The Joy of rum

Wray & Nephew master blender Joy Spence has the distinction of being the first woman to hold the position of master blender in the industry

Joy has created many rums, spirits and liqueurs for the company, including Appleton Estate Extra Jamaica Rum – Appleton's super-premium blend and Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaica Rum – the newest addition to the Appleton Jamaica Rum family.  She also created the Appleton Estate 250th Anniversary Blend – a limited edition rum of which only 6,000 bottles were produced to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Appleton Estate.

Joy joined Appleton Jamaica Rum as chief chemist in 1981, and held a series of key positions including product development manager before she was appointed general manager, technical and quality services in 1996, a position she still holds along with the position of master blender, which she took up in 1997.

She fell in love with chemistry at 13 and at that time she set her mind on a career as a scientist. After high school she attended the University of the West Indies and graduated in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science Degree, First Class Honours. After graduation Joy returned to her old high school – Holy Childhood High – where she taught chemistry.

In 1975 Joy joined the faculty of the College of Arts Science and Technology (now the University of Technology) as a chemistry lecturer.  She remained at the College for one year before moving to England to pursue a Master of Science degree in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Loughborough, graduating with Honours. Her final exams score were the highest ever achieved by a student at Loughborough, a record that still stands today.

After graduating from Loughborough, Joy returned to Jamaica and resumed lecturing at the College of Arts Science and Technology. In 1979 she made the decision to switch careers and accepted the position of R&D chemist at Estate Industries, the producers of the world famous Tia Maria Liqueur. 

Two years later Joy joined J Wray & Nephew as chief chemist, where she had the opportunity to work closely with the then master blender, Owen Tulloch. Working with Owen sparked a passion for the art of creating rum, and under his expert guidance Joy extended her knowledge of the science of the rum-making process as well as the artistic side.

Creating rum provides Joy with the perfect balance of art and science and she says that in rum-making they are so intricately intertwined that it is difficult to pinpoint where the science stops and the art begins.

According to Joy to be a good blender you must be a sensory expert, have an artistic and creative flair, have a good understanding of the chemistry of the process, have attention to detail and have a passion for the art.

She describes the development of a rum blend as a combination of art and science.  "To create a new rum you first identify the style of rum you want.  You then look at the stocks of rum that are available to you, bearing in mind the compatibility of the different marks, the effects of aging, and the chemistry profile.  Once you have done this, you decide on the best artistic combination of the marks."

Her favourite rum drinks are Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum and Cola or Ting, which is a Jamaican grapefruit drink and Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaica Rum, which she enjoys with a splash of soda water.

Joy is married with two children and when not at work creating new rums she enjoys gardening and doing technical research. She is also a director of the Jamaica Bureau of Standards Foundation.

In 2005 Joy was honoured by the Government of Jamaica who awarded her the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Officer, (OD) for her service to Industry.