Review by: The Auditor
This rum comes to us from the independent bottler Hunter Laing & Co. (under the Kill Devil label). This Jamaican rum from Hampden estate was distilled in 1983 (it is the oldest distilled Hampden that was until recently available that I was aware of) and bottled in 2019 at cask strength with no additives. According to the Marks list on Single cask rum, this is HGML, which has an ester count of 1000-1100.
Distillery: Hampden Estate
Bottler: Hunter Laing & Co (Kill Devil)
Region: Trelawny Estate (Jamaica)
ABV: 58.1%. Cask Strength.
Age: 35 Years. Distilled in 1983. Bottled in 2019.
Cask type: Ex-Bourbon Cask
Price: $750
Color: Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Nose: Quite pungent, meaty, allspice, grilled pineapple bark, banana, faint glue, guava, lime peel, peppery, coriander
Palate: Thick oily mouthfeel, Meaty, Cement Glue, Guava, Lime Peel, Passionfruit, Grilled Pineapple, Allspice, Black Pepper, Black Tea, Oak Spice, Star Anise
Finish: Long finish, Grilled Pineapple, Black Pepper, Allspice, Cement Glue, Star Anise, Lime Peel, Lemon Zest
Conclusion: This is an incredible rum. The fruits are great as are the spices. That weird meaty note combined with the cement glue is interesting and fun as well. The oak influence is just a hair on the over oaked side for me, but that doesn’t really show up until the very end of the finish. It’s an excellent rum though with the high quality rums Hampden is able to producer at significantly younger ages and cost I can’t say that this is worth buying a bottle of. However, if presented with the opportunity to taste this I would say go for it.
Having recently had a 27 year Hampden from Golden Devil (Kill Devil) it helps give a comparison in terms of oak influence. Here this is shockingly fruity given that it spent 35 years in oak before being bottled. At the same time, it’s still a 35 year old rum and is less bright than the 27 year old that I have.
Final Score: 94
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 