Hampden Great House

Hampden

Origin

Jamaica

Type

Molasses Rum

Barrel

Bourbon

Age

No Age Statement

Alcohol

57°

Value

100 points

About the product

The Hampden Estate Great House rum is a blend that has been renewed every year since 2019. So the 2024 edition is the sixth in the series and a tribute to the Great House of the same name. That Great House is Hampden's headquarters and a landmark building dating back to 1779. Originally, it was used as a barrel warehouse for barrels waiting to be transported to the port (until the early 20th century). Now it is where guests are received.

The Hampden Estate Great House 2024 is composed of several types of rum (different marks) from three different vintage years. Thus, it is very typical of the rums Hampden produces. It matured entirely in ex-bourbon casks and was bottled at a strength of 57% ABV.

The nose immediately gives you a good idea of what Jamaican rum stands for: full-bodied with plenty of intensity. Mint provides a fresh element, ripe mango for fruitiness and dry earth for a rich base. Quince marmalade, blackberry jam and orange jam add a rich touch. The palate is bright and lively, with a lavish tropical palette at first (coconut, mango, passion fruit) and then alternately warm and refreshing with even hints of chocolate and mint tea. The finish is uplifting and rich, with the spiciness of a havana cigar and peppery accents. Red fruit and marshmallow bring freshness and the symphony of flavours culminates in cranberry and sultana.

About the brand

Hampden Estate is one of the oldest sugar producers in Jamaica. They are known all over the world for their full-bodied, intense and particularly flavourful rums. From 1753, a large sugar cane plantation was operated here by Archibald Stirling, from Scotland. Stirling built the Hampden Great House in 1779, the ground floor of which served as a barrel warehouse until the early 20th century. Hampden rums were known all along as high-quality rums, exported all over the world and used as components of blends of all kinds. From 2018, Hampden rum was relaunched as its own brand, which was a world premiere at the time and opened up a new world of high-quality rums.

There are many types of rums made at Hampden, each identifiable by typical marks. Each mark gives you an idea of what to expect in terms of flavours and intensity, and are a result of choices made in the basic ingredients, fermentation times and distillation techniques used. The most common way to classify these marks is by the ester contents of each type, measured in grams per hectolitre of pure alcohol (gr/hlpa). In short, the higher the ester content, the more intense the rum's flavour. Hampden uses a total of eight different of these marks, ranging from 50 gr/hlpa to an incredible 1600 gr/hlpa. At the lower end of the scale, you will find, for example, OWH (Outram W. Hussey - 40-80 gr/hlpa) and LFCH (Lawrence Francis Close Hussey - 85-120 gr/hlpa). The most imaginative are the extremes like C<>H (C Diamond H - 1300-1400 gr/hlpa) and DOK (Dermot Owen Kelly - 1500-1600 gr/hlpa).

Hampden is a benchmark when it comes to Jamaican rums, and if you want to get acquainted with this unique style, this is where you best start.