Jamaican rum brand Appleton Estate has released a rare 25yo limited-edition rum, Joy Anniversary Blend, to mark the 20th anniversary of Master Blender Joy Spence. The expression will be rolled out to selected markets, including key airports, in Q2 of 2017.
Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend opens with an orange peel top note, a hallmark of Appleton Estate rums, intertwined with ginger and spice. It finishes with warm vanilla, butterscotch, coffee and layers of almond and toasted oak.
Spence, who fell in love with chemistry aged 13, always dreamed of becoming a scientist. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of the West Indies and a Master of Science in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Loughborough.
Spence joined Appleton Estate in 1981 as Chief Chemist and quickly became enthralled with the process of blending rum. She was appointed as the world’s first female Master Blender in 1997.
Spence said: “For my anniversary blend, I simply set out to create the rum that I’d like to sip while watching the colours of my garden change in the warm glow of the Jamaican sunset. It includes two rum marques which are of particular sentimental significance to me. The first of these marques was laid down to age in 1981, which is the year I joined the Appleton Estate team, and the second is my favourite marque of pot still rum. The final blend is a wonderful rum that I hope will become a cornerstone of my legacy.”
