It wasn’t that long ago that I wrote of my love and respect for Joy Spence as Campari marked her 20 years as Master Blender for Appleton Estate – a person to be admired on so many levels. My little girl might be too young for role models right now, but as soon as she’s old enough – I’ll be telling her all about her ‘aunty’ Joy and if she studies and works hard she ‘can be just like Joy Spence’. 

 

I think it’s a little self-indulgent for some producers to release a ‘special edition’ in their master blenders name – but my first reaction is ‘if Joy has produced something she wants to drink’ then boy-oh-boy do I want to drink it as well! I’ll join that queue for sure!

 

Time will tell – hopefully, we’ll get a sip soon – and if we do, I’ll happily report back on what I get to taste, but until then, I’ll just have to tease you with the press release! Enjoy!

 

Whilst there was certainly a quiet patch news-wise while the acquisition of Wray & Nephew was completed and 'bedded in' by Campari, the last year or so has proved that big brother is certainly having an impact and we really are quite excited to see what the future holds for this fab brand.

 

Press Release: Appleton Estate, the world’s leading Jamaican premium aged rum, today announced the release of the Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend, a rare 25-year-old limited edition rum, which celebrates Joy Spence’s 20th anniversary as Master Blender. 

 

 

 

Joy, who fell in love with chemistry at age 13, always dreamed of becoming a scientist. After graduating from the University of the West Indies with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and the University of Loughborough with a Master of Science in Analytical Chemistry, she joined Appleton Estate in 1981 as Chief Chemist and quickly became enthralled with the process of blending rum.  Over the next 16 years, under the expert guidance of then Master Blender, Owen Tulloch, Joy honed her sensory skills, developing an unrivalled mastery of taste and smell. 

 

Joy’s prestige in the industry rose at a time when rum was primarily made and consumed by men, and her 1997 appointment as the world’s first female Master Blender certainly served to shatter the spirits industry’s glass ceiling.  At once an artist and a scientist, Joy has spent the last 20 years creating some of the finest rums the world has ever seen, and Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend may be her greatest triumph yet.  

 

“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,” said Joy Spence. “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.” 

 

This beautifully complex and elegant limited edition is the culmination of Joy’s pioneering spirit, inventive mind, and dedication to her craft. Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend opens with a delicate orange peel top note, a hallmark of Appleton Estate rums, intertwined with ginger and spice and finishes with warm vanilla, butterscotch, coffee and layers of almond and toasted oak. The palate is exceptionally smooth with an elegant finish of brown sugar.

 

This 25-year-old minimum aged rum, which also includes rums that have been aged up to 35 years, is a reflection of a remarkable woman who embodies passion, love, and, above all else, joy. 

 

Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend will be rolled out across markets starting in March 2017.

 

 

 

 

The Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend is bottled at 45% alc. /vol.

R.R.P. is £225

Appleton Estate is a Campari-owned brand.