JOY SPENCE

Apple to on’s secret weapon

UNDETERRED BY the accepted norm of male dominance in the Master Blender positions at highprofile brands, Appleton’s Joy Spence is today standing tall and in a league of her own.

Spence, who turns 67 this year and who has the distinction of being the spirits indus try’s first Master Blender, a position she has held at Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum since 1997, was on hand on Thursday for what she described as “a humbling experience” – the official opening of the Joy Spence Appleton Estate Rum Experience tour in Siloah, St Elizabeth.

Flanked by her Appleton family, including top executives from parent company Gruppo Campari, Spence was not only the toast of the occasion that bears her name, but was also lauded for her work ethic and professionalism and described as a “woman of extraordinary talent”.

“A great Jamaican and one of our true icons,” is how Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett described the Master Blender. “In a

profession that is dominated by men, Joy has not only shown what is possible. She is undoubtedly one of the best in the game and the secret to the success of this iconic Appleton brand.”

Bartlett added that it was only fitting that the Appleton Estate Rum Experience “is named after Joy Spence”, adding that not only does Spence have “the distinction of being the world’s first female Master Blender in the spirits industry”, but “she has blessed us with many wonderful rum creations”.

Bartlett’s comments were echoed by Chairman of J. Wray & Nephew Limited Clement ‘Jimmy’ Lawrence. “Joy has indeed broken the proverbial glass ceiling,” he declared. “She has shattered barriers and destroyed perceived norms by taking the Master Blender position to stratospheric heights. She is indeed our secret weapon and has been that way for over three decades.”

Spence, who is also celebrating her 21st anniversary as Master Blender with Appleton, said that while she was happy with all the attention and accolades, “I never imagined I would have so much fun doing something I truly love”.

“Being the Master Blender means being in charge of selecting the barrels of rum that will go into the particular blend that we are making on any given day,” Spence explains.

“Each of our blends has a secret formula, where we first select the barrels of rum that we are going to use based on the formula. We then ‘nose’ each barrel to ensure that it has aged to specification ... to how we want it to. The barrels are then blended together, and then we nose and taste the final blend. At the same time, we analyse the blend in the lab to make sure that it meets technical specifications such as alcoholic strength.”

Spence points to a visit to the White House in Washington, United States, as well as to New Zealand during the filming of

Lords of the Ring as some of the other highlights of her career, praising her bosses and colleagues “for their unwavering belief in my abilities”.

Cheers to Master Blender Joy Spence (centre).

Lilly-Marie Hall (left) poses with Fred Bogle and Charmaine Allen.

J. Wray & Nephew’s Regional Managers Tyrone Williams and Sophia Fairman take a quick pose for our lens.

PHOTOS BY ASHLEY ANGUIN Kai Watson poses with Monique Spence.

From left: Selfie time for Jamaican media personality Fae Ellington (from left), Beth Hyde, Dr Freddie Clarke, and Glynn Manley (front), widow of Jamaica’s late Prime Minister Michael Manley.

Appleton Rum’s Sean Hopkins (left) poses with Craig Edmondson, Kristopher Thompson, and Craig Lindsay.

From left: Taniki McClarthy-Allen, director of public affairs and sustainability, J. Wray & Nephew Limited, poses with Garfene Grandison, Nestlé public relations and digital manager and Gail Abrahams, CEO the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM...