(Photo: Hampden Estate)
Last week, historied Jamaican rum distiller Hampden Estate rolled out the latest bottling in its annual Great House series.
Aged an undisclosed time in ex-bourbon barrels, this sixth annual release combines three marks of different vintages. Without diving too deep into the details, marks or "marques" correspond to the characteristics of a particular cut of rum, including but not limited to aromatic intensity, flavor, body and chemical structure. Those qualities can be attributed to the use of certain raw materials — in the case of Jamaican rum, especially Hampden Estate, the addition of dunder and muck add a distinctive funky flavor.
This year's expression was distilled in double retort pot stills before being bottled at 57% ABV. According to Hampden Estate, its aroma and flavor are full of tension; expect notes of mint, red fruits and tropical sweetness alongside earthy hits of slate, dry soil and a finish reminiscent of a "lit Havana cigar."
The release pays homage to the eponymous Great House on the Hampden property. Constructed in 1779 by the Stirling family, the squat two-story building was used to store the brand's rum barrels until the 20th century. Today, it acts as a reception hall.
Hampden's Great House releases are something of a treat for rum nerds, ourselves included. We've had a chance to try a couple of these bottlings over the years and have been consistently wowed by the results.
2022's release, bottled at 55% ABV, piled on gobs of rich and funky papaya, brown sugar, tannin dryness and just the right prick of ethanol. A notch more impressive in our opinion was the 2021 vintage, also bottled at 55% ABV. Its unruly palate of sweet cream, banana, rotting fruit and maple was a wild ride through the depths of Jamaican rum. With a couple more proof points under its belt, we hope that the 2024 vintage can go even further.
Bottles of Great House 2024 have begun popping up through retailers at around $130. For more information on the details, find the Hampden Estate fact sheet here.
Hampden Great House 2024 Tasting Notes, Per the Brand
Nose: "Full with a lot of tension. Mint, ripe mango and dry earth form a subtle and precise first sequence of aromas. Quince jelly, bramble jam and orange marmalade then set a richer tone."
Palate: "Clear and lively. The flavour palette is at first abundantly tropical (coconut, mango, passion fruit) and matches the nose perfectly. Alternating between warm and refreshing sequences, it offers a taste of chocolate drops, fragments of slate and mint tea."
Finish: "Rich and invigorating. The intense finish lingers on herbaceous (lit Havana cigar) and peppery tones. Diverse infusions of red fruits and marshmallow bring freshness. Increasingly rich, the finish ends on cranberry and raisin."
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