Above And Beyond Tours Jamaica Ltd.

04/06/2015

Appleton Jamaican Rum….aaahhh!!! World renowned it is and there’s a good reason.

Jamaica has some of the best rum in the world. The Appleton Estate Tour will give you an exclusive tour of an iconic part of Jamaica’s history and rich culture.

The Estate is located in Nassau Valley in the parish of St. Elizabeth, on Jamaica’s South Coast.



If you like rum, you will have a great time on this tour – guaranteed! The guides are very knowledgeable, funny and engaging.

Upon entering The Appleton Estate you will notice the grounds and buildings are beautiful and well maintained. First, you are taken to the reception area and offered complimentary rum punch – not the kind you get at the resorts, this is the real stuff!

Note: bottling of the rum does not take place on this property.

On this tour you will learn the historic production process of Appleton Estates’ Rums. You will see earlier methods used to remove juice from sugarcane, learn about the distillation process in their 200 year old pot stills and visit one of the Estate’s barrel houses where rums age to excellence. Throughout the tour you get to taste molasses and freshly squeezed sugar cane juice.

This tour is somewhat short. The tour ends showing you the aging process in the oak barrels.

Possibly the best part of the tour is the finale – tasting as much rum as you can handle! There are 13 types of rum to sample. Needless to say, most people leave this tour very happy.

04/06/2015

04/06/2015

Avid rum drinkers who go on rum tours all over the world say this one is like no other. The Appleton Estate Tour is by far the most unique distillery ever seen and the rum is absolutely delicious!

04/06/2015

Limited Edition Appleton Estate 50-Year-Old Jamaica Rum – Jamaica Independence Reserve is said to be the oldest rum available for sale in the world? Only 800 bottles of this very special rum was made.

04/06/2015

04/06/2015

What to bring:

Cash – there are two gift shops that sell Appleton products including rum, candies, polos and gift sets

Water – consider walking with a bottle because it is hot inside the factory



What to wear:

Comfortable shoes – the tour involves small amount of walking



Travel time:

From Montego Bay – about 90 minutes each way

From Ocho Rios – 3.5 hours each way

23/06/2014

The Green Grotto Caves

Known at various times as the Runaway Bay Caves, Cave Hall Caves, Discovery Bay Caves, Dry Harbour Caves, Hopewell Caves, Rum Caves and Dairy Caves, are among Jamaica's most prominent natural attractions. They are of international repute and have been seeing visitors since the 18th century.

Situated on 25.9 hectares of the island's beautiful North Coast, the Caves are located between the resort centres of Ocho Rios and Montego Bay and are precisely 3.2 km from Discovery Bay to the west and 4 km from Runaway Bay to the east.

The central feature of this natural attraction is the large labyrinthine limestone cave with its numerous rock formations, its stalactites, stalagmites and abundance of overhead ceiling pockets.

Green Grotto is 1,525 metres long and 12 metres deep and is characterised by numerous chambers and light holes and a subterranean lake - the Grotto Lake - occupies its bowels.

The cave is rich in history and can be identified with different groups of people. The first Jamaicans, the Arawak Indians (Tainos) found shelter in the caves initially. Proof of this is evident in the multiple fragments of pottery and adzes that are unearthed from time to time. During the period of take-over by the English, the caves were used as a hideout for the Spaniards who were being driven out of the country.

The caves can also be identified with that period between the two world wars where they were used by smugglers running arms to Cuba. In the latter years during the Second World War, the Government of Jamaica used the entrance of the cave as a storeroom for rum in barrels. In the 1960's Green Grotto Caves fell into the possession of the Kirkner family. Today, they are owned by the Urban Development Corporation and operated by the St Ann Development Company and the attraction is being developed to include a nature park and reserve.

23/06/2014

Green Grotto Cave Jamaica