Hampden Estate Great House Distillery 2020 Edition

This is very very good but after having the LROK and Overproof this Great House kind of gets lost. A smidge overpriced for what you get, IMO. Still love everything Hampden puts out.

9.00/10 at first sip I wasn't captivated but after allowing some time to open up, it proved to be an exquisite blend that really does showcase how great Hampden's product is.

This rum is a mix of 80% 2013 vintage OWH rum, and 20% high ester 2017 vintage double retort pot still rum from Hampden Distillery in Jamaica bottled at 59% ABV. All rums were tropically aged on-site in Jamaica. It’s basically a Hampden Estate special house blend created unknowingly for the year the world went to hell in a hand basket.

On the nose I get a strong waft of ripe Fuji Apples akin to right after you take a big bite and the freshly opened apple is right in your face. After that however the remaining notes are present but more muted. After the fresh “in your face” Fuji apple subsides I get grilled pineapple, slight modelers glue, overripe banana, slight mineral spirits (lacquer thinner). Then black cherry, a faint note of strawberry syrup and pencil shavings. The notes after the ripe Fuji apple notes are slightly more muted than I expected from a tropical aged Hampden, but it’s a good combination.

The palate on this rum is a beast, in all the right ways - it’s like riding a pet Rancor. Taking a sip the palate absolutely explodes in flavor starting with a deep rich purple grape juice note (Hampden Grape Drank, lol). Next comes rich Fuji apples like on the nose, accompanied by strawberry syrup, the distinct flavor of apple chunks floating in sangria, followed by grilled pineapple. Finally, a Hampden rum that delivers on the palate in spades what is promised on the nose. The palate on this rum is stellar. It is deep, rich, fruity and exactly what is promised minus some of the industrial-ish notes (but that is a positive here). I am very pleasantly surprised by the palate here. Bravo Hampden, you finally did it.

Unfortunately, and quite surprisingly, the finish on this rum is quite basic and exceedingly short. I get air dried apple slices and pencil shaving that last for mere seconds afterwards. That’s disappointing, but damn the palate is so good I can forgive this somewhat.

This is definitely the best Hampden rum I have had yet, despite its flaws. Yes the nose is muted and yes the finish is oddly and disappointingly short…but hot damn the palate on this rum is good. The palate is downright excellent. In fact it’s so excellent it makes me forget my nagging complaints about the nose and the finish.

Further more, the more I sip on this rum the more I love it. Are y’all really going to make me crack open my investment rum? On a Hampden? Hmmm, maybe. This specific Hampden might well be worth it. Color me surprised. This is what I have long wanted from Hampden but haven’t yet gotten until now: a deep rich fruity funky rum that delivers on the palate exactly that which is promised on the nose. If Hampden can repeat *this experience* I will become a fan.

Short Description: Finally a Hampden rum that delivers in the palate all the fruity funky goodness promised on the nose.

Nose: Ripe Fuji Apple, grilled pineapple, slight hint of modelers glue, overripe banana, slight mineral spirits, dark cherries, faint hint of strawberry syrup, pencil shavings

Palate: Deep rich grape juice, fresh fuji apples, strawberry, apple chunks in sangria, slight grilled pineapple

Finish: short, dried apple slices, pencil

ABV 59%

Country of Origin: Jamaica

Distillery: Hampden Estate, Trelawny

Stewed pineapples, fermented and overripe fruit, wet wood, huge vegetal notes, vanilla syrup, the “hairs” of a mango seed when you suck on it. What an experience. My favorite rum yet.

Lucky enough to find this one on discount at a local liquor store and had to pick up a bottle. Sipped neat.

The nose is quite potent and burns a little bit. Contains hints of fruit and some sweetness. Very funky. Excellent nose overall.

Taste is what I've come to expect from a Hampden distilled rum. Initial sip is sweet. before quickly giving away to some bitterness. There's a bit of overripe banana in there, but very faint. Finish has that "petroleum distillate" character I've come to appreciate in other Hampden products. Pretty smooth, even at nearly 120 proof.

This is a great rum. So what's standing between this one and the "elites" that I've tasted? There's a pervasive bitterness present from start to finish that kind of overshadows the other flavors. It doesn't ruin the product completely (it's still a great rum), but does put it a step behind others I have in my collection. A tad disappointing, considering the expectations I had going in.

Edit: After enjoying this rum straight on a few more occasions, tasting it blind next to some peers (such as the 2021 vintage), and mixing it in a few cocktails, I've come to realize that this is the perfect rum. It's the best I've ever had the pleasure of having in stock & it even edges out it's sibling, 2021 GH. Fantastic and I cannot recommend this one enough!

Takto si predstavujem dokonalý jamajsky rum. Absolútne úžasné. Človek má už po naliati pocit, že celá izba sa ocitá na Jamajske. Úžasná vôňa, ovocno-esterova. V chuti nálož citrusov v Tom najlepšom mixe, záver veľmi dlhý. Človek má dlho na jazyku zmes esterov a exotického ovocia. Skvelé a ešte raz skvelé. Bavil má ešte viac ako ročník 2019.

I have tasted bottlings 2019 and 2020 and I loved both, but i think that 2020 is very special.

Hampden notes are clearly noticeable.
Pineapples, Mangoes, honey, cinnamon, maple syrup.
Exceptional bottle

Part of my sample introduction to higher price rums. Liking the 8YO, and reading the glowing reviews, I had to try this before taking a £100 punt on the 2021 edition.

The nose is different to other Hampdens I've tried. Very restrained funk. Volatile aromatics, blended really nicely. Difficult to describe.

After all that though, the taste is a bit muted for me. There's a fair bit of burn, and what flavour there is is balanced, but the burn is what I notice most. Finally, in the finish the funk comes up, and it carries on with considerable length. Not much to describe flavour wise.

Overall, I struggle to get excited by this. It's much classier than Smith & Cross, but also not that different either. I'd rather drink this, but at 3 times the price.... Hmm. At least with S&C, I'm happy to use it as a mixer, and occasionally drink it neat!

Amazing smell, and very flavorful. With notes of pineapples, liqourice, vanilla and mango

Compared to a plantation, I would only use this for novacaine before a tooth removal surgery. It blows my mind this is $110 - you can get a much better run for less.