Appleton Estate marks Joy Spence’s 20th anniversary as Master Blender, Joy Spence – the world’s first female master blender – with a limited edition 25-year-old rum named in her honour. And it is a Joy indeed to drink.
One of last year’s highlights for me was getting to tour Jamaica with Appleton Estate Master Blender, Joy Spence. For a fan of rum – and specifically Appleton – not much can top that! But of the same quality caliber as that trip and another opportunity to experience Joy’s impeccable taste and elegance has been the chance to savour her latest creation: Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend, a select blend of aged rums each matured a minimum of 25 years, including rum aged up to 35 years.
Here’s a description in Joy’s own words:
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 be become a cornerstone of my legacy.
To say the blend is wonderful is an understatement, and if it turns out to be cornerstone of Joy’s legacy it will be a deeply delicious and balanced one.
I can’t believe how satisfying and richly complex it is. I get vanilla, orange zst and spice on the nose with figs, butter, almonds and hazelnuts on first taste and a chocolaty aftertaste long after that. As a rum lover, I’m having trouble comparing it to typical rums. But as a lover of aged sherries and Cognacs as well, all sorts to comparisons come to mind.
Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend is available for purchase now in a lovely keepsake bottle with a recommended retail price of RRP of £225.
For more details about this limited edition blend go to campariuk.com/en/appleton-estate-celebrates-20-year-joy.
For more about Appleton Estate visit appletonestate.com.
