Hampden Estate 8-Year

I am wavering whether to rate this rum as a rum or as a whisky. Nose is very special and typically Jamaican. Then on the palate the surprise: no tropical flavors, but a good whisky. The rating is for the latter. For a rum, I personally lack the typical rum flavors...

Nose - gasoline then vanilla, cola, rubber cement, caramel , allspice.

Palate - light ale, ginger, burnt molasses, diet Vanilla Coke, spicy spices, faint bourbon smoke.

Finish - medium finish, oak, dark chocolate, orange zest, coffee bean.

Thoughts - nice oak and barrel notes. Not really as fruity or funky as some of the other Hampdens that are my favorites. Great intro to what the distillery can do. Not my favorite Hampden but still better than 90% of rums out there.

Candid fruit, ananas and banana in aroma, clove, cinamon and fenol in the body, long-term body.

valt direct in mijn smaak
vrij dominante smaak ,redelijk wat estergehalte

Agrumato, fruttato e con tanti esteri, allo stesso tempo equilibrato col suo tenore alcolico, un esplosione di gusto dall'inizio alla fine, davvero interessante

46% ABV Jamaican rum from the Trelawny region. The Hampden distillery is known for producing of ester rums. This is a purely natural rum, made by pot distillation, with a higher ester content. Aged for 8 years in American oak barrels. No sugar or colouring is added to the rum.

Bottle: Classic Hampden or Velier
Colour: Gold

Nose: Simply an ester bomb. A blast of overripe fruits. Bananas, mango, orange, leather, tobacco, cloves, bitter black tea.
Mouth: Dry, pungent, similar to whisky or bourbon. After that, however, the taste goes more fruity, but lacks of sweetness. Green banana, pineapple, bourbon/whisky, pepper, oak.
Aftertaste: Long

Summary: An honest natural rum that lacks a little fruity sweetness. A good switch from classic sweetish to dry ester rums.
Rating: 8/10

While not as all around powerful as the over proof version this rum has all the same notes and mild funk and is nice and easy to drink neat right out of the bottle.

Nose: quite pungent at first, then quickly transforming to sweet and inviting. Typical Jamaican profile, with coconut and green mango. Some funk is to be found here too. Pencil shavings, farmy undertones (dirty tractor anyone?), and butane gas.
Palate: Juicy-sweet, with tons of fruit. Oranges, pineapple, and baked apples. Mild marzipan, a touch of caramel, as well as plum eau de vie. Nice.
Finish: Medium-long. Coconut and mint tea paint the finish.

Conclusion: A very enjoyable sipper. Approachable like a sugared rum (no worries, this is additive free), yet it shows why Jamaican rums are so desirable. Funk and fruit intertwined.

8/10

Great Jamaican rum. It needs some time in the glass to open up. After that the nail polish remover smell fades away and a sweet fruity smell opens up, mainly bananas. Taste opens strong and whisky like, but then evolves very nicely to banana, tropical fruits and your typical Jamaican flavours, quite funky. Finishes with a great and long lasting aftertaste with licorice candy, spices and orange.

Perhaps the cheapest Hampden you can get. IMHO the weakest as well but I rated pretty much all other Hampdens pretty high.
Nose is typical "compost rotten funk" but nothing scandalous. I feel whiskey there (am I crazy?) Nothing against whiskey but I believe companies like Adrian Rodney handle(d) such flavours slightly better and more interestingly. In fact this rum is closer to "Admiral Rodney 2009 Officer’s Release No2 Irish Whiskey Casks Finish 11-Year" (just go search it here as written) than other Hampdens.
The body is surprisingly weak and resembled me whiskey scent from the first sip. The flavor somewhat sour or even acidic. I don't see this rum as super dry as some of my colleagues; maybe the finish is kind of ashy. The taste is flat and relatively boring for Jamaican rum but it is still some serious drinking, maybe just not my direct cup of tea this time as I prefer stronger and more smelly with deeper and perhaps also sweeter body. 6 to 7 material; downgrading for a big competition in their own lineup. Still not the same league as 5yo, Pagos and Overproof to me.