I’m Drinking Rum and RedBull!

BY: SIMONE JENNIFER SMITH 

Oh Yes! If you are a rum drinker, this article is definitely for you! The goal is to engage you with information researched from all over the world. If you have been following my articles for the last few weeks, I have been sharing information about my trip to Jamaica. Jamaica is known for its beautiful beaches, delicious Blue Mountain Coffee, amazing fruits and vegetables, and of course rum.

If you are familiar with Jamaican Rum, then you will recognize the name Appleton Estate. It is widely recognized and remains the flag bearer for Jamaican spirits. Appleton Estates has a unique history, with the first molasses used in the rum harvested in the 1600’s. Appleton Rums has been in production since 1749, and in total, the estate, including the sugar plantations, refinery and distillery spreads over 11,000 acres. It is found in the Nassau Terroir, which is a unique weather, soil and geographic area that produces the unique flavour of Appleton Rum that we have grown so fond of. 11,500 acres of sugar cane form the estate, is fermented, distilled, blended and aged, and has been uniquely coined ‘cane-to-cup’, or ‘cane-to-cocktail’ in the trade.

Many of us do not understand that the rum business is a serious business. To call Appleton Estate Rum the best in the world means that it has very high standards that must be maintained, and who better to maintain these standards than the brilliant and talented Joy Spence. A professional in the Spirits world has historically belonged to men, but Joy Spence, the Master Blender at Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum, broke through that barrier and became the first female Master Blender.

I write and speak enthusiastically about finding and continuing in your passion, and Joy Spence is another formidable example of what happens when you put your mind to something and move forward without second thoughts. She fell in love with chemistry at the age of 13 and set her mind on becoming a scientist. Her passion for rum sparked during her chief chemist job at J. Wray and Nephew Limited; her job was to make sure that the chemical specifications of rum such as alcoholic strength were met. During her time there, she began to work closely with Owen Tulloch, the Master Blender at the time.

“You must be a sensory expert and have a good understanding of the chemistry of the process. The development of a rum blend is a combination of art and science.”

Joy Spence, Master Blender Appleton Estates Jamaica

Joy often speaks about what it is like to be blessed with “organoleptic talent,” and an ideal way to savor rum. Organoleptic is an adjective, and it is defined as acting on or involving the use of the sense organs. She has enjoyed her career as a Master Blender and continues to encourage women to get involved in professions that may not necessarily be seen as feminine.

I learned a lot about rum during our experience at Appleton Estates, and I thought it would be helpful for our readers to have an understanding of the levels of rum:

• Appleton Special Rum is golden, mild and smooth, and has a mixture of fruits, spices, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla. This is the ultimate mixing rum.
• Appleton White Rum is clearer and smoother because of a special process in production.
• Appleton Estate Special Rum is a combination of different rums from assorted barrels of varying age and type.
• The Appleton Estate VX includes a blend of 15 different select aged rums.
• Appleton Estate Reserve is a blend of 20 select aged rums.
• Appleton Estate Extra 12 yr. old is a masterpiece of oak aging. Rums are a minimum of 12 years old and are perfect for sipping.
• Appleton Estate Master Blenders Legacy was created to celebrate 3 generations of blenders. It is a combination of 30 yr. old rum and was created to celebrate the art of rum making and drinking.
• The Appleton Estate 21 yr. old was literally aged for 21 years. A limited number of this rum is bottled and released each year.