Joy Spence is a chemist who specialises in the blending of the perfect Jamaican rums at Appleton Estate, where she is the Master Blender and serves as the Brand Ambassador and Manager of Technical and Quality Services. She was born in Manchester and raised in Kingston where at age 13, she discovered her passion for chemistry. She completed her B.Sc. in Chemistry at The University of the West Indies and earned her M.Sc. in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Loughborough in the United Kingdom. On her return to Jamaica, she worked as a research and development chemist at Tia Maria and was then hired by J. Wray and Nephew Ltd. In 1981, the rum distillery Appleton Estate, which was owned by Wray and Nephew, hired Spence as its chief chemist. There she worked with the Master Blender, who had identified her ability to identify and differentiate between smells, for 17 years until he retired and she became the Master Blender. Her first creation as the master blender was a special rum to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Appleton Estate, which received high praise in the industry. In 2005, Mrs. Spence was awarded the Order of Distinction, Officer Class by the Government of Jamaica for her service to the rum industry. Spence was instrumental in achieving geographical indication for Jamaican rum, which was awarded in 2016, which is a tool to help protect Jamaica's intellectual property in rum-making. Mrs. Joy Spence has won several international awards for her skill in the spirits industry including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the US Distilled Spirits Council in 2022. In 2012, Loughborough University awarded her an honorary degree of Doctor of Science for her achievements. In 2018, she was awarded the National Medal for Science and Technology and in 2022, the Musgrave Gold Medal by the Institute of Jamaica. Tours of the Appleton Estate distillery are named The Joy Spence Appleton Estate Rum Experience in honour of her amazing chemistry skills and expertise in rum blending.