Rum Club inside, a cool hangout with pool tables, lots of rum cocktails or try their flight of rum. We recommend booking lunch at Miss T’s Kitchen for an authentic Jamaican food and rum experience. John Crow’s Tavern and Margaritaville Ocho Rios are popular with tourists for food and rum cocktails.

Appleton Estate

In the southwest of Jamaica, at Siloah, St. Elizabeth is one of the world’s most recognisable spirits brands, Appleton Estate. Since 1749, it’s the oldest sugar estate and distillery in Jamaica in continuous production. In 2018, they launched The Joy Spence Appleton Estate Rum Experience. Joy Spence became the spirits industry’s first female master blender in 1997. The limestone-rich water source and pot distillation help define the spirit profile.

Tours run Monday – Saturday 9am-4pm, book ahead. Enjoy a rum cocktail on arrival at the welcome centre. Tours are popular, they take you around the grounds, you can help push the sugarcane mill and you’ll receive your very own bag of sugarcane pieces to take home. You’ll get to see the pots stills and visit the ageing warehouse before tasting 3 rums. Famous expressions are Appleton Estate Signature Blend, 8, 12, or 21-year-old. Tours tend to be 60-90 minutes and you can have lunch in the restaurant.

YS Falls is nearby, it can be less crowded if you go there early, and then visit the distillery in time for lunch. The YS Falls consist of 7 waterfalls cascading into a natural pool, there’s a stairway beside if you don’t want to get into the water. Also nearby is a boat trip along the Black River.

In the afternoon visit offshore Floyd’s Pelican Bar via a 5-minute fast boat trip half a mile out at sea. It’s a cash-only bar with fresh fish on the menu, but it can get busy with tour groups dropping in.

If you are staying on the west coast at resort town Negril, there are a few spots to enjoy rum like Rick’s Café, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, or The Blackwell Rum Bar in a secret cliff-side lounge of The Caves Hotel. Aim to catch at least one sunset rum cocktail on Negril’s seafront, it’s a magical viewpoint.

An hour west of Kingston in the parish of Clarendon is New Yarmouth Distillery (no visitors allowed) founded by J. Wray & Nephew, owner of Appleton Estate. Since 1825, it’s been Jamaica’s oldest registered company. Distilled on pot and column, they make Wray & Nephew overproof rum at 63% ABV, it’s unaged, and the national rum of Jamaica, affectionately known as Uncle Wray. New Yarmouth Distillery is known for long-aged and high-ester rum.

Worthy Park Estate

In the centre of Jamaica, 1200ft up in the cool hills of Lluidas Vale, St. Catherine is Worthy Park Estate. Another bumpy ride, but as you arrive there’s an epic view over the cane fields. Rum was first made here back in 1741, with sugar estate origins going back to 1670. The sugar mill supplies the distillery with molasses. The season is January to June and is a 24-hours a day in peak season. In modern times, the distillery was built in 2005. It’s the smallest rum distillery in Jamaica, and a cane-to-glass single-estate rum-making process.

The tour is approx. 90 minutes where you’ll learn all about production. You can juice your own sugarcane, watch an immersive video, taste a rum cocktail, and finish with a rum flight tasting of their award-winning Rum-Bar White Overproof Rum and Worthy Park Single Estate Reserve rums.

Worthy Park has won Best Rum in the World and is expanding their capacity to make more rum in the future. Worthy Park Estate also supplies other brands like Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black and Gold, Doctor Bird in Detroit, and others.

Clarendon

Even if you can’t visit the following distilleries, we’ll share who they are. If you find yourself in the parish of Clarendon you can always enjoy the Salt River Mineral Bath and try the rums at one of the bars already mentioned.

Lionel Town in the parish of Clarendon is where Clarendon Distillery is located and home of Monymusk rum (no tour). The plantation goes back to 1755, Monymusk was founded in 1834. Clarendon distillery was built in 1949 but is now a large modern industrial distillery creating millions of gallons of bulk rum each year. It’s partly owned by National Rums of Jamaica, a partnership between the Jamaican government, the West Indies Rum Distillery (Maison Ferrand), and Demerara Distillers and Diageo for Captain Morgan, and Myers rum. Canerock Jamaican Spiced Rum is made at Clarendon distillery. National Rums of Jamaica also owns Innswood Distillery (no visitors), a blending and ageing warehouse for Monymusk rum in Spanish Town just west of Kingston.

Also part of the National Rums of Jamaica is Long Pond Distillery (no visitors) in the parish of Trelawny. Long Pond was a sugar estate going back to 1753. Bottlings are scarce, and they only restarted producing rum again in 2019 after years of bad luck and fire. They produce rum for many other brands, including Captain Morgan.

Planetary Xaymaca Special Dry rum is a blend of rums distilled at Long Pond and Clarendon. Xaymaca is an old word for Jamaica meaning land of wood and water. For these non-visit distilleries, most of the brands are exported abroad, and you may be more likely to see them in your own country.

However, while you’re in Jamaica, here are a few serves to enjoy:

Rum Punch is a local staple; 1 sour, 2 sweet, 3 strong (rum), 4 weak, and 5 spice (grated nutmeg).
Reggae Rum Punch uses Jamaican Overproof rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, grenadine, and lime juice.
Rum ‘n’ Ting rum (grapefruit soda)
Jamaican overproof rum is used in many Tiki-style cocktails you’ll find at bars in Jamaica.
Jamaican Sorrel is a traditional Christmas rum drink made with the Roselle plant, a type of hibiscus that Jamaicans call Sorrel. It’s made with white rum, spices, ginger, and sorrel.
Nuclear Daiquiri – Jamaican overproof white rum, Green Chartreuse, fresh lime juice, and falernum.

In Jamaica, it might be easier to take an organised small-group tour to visit the distilleries, that way you can enjoy tasting the rum, and it avoids the stress of driving the rough roads.

Pro Tip: If you want to pick up a bottle of rum locally, try one of the Mega Marts in Montego Bay or Kingston. Most of the special releases aren’t sold locally but you might find them at the bars we’ve mentioned. There are not many distillery exclusives, but depending on when you visit you might get lucky.

Foodies should try Jamaica’s national dish Ackee and Saltfish or Jerk Chicken. You can soak up the Soca music, and enjoy some local food and rum at one of the Plantation Smokehouse restaurants.

We recommend booking tours ahead of your visit, and checking to see what else is on before travelling to Jamaica. Some distilleries like Appleton Estate host regular events, you’ll find on their socials. Here’s a list of the bigger festivals:

Jamaica’s annual Carnival is from April 3rd to April 9th 2024. Montego Bay Jerk Festival, Bob Marley Week is in February, and Reggae Sumfest, Rebel Salute, Reggae & Rum Punch is in October. Christmas and New Year are high season in Jamaica, so expect it to be busy!

For more practical information Visit Jamaica

And, check out our Jamaica Rum Map

Image credits to producers, Canva Pro, and user contributions.