Hampden Estate Pure Single Jamaican Rum Overproof

I have heard of these so called high ester rums but had no clue what to really expect. I do love smoky Islay scotch so thought maybe this was comparable. Its not, its different but that's just fine. Poured neat, no add some water as this is a hot one. A few to several drops will do lets not go crazy. Nose is.....well its frigin awesome. Breaks out of standard rum domain with the wonderful esters. Yes its loaded with glorious Jamaican hogo funk but cranked to 11. Think of walking through a junkyard on a hot day. The oil soaked soil and fluid oozing auto wreckage permeating your senses. Yeah its mostly oil but has a burnt quality to it. Kinda like sitting in the back of the plane behind the engines before takeoff as they cycle through and the ac stops for a moment and lets those pungent jet fuel fumes in. Its just for a crispy second and for some of us we sorta like it. This has that and more. Lurking right under the greasy notes is a blast of juicy pineapple and fruity sweetness. Tropical and powerful, think of all the scorpion bowls you and your buds took down at (insert name) Chinese restaurant. Palate continues the theme with the tropics catching up to big oil and some charred barrel joining in. Its real strong and hot with the proof bludgeoning you with flavors. This is clearly for experienced drinkers with some backbone for intensity and heat. Finish puts out the fire with some standard brown sugar and caramel but the spice, petrol and barrel last long into the night. This is a unique rum bomb for a select percentage who will love it. I am obviously one of them...........86/100.....If you put your hand on your raised knee when you drink rum stay the hell away from this it will destroy you...........this seems to be getting harsher after opening gotta drop score down.....80/100

One of my favorite rums. I'm currently reviewing this side-by-side with the Hampden "Great House Rum Distillery Edition 2020" ($90 ish) and, surprisingly, this is pretty close in quality. The ester profile in the nose on this is deeper and richer, but it's less fruity and floral by comparison. More caramel/molasses, but the 2020 has an amazing crusty, fresh baked bread nose that reminds me of sourdough bread baking (another hobby of mine). Flavor profiles are similar. The Distillery Edition might be harsher. The regular Hampden Overproof has a subtle bourbon-like corn undercurrent. The Distillery Edition has more of a Four Roses fruit undercurrent. Otherwise, both are VERY similar. Both have a beautiful ester profile, with a brown sugar and Demerara base supporting a touch of heat and bitterness - bitter in a way that reminds me of coffee. In that way, the distillery edition has more of a coffee flavor than the standard Overproof The Great House Rum release is very good, but this really speaks to the quality of the Hampden Overproof which is 98% as good and 2/3rds the price.

It’s everything you’ve heard about Jamaican rum - petrol fumes, major hogo funk, rotten green veggies, overripe banana with some redeeming sweetness coming from bourbon wood-influenced caramel and vanilla. I’ve had the Appleton Estate Joy Blend, which I thought was one of the best brown spirits to ever grace my taste buds. This style of rum feels like it’s not going to be for my palate and not one I’ll be reaching for often, if at all. I have a feeling it’s headed to the back corner of my “home bar”. At least it’s better and more palatable than the Dr. Bird Muscatel finish, which for my taste was hideous. That one fits squarely in the drain pour category and is destined for the toilet bowl…that is if I can’t find enough Costco-sourced 1 liter Naked apple/pineapple/coconut juice to mix it with …creating a VERY poor man’s Pina Colada

Outstanding. I usually don’t go for Jamaican pot still because I don’t like a lot of the Jamaican funk flavors. I got to taste this bottle from a friend. I liked it enough that I bought a bottle. Im glad I did. Once I sat down with it and got a chance to explore it, it produced an even better experience. Quite deep and dark on the flavor side. Nice layers and complexity. Huge fat sweetness right up front and a finish that goes on for quite some time. It gets better and better as you sip. Properly aged eight years it drinks more like 105 to 110 proof rather than 120. Not sure why it has five dollar signs next to it, I paid $72 after tax for my bottle.

Amber color. Strong aromas of over-ripe banana and blackstrap molasses, with banana nut bread, dark caramel, ripe mango, faint menthol and iodine. Palate has more banana nut bread, blackstrap molasses, mild iodine, dark fruits and oak, with a faint note of malted barley. Finish is long, warm and dry, dominated by the blackstrap molasses, with lingering notes of iodine, muscadine grapes, faint saltwater and cigar ash. The more I sip on this the more of the white grape note I get on the finish, to the point you might think this is finished in wine casks. This is beautiful.

Aromas of banana, molasses, with a funk that leans a bit towards the industrial side. Rich fruity flavor with some funk, maple, slightly vegetal, with some iodine in there, maybe even a little bit of dark fruit. Close to the quality of Great House at a fraction of the price. Unfortunately, this recipe has been discontinued in favor of a 4 year age stated single-marque (labeled "HLCF Classic"), so I bought a backup. Get it while you can.