During her 25 years as master blender at J Wray & Nephew, Joy Spence has created some of the finest rums the world has ever imbibed, including the Appleton Estate 8-year-Old Reserve and the Appleton Estate Rare Blend 12-Year Old. Perhaps her crowning achievement was the Limited-Edition Appleton Estate 50-Year-Old Independence Reserve. well, until now. In celebration of Jamaica’s 60th Independence anniversary, Spence has crafted a limited-edition Appleton Estate Decades rum, and it is the newest addition to the famed distillery’s premium rum range.

Decades was unveiled Monday evening, at an event co-hosted by J Wray & Nephew Managing Director Jean-Philippe Beyer and Spence at The Sunken Garden, Hope Botanical Gardens. The event doubled as a celebration of Spence’s dedication to her craft, but became even more of a celebration when Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett declared the award-winning blender one of two brand ambassadors for Jamaica 60. Celebrated West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle is the other.

The acclaim, an ode to her commitment not only to Appleton Estate but to Jamaica and the global rum industry, was an emotional moment for Spence, who in her response said, “I have to thank Minister Bartlett for bestowing on me this wonderful privilege and honour. Rum and Jamaica are intertwined, so whenever I promote rum globally, Jamaica is there toe-to-toe. Jamaica is dear to my heart; it is the land of my birth, and the land of my love. And as long as I travel globally, I will make Jamaica proud.”

Throughout the evening, guests learned about the new blend in between sips of Appleton Estate signature cocktails: Old-Fashioned, Brown Sugar, and Jamaica Daiquiri and pop-in-your mouth treats from Jacqui Tyson’s From Thought to Finish menu.

The evening culminated with a spirited auction for Appleton Estate Decades bottle number 1962. The unique collectors’ item signed by Spence was awarded to the top bidder, philanthropist Ka-el Geewax.

Appleton Estate Decades is composed of the finest rums that have been hand-selected over the last six decades of Jamaica’s Independence, to create a luxurious and rare liquid blend to celebrate Jamaica’s history and heritage. The flavour profile includes smooth notes of honey and molasses on the nose with nutmeg, walnut, maple, and vanilla finishing with notes of soft oak and bright orange zest and is best enjoyed sipped neat in a snifter glass.

Only 1,962 bottles were produced, a number that commemorates the year Jamaica gained its independence. Appleton Estate Decades Rum is only available in Jamaica for a limited time beginning July 18, 2022, with a retail price of US $1,700.