Hampden Estate 8-Year

Nose: Light (by Hampden's standards) yet fragrant. Dates, almond skins, day-old raisins, and blueberry jam. Of course, there's also the quintessential pineapple but surrounded by aromas like muesli, banana puree, and adhesives. Traces of vanilla and cherries, too.

Palate: The mouthfeel is oily but, in a way, is also effervescent. Pineapples and citrus at the arrival, with blueberries, oats, and tisanes trailing behind. A hint of yeast. Creaminess follows afterward, along with light cinnamon and white pepper.

Finish: Oak, dark cocoa powder, and dusty fabric. Long and gradually becomes more tannic.

Copper in color
With fruity, almond and spicy nose.
On the palate little sweet followed with quick and surprisingly intense whiskey flavors.
Taste clearly stronger than the declared 46%

Un nez petrolé mais pas trop, un touche de caramel et d'alcool, un final présent.
Une belle réussite

This is my most expensive bottle to date. I was expecting lots of funk. What i got was lots of oak and a little funk. A little disapointed overall. You can spend half and get s good bourbon or rye.

Un gout très vernis qui moi ne me plait pas mais certains de mes potes adorent.

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

Complex, not sweet. Nose, mouth, finish: all interesting.

I like the power of Barbades rum and I would liked to try something different, I was not desapointed with this strong rum which lines the palate like wax, very tasteful and rich in aromas, a very good vintage.

Perfect intro to the Hampden, with a more civilized funk but a bold, full character that bring Jamaica dunders to your nostrils and tongue. As soon as I smelled it, in 2018, I pictured myself as an anonymous protagonist in Mad Max, sniffing some gasoline and just sipping it. This wonderfully balanced rum ("easier access" compared to the overproof version) brings many images of sublime desolation, bayou and all sorts of exotic fruits rotting in a pit, in the middle of a jungle made of tar and old tires. Amazing stuff here.

Take note : the new (2020) batch is not the same at all. The packaging differs subtlely : it says "8 years" in yellow letters, below the Hampden Estae logo. So you know. More gentle, less complex, more on fruit salad and lighter style. Not as good in my opinion, even if flawless. Get a bottle from the first batch if you still can.

Honestly, I would rate this a 9 or 10 if the price was more reasonable. Where I live, this bottle is almost $70 USD and I feel like there are other rums out there that offer better value for money (Appleton 12yr for $42). However, putting the cost aside, this is probably my favorite rum I have tried from Jamaica.