Review by: Raygun
A quick note before anything else for the sake of transparency. This review was done with industry samples provided free of charge, with no expectations beyond drinking them. As always, I do my best to provide my unbiased opinion, and readers can decide how they want to take these reviews . For more, check out the ethics statement we use on Maltrunners.com.
Couple more rums from Hampden. Both fermented with wild yeast, distilled on double retort pot stills and aged in Jamaica. HLCF stands for Hampden Light Continental Flavored, a strange name when it’s aged in Jamaica and considered the entry to their high-ester rums, so not exactly light. Great House is the annual special release, a blend of different marks. This is the fifth such release. Rested about 15 minutes. Reviewed from samples.
HLCF Classic
Distillery: Hampden
Bottler: La Maison & Velier
Region/style: Jamaican pot still rum
ABV: 60%
Age: Not stated
Cask type: Presumably ex-bourbon, but not specified
Price: About $100
Color: 1.0 deep copper. Natural color.
Price: Around $60
Nose: Rubber initially, and some glue. The funk is strong with this one. Some orange and cedar.
Palate: Rubber again, though it’s tamed compared to the nose. Orange, mint, gummi bears. Some toffee comes through. Does well with more rest.
Finish: A briny flavor, like fish sauce. Brown sugar. Orange and mint still. Not excessively hot, but probably could use water. More herbal here, of a pine sort.
Great House 2023
Distillery: Hampden
Bottler: La Maison & Velier
Region/style: Jamaican molasses pot still rum
ABV: 57%
Age: Not stated
Cask type: Ex-bourbon
Color: 1.1 burnished. Natural color.
Price: Around $130
Nose: A little cleaner, but hardly mild. Camphor, toffee, swimming pool, and something a little floral. Almost smoky.
Palate: Tasty. Lots of caramel, and plenty of tropical fruit as well. Banana, jackfruit, pineapple, and fresh mint. More wood flavor comes through. There’s a pastry sort richness to it. Vanilla ice cream.
Finish: Touch of coffee. Vanilla, caramel, mint, and banana. That floral touch again. Pretty rich, but also refreshing in a way. A little lemon.
Conclusion: Both enjoyable. Great House is my preference, but let’s call it Very Good House. I had one previous release, probably 2020 or 2021, and I believe I liked it better. I found the nose on the HLCF a little off-putting, but very nice on the palate. Great House was nice start to finish. Hampden does good stuff.
Score:
HLCF: 78
Great House: 82
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent rum 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 
