The world’s first female Master Blender, Joy Spence forged a love for rum from a passion for chemistry. She recently celebrated her 20th year as Master Blender at Appleton Estate with the limited release Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend Rare Jamaica Rum (25 Years Old), a stunning compilation of the blending art. Joy Spence speaks with Isabelle Lui about her love for rum, craft spirit trends, and the return of the classic rum cocktail.
What inspired you to blend rums?
When I was young, I fell in love with chemistry, but I never thought I would be making rum. I thought I’d probably work in an analytical lab doing various chemical experiments, but 35 years ago I joined the company as the chief chemist and started working with the previous master blender. I discovered a whole new world of sensory analysis and was able to differentiate the aromas in rum as well as to blend the different types of rum to create various expressions.
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There’s a range of spirits available, why should we choose rum?
Rum is the most versatile spirit in the world. It’s capable of infinite variation in terms of different smells, ages, and body. It is suitable for any occasion: great for a nice party and great for a romantic setting, where you just sip and enjoy it neat, as you would a cognac or single malt whiskey.
What made you choose those particular aged rums for your namesake blend?
I chose 25 and 35-year-old rums to form the heart and soul of the Joy Anniversary Blend. The 35-year-old rum was put down the year I joined the company and has a very special meaning for me. The 25-year-old rum is my favourite pot still mark, which adds a whole different dimension to the blend. The other rums I used tend to form a subtle fruity note in the blend along with a little spice. This rum also has an amazing orange peel top note, wrapped with ginger and spice, and finishes with warm vanilla, coffee, cocoa, butterscotch, and almond notes. It’s exceptionally smooth, creates depths, and lingers on your tongue.
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How do you see the trend of handcrafted spirits evolving in Asia?
Handcrafted rums are growing significantly because they offer a personal touch in the blend. Consumers are now seeking uniqueness and a different spirit, and handcrafted rums are creating that niche.
How is the demand for premium rum changing?
The premium aged rum category is growing. Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum has to create and define that category because we introduced our first premium rums in the 1980s, when few rum producers offered premium aged rums. This particular category is educating consumers on the fact that rum can be complex, sophisticated, and enjoyed the same way you would a whiskey or a fine cognac.
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How should we enjoy a quality rum?
Rums are great for cocktails; they can be mixed with any ingredients because of their versatility, but premium aged rums are best appreciated neat or in what we call ‘elegant cocktails’, which allow you to appreciate the beautiful, complex flavours without masking with mixers.
What cuisine best matches aged rum?
Aged rums go very well with Asian cuisine, especially if there’s a lot of ginger used. Anything spicy or fruity complements well with rum, even Indian curry. Chocolate is a very good pairing ingredient for rum too.
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Tell us a rum myth most people believe?
Most rum consumers believe that all white rums are unaged and that is not true. There are aged white rums. When you age a rum, it takes on the colour of the barrel, so it becomes a golden colour. But for an aged white rum, you remove the colour using charcoal, so the rum has no colour but still has the flavour from ageing.
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