So, another Rum from Hampden distillery, in Jamaica following the younger 10 year old I reviewed earlier this week, this one’s also Exclusively bottled for TWB but this time by Berry Bros. & Rudd, the well known spirits and wine merchants from London, which are bottling very good rums lately. This one’s older, as Single cask #31 was distilled September 2000 and bottled 2018 by Berry Bros & Rudd exclusively for The Whisky Barrel with an outrun of 220 bottles at cask strength (55.4%).
It shall certainly be intereting to see what 7 more years of aging (and a different cask, yea for sure) did to the liquid , right? The price was very good as well, at £75, but it seems to be all sold out already, so maybe you can find one on auction, no idea.
let’s dram…
Hampden 17 yo 2000 [ Berry Bros & Rudd ] The Whisky Barrel Exclusive Cask #31, 55.4% , £75 (Sold Out)
Nose: overripe pineapple, green olives, wood varnish vanilla, Mezcal, pepper and quite some wood, cedar mostly, there’s also a citrusy touch to it (lime?), and some over-ripe bananas, as well, very nice stuff, and much more complex then the 10 year old , not a bad start at all!
Palate : not quite as sweet as the nose.. Very nice wood notes,some varnish,and more exotic fruit,ginger and licorice, there’s quite a lot of spice (pepper, chilly) as well and the citrus attack is also apparent, among the rich sweet exotic fruit (bananas,pineapples mostly), in addition to the funky touches, but this one’s not as badass funky and rough as the Hunter Laing 10 yo , the years in the casks refined it a bit, and for me it’s something I appreciated.
Finish: Medium, with spices, banana muffin and oak.
This is lovely stuff. It feels older and certinaly more restrained than the 10 year old monster, but it packs a nice punch, and it is still quite funky, if you’re into this kind of Jamaican profile. Well done guys. A great balance of wood,funk and exotics. Delicious.