Corona-Time , and the living is easy... Or is it?
Been a while since I reviewed a Hampden Rum, and today being the first day of summer calls for one, doesn’t it? This one’s a 11 year old Hampden bottled for The Whisky Barrell by H.Laing in their “Kill devil” series of lovely rums. Feeling like some ripe Pineapple? grab one. Let’s taste one shall we?
Hampden 11 Year Old 2007 Kill Devil Exclusive {TWB} , 63.5% , £72.50
Nose: That one’s a Hampden alright – Oodles of overripe Pineapple on the nose, so tropical and so damn sweet and beguiling, fresh cream, spice, and even some banana banoffee pie. Loads of acetone, oak and tropical fruit gum, vanilla ice and more lovely wood, and olive brine. very complex and multi-faceted and all those notes might not seem to mix, but they do. You need time to go through it. take your time.
Palate: It’s not as sweet as the nose suggested, and very fierce, big, and full of flavors. It’s briny with the olive brine (from the nose), salty and sweet at times, lots of acetone/plastic going on, as well as note of the over-ripe almost rotten Pineapple (we call them Ananas here, like the Dutch!), some smoky notes, maybe more vanilla and pineapple shake, with spices circling all around. A bit of water will help, making it even saltier than before. But I do prefer it RAW and kicking.
Finish: Very long with a bitter touch, more olive brine, bitter tea, acetone, plastic, and char.
Conclusion: Quite the A-bomb this one! Loving it, It’s not for the faint of heart and certainly do not give this as an introductory dram to Rum Newbies as they are going to get scared, but It’s truly and extremes dram. I am not always in the mood for this kind of monsters, but when I am – this is a brilliant Rum coming from a brilliant cask. Even better than the younger 10-year old I reviewed quite some time ago.