Joy Spence trained as a chemist before she became the world's first female master blender when she took the reins at Appleton Estate in 1997 – so it's safe to say she knows a thing or two about seriously good rum. The rum is aged by marque in Number One American Oak Bourbon barrels, with each marque left to mature for different amounts of time in Jamaica's tropical climate. The barrels impart a complexity and depth of flavour. You can read more about this process overleaf. 7. Blending If you enjoyed our rum of the year then this 21-year-old expression offers a logical progression in terms of style and maturity. Here we find the hallmark orange and spice notes from the 15-year-old greatly intensified and accompanied by stewed fruits, raisins, prunes and sweet, oaky notes of toffee and vanilla. No additives can be added, preserving the rum's purity of taste. The result is rum that's known around the world for its flavour. To celebrate the occasion, we’re taking a closer look at this award-winning Appleton rum, starting with the most important question of all: What does it taste like?

This was clearly a good time to revisit the core range as a whole, so we commenced a tasting to do exactly that. Appleton Estate was acquired by another famous name in Jamaican rum, Wray and Nephew, in 1916. In 2012 the company was bought by the Italian Campari group. Today, Appleton Estate is considered one of the finest rums in the world. Only sugarcane from the estate which covers around 11,000 acres is used. Very serious stuff indeed. It’s a real treat to try a Jamaican rum of this age, especially a rare traditional pot still bottling of Appleton. One for the hardcore rum drinker or the serious spirits collector.The consumer palate has become much more sophisticated. Appleton Estate’s range boasts some complex and elegant expressions, which inspire us to both educate and entertain on a higher level. This relaunch gives us the opportunity to illustrate Jamaica’s rich history and geography, as we reinvent our most iconic international brand to connect deeper with our existing consumers and appeal to new markets across the globe.”

What's more, this year saw Appleton Estate release its new minimum age variants. Unlike many other rum brands, if an Appleton Estate rum has an age statement on the bottle, then every drop of rum in the bottle has been aged for a minimum of the number of years indicated on the bottle. Appleton is a great distillery and this is a great rum,’ says our buying director Dawn Davies MW. ‘It shows the perfect balance between elegance and power and would be equally enjoyable for someone just dipping their toe into rum as those already in love with the category.’ What’s in the bottle? Nose: Rich molasses hits you right away followed by clove studded oranges, cinnamon, almonds, apricots and plums. In addition to the fruit and spice there’s also a pleasantly phenolic side with engine oil, a dab of shoe polish and a drop of tar. We’re definitely in Jamaica.In the world of rum, there are few names as well-respected as Joy Spence. Raised in Kingston and studied in chemistry, Joy joined J Wray & Nephew – the owner of Appleton Estate – in 1981. In 1997, her work and talents were recognised when she was promotion to the rank of master blender, making her the first woman across the global sprits industry to ever earn the title. She has created blends for royals and heads of state, she was instrumental in gaining GI status for Jamaican Rum, and she is involved in numerous philanthropic ventures that aid women around the world. This term refers to the individual pot and column still rums created during the distillation process. These particular cuts are developed by, and are unique to, each rum producer, and each rum marque has its own flavour. 6. Tropical aging