Joy Spence OD – Master Blender
Master Blender Joy Spence has the distinction of being the first woman to hold the position of Master Blender in the industry. Joy’s passion for the art of creating rum blends was inspired by her predecessor, Owen Tulloch, who was her mentor at the Company and her skill and passion for her craft and her wonderful warm and spirited personality shine through in every bottle of Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum.
Joy joined Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum as Chief Chemist in 1981, and held a series of key positions 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.
Joy was instrumental in steering Appleton’s parent company, J. Wray & Nephew Limited, through the ISO 9002 accreditation process, which the Company received in 1996 in a record time of six months. She has since led her team to achieve ISO 9001:2000 certification, which the Company received in 2002, GMP/HACCP certification in 2005, ISO 22000 certification in 2008 and ISO 14000 (environmental standards) certification in February 2009. In addition, under her guidance, the Company’s distilleries as the Appleton and New Yarmouth sugar estates received ISO 9001 certification in 2007 and 2006 respectively.
The Journey to the Top
Joy 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. Joy graduated with Honours, and in fact 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 Research and Development Chemist at Estate Industries Limited, the producers of the Tia Maria Liqueur.
Two years later Joy joined J Wray & Nephew Limited 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.
The Creator of Fine Rums and Spirits
Joy has created many rums, spirits and liqueurs for the Company, including the super premium blend, Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaica Rum; the ultra premium blend, Appleton Estate Extra 12 Year Old and Appleton Estate Master Blenders’ Legacy, which is a tribute to three Generations of Appleton Estate’s Blenders – Joy, her Senior Blender and protégé David Morrison and her mentor Owen Tulloch Jamaica Rum.
Joy also created Appleton Estate Exclusive, which is available for sale exclusively at the Appleton Estate Rum Tour; the Limited Edition Luxury blend, Appleton Estate 30 Year Old Jamaica Rum and 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.
The Appleton Estate – Jamaica’s oldest and most famous sugar estate – is the heart and soul of Wray and Nephew’s rum production and to be asked to create a blend to celebrate this important milestone in the Company and Country’s history was a great honour.
What It Takes
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.
Rums come in a variety of types – from the clear light rums to the dark planter style rums that are best in punches, but it is the golden, aged rums that Joy specializes in.
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.”
Among Joy’s favourite cocktails are Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum and the Jamaican grapefruit drink called “Ting”, Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaica Rum with a splash of club soda and an original daiquiri made with either Appleton Estate V/X or Appleton Estate Reserve. She also enjoys savouring the Appleton Estate sipping rums – Appleton Estate Extra, Appleton Estate Master Blenders’ Legacy, Appleton Estate 21 Year Old Jamaica Rum and Appleton Estate 30 Year Old Jamaica Rum – neat or on the rocks.
Honoured by the Government of Jamaica
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.
The Order was conferred on her by His Excellency the Governor-General, the Most Honourable Sir Howard Felix Hanlan Cooke, ON, GCMG, GCVO at the Annual National Honours and Awards Ceremony held at Kings House in Jamaica.
Time Off
When Joy is not hard at work creating new rums she enjoys gardening and cooking. She is also committed to promoting the sciences in schools and frequently gives motivational speeches at high schools, colleges and universities across Jamaica. Joy is also a Director of the Jamaica Bureau of Standards Foundation. She is married and has two children.
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