Hampden Estate 8-Year

I love everything about this rum. From the nostalgic medicinal looking bottle to the statements about “tropical aging”. I just imagine this rum fermenting in a humid hot open air jungle facility. The muck pits and dunder just reeking and bubbling in the hot sun.

I was at my local liquor store deciding between a bottle of something when the staff member I usually get bourbon advice from said, “you ever try Jamaican rum?” I said I had and I enjoyed it. He directed me to Hampden 46 and Overproof stating I couldn’t go wrong with either. Boy was he right!

Nose is slightly sweet to me, kind of jungly. Not at all overpowering alcohol. It’s got a molasses and pineapple scent to me. Less banana than some other Jamaican rums. Palate is very slightly sweet, with tropical fruits and finishes with an almost acetone bitter bite but in the best way possible. The finish is almost like the nose but spicy and oaky. It’s long and sits with you for a bit. It leaves a bananay taste in my mouth I can’t get enough of.

The liquor store staff member told me if I didn’t like it to try it a week later. Well I liked it
right away but it has truly only gotten better with each tasting. It reminds me of the first time I had an islay scotch like Ardbeg or Bruichladdich Port Charlotte. I loved it and I didn’t know why. That’s how the Jamaican funk is too and Hampden is that funk done beautifully and unapologetically. Thank you Hampden!

Za mě přesně co bych očekával. V chuti kůže, oleje s medicínou v pozadí. Rovněž vyzrale ovoce a kořeni je také cítit v chuti. Klasická dobra Jamajka.

Lots of banana and acetone on the nose. Lots of the same when tasting as well. Very sippable though. Doesn't last overly long on the pallet.

46%. Dejlig rom, med en fantastisk god og lang eftersmag.

barva :zlatá
vune krásná vůně melasy, ovocnost, svěží a malinko technická
chut: banány, lehká esterovost, ananas
zaver : příjěmně hrějící kde se chut krásně rozvine ,
hodnoceni 8,9
koupit ano z 90%
Alcohol 46 %

On the nose, it has strong oak, toast, pineapple and fried banana. Very unmistakably Jamaican.

The palate hits you with grassier notes very unexpected for me at least. Without being an expert I’d say it must have had cane juice or some cane residues in the mash, giving associations to grassy rhum agricole. Banana, pineapple, coconut, dates and tobacco take over, however.

The aftertaste also starts with notes of grass and oak, but is soon overtaken with caramel, vanilla and fried banana. A bit short for a full score but a very, very good product.

All in all, this is not for everyone. A touch of added sweetness is taboo with Velier, which probably leave some people unconvinced about the qualities of this rum. That is sad, because in my view you can always add a few drops of water or even Demerara syrup if it is required in order to enjoy a dry rum, but you can’t take it back once it’s there.

EDIT: This bottle really grows on me. I add an extra point as of March 2020.

Not easy to approach. Let it rest some minutes in the glass. But after some long minutes, a fabulous rum for livers of heavy flavors. Very special. Very good for a good price.

Very smooth and ice taste. Notes of fresh grass and sugar cane juice. Finish medium to long. Not too dry. 100% pot still, no added sugar or color, as all rum should be.

So, for starters, I would like to say that I am a relative rum novice. I have been drinking rum for many years but mostly as a mixer, and when I entertained various rums for sipping I was primarily catering to my wife's taste which lean in the direction of much sweeter expressions. So my primary tasting experience for a long time consisted of things like Diplomatica Reserva exclusiva, Papas Pilar and El Dorado 12 year. There's nothing wrong with that style of rum, it's just not my personal preference. For sipping spirits I had been more in the camp of bourbon. I strongly favored Blanton's when I could get it, and staples like Angel's Envy, Chestnut Farms, Michter's US1 or Hancock when I couldn't. Sorry for the digression. Anyway, I am starting to find expressions of rum that I like equally to some bourbons for sipping and this is one of the few that I really enjoy neat, or with a few drops of water.

The complexity, depth of flavor and richness of this rum would be difficult to overstate. I have tasted it carefully at least four, maybe five times and I am just feeling comfortable trying to describe it. The nose, at first, is strong alcohol followed by very ripe bananas and glue, like the old mucilage brown glue in a bottle, rubber, more tropical fruit, pineapple , strong vanilla and coconut. The taste palette is intense with a slight alcohol burn up front, followed by hints of cinnamon, clove, more overripe bananas, banana bread and again a slight rubber on the back palette, along with lingering notes of vanilla, oak and coconut with a lingering pleasant sweet alcohol flavor. The way this spirit coats your palette is just so luxurious feeling, the nose, taste and aftertaste are all so long lasting and satisfying. Adding a touch of water opens all these flavor up even more and brings out some of the more subtle notes of spice and fruit.

This is making me want to try the over proof version more and more. At first it seemed like an extravagance but it is starting to feel like an eventual necessity.

If you've never had a Jamaican rum before, you might want to try a cheaper option first, as they have a very distinct flavor. If you like those funky notes, you'll love this.