Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum has launched its Ruby Anniversary Edition, a limited-edition release commemorating Master Blender Joy Spence’s 40 years of craftsmanship at Jamaica’s oldest rum distillery.

The Ruby Anniversary Edition is an exquisite blend of five hand-selected column and pot-still rums, crafted with Jamaican limestone-filtered water, no added flavours, and aged to perfection in Appleton Estate’s signature oak barrels. 

This elegant expression reveals a taste of excellence, paralleled only by Jamaica’s fertile land and her exceptional people. The Ruby Anniversary Edition is Appleton Estate’s first release for the commemorative year, and with only 500 bottles available, the offer has been considered a “luxurious gem” for rum lovers and rum collectors.

Joy Spence, globally recognised as the ‘First Female Master Blender in the Spirits Industry’, is a trailblazer in her industry and the pinnacle of Jamaican achievement.

An energetic, unbelievably skilled and deeply passionate force of nature, Joy has worked at Appleton Estate for four decades and proudly served as its Master Blender for nearly a quarter of a century, pouring her vast knowledge and perfectionism into every bottle of Jamaica’s most-celebrated rum.

“Forty years ago, I had the opportunity to channel my passion, talent, and knowledge into a role at Appleton Estate,” recalled Spence.

“I was honoured to join one of the most revered world-class brands, in the place I call home. Forty years later,” she continued.

“From luxury editions to permanent expressions, I am still immensely proud to continue to innovate and produce luxurious aged rums at the highest quality standards, suited for every occasion. Since 1981, my goal has been to create the world’s most exquisite, refined aged rums and to share them with the world. This special edition marks a milestone for me and was created using some of the finest stock in our over 200,000 barrels.”

The charm of the Ruby Anniversary Edition is rooted in its strict ageing process. Each bottle contains liquid as old as 45 years and as young as 35 – a luxurious time capsule to highlight the flavour of decades in the tropics.

Due to Jamaica’s climate, Appleton Estate rums age nearly three times more quickly than spirits aged in cooler climates, allowing for richer, fuller flavours to develop in a shorter period of time. This means that 35 years in the tropics equates to more than 100 years of ageing in a cooler climate, thanks to the significant loss of liquid through evaporation.

A unique collector’s item, Ruby Anniversary Edition is a work of craftsmanship and expertise, and the perfect ode to Master Blender Joy Spence. It is also the ideal expression to enjoy at milestones, in the company of loved ones and of course, during the Jamaica 60 celebrations this August.

POWERFUL AROMAS OF CINNAMON

The Ruby Anniversary Edition is best enjoyed neat or in a tulip-shaped Glencairn snifter.

Nosing the rum will announce the powerful aromas of cinnamon with minty orange bouquet. Next, airing the rum will reveal notes of delicate apple, overlaying rich vanilla, and continue with bursts of warm butterscotch, and rich coffee with toasted oak. Sipping this luxurious rum reveals on the palate a delicate molasses and spicy honeyed taste. The finish is delicately smooth, with creamy dry oak– a complex sipping rum meant to be enjoyed slowly.

The Ruby Anniversary Edition is in limited supply so individuals have been urged to move swiftly to “acquire all the Joy you can before the festivities evaporate into fantastic memories”.