Hampden Great House (Distillery Edition 2021)

 It's very well done, the nose is great! The ABV is a little low. Too bad...

 This is a really nice Hampden release. Very round and tasty with lots of fruits and a balanced level of esters. I do like it quite a bit - recommended. If you are a „drinker“ don‘t fall for any inflated „collectors“ prices, however. While this is nice, it is not outstanding and there are plenty of Hampdens available which can compete.

 This one is close to the other two, but I would have loved a higher ABV. In my mind that would have pushed the score a bit higher. I like the light smoky oak from nose to finish. On top of that there is fruit and a hint of caramel, tobacco and leather. The funk is there but the price to quality is very good.

 Compared to the 2020 version, less powerfull and woodier in the finish. Alcohol is integrated very well. Nose: Funky, Intense, ester, solvents, buttery, trop. fruits, Pineapple, banana, apple, overripe fruits, mango, caramelized, butterscotch, spicy, woody, roasted, oak Mouth: Funky, dry, round, delicious, balanced, Intense, Ester, spicy, oak(woody), anise, roasted, smoky, cocoa, trop. fruits, pineapple, tobacco, caramelized, Finish: medium-long, funky, dry, warm, ester, woody(oak), vanilla, smoky, leather, trop. fruits, banana, citrus

 These Great Houses are definitely very good. And this 2021 is no exception. It's funky as hell, fruity, woody. It packs a punch, but not too much. No surprises. But it's very well made. Edit: tasted several times since opening and first impression confirmed. A fine expression of what this distillery can do.

 After a long time, I open the second bottle. Super unobtrusive aroma of tropical fruits, vanilla and molasses. Taste similar. More banana, molasses and of course Jamaican esters up front. On the finish I find the pineapple and molasses more dominant . I'll compare with GH24 in a moment Edit: I'm now testing after GH24 and I'm not changing anything on the rating either

 Tasted as a 5cl sample.Olfactory initially a lot of natural yogurt / butter, fruit, leather and esters, as known from Hampden. Then intense flavor of fermented fruit / ester, spices and compared to other Hampdens I have tasted quite sweet after honey. Then a bit smoky in the finish. Alcohol is very well integrated and overall I like it very much. Edit: At the second tasting, instead of yogurt I have rather expired sour milk in the nose, which somehow does not smell disgusting but together with the fruit gives an interesting harmony.Edit 2: Sample empty, still wonderfully interesting rum with great flavor profile. Absolutely recommendable.

 50% LFCA 2011 50% <>H 2018 In direct comparison with '19, '20 and '22: entirely new composition, estimated at 710 esters, more than double that of its two predecessors; less intense, like the '19, on the nose and more vinegary; brightest along with the '21, more esters and bacony on the palate. Nose: as the first pleasant esters with a significant amount of vinegar, also seems slightly buttery. Behind that also immediately pineapple with lemon and banana. It gets more caramel and some wood out back. From the nose preliminary reports the weakest of all so far. On the palate, clearly different from its predecessors: a higher ester content, but here backed with clear umami, almost bacon. Seems almost creamy as a result. Then of course again pineapple and caramel with sweet licorice. I like!!!

 Slight devaluation after I tested it against GH 22 and GH 20

 Very nice nose but mouth well below the 2020

 I prefer the 2020, find the 2020 more complex...but still very good drinking Hampden...like it

 Specifics from my comparative tasting with HD GH '19, '20 and '21:Nose: alcoholic, lots of pineapple and estersPalate: fruity and woody, tart, well-balancedAftertaste: mild, spicy, very balancedOf the three, the most balanced. Has enough power despite "only" 55%.

 On the nose beautiful fruity aromas of tropical fruits, mango, papaya, mirabelle and banana. Esters notes rather in the background.On the palate it continues fruity. Here also comes a pleasant note of confectionery and spices. Very round and successful. Fits naturally into the GH series. Soon again a cross tasting.

 Tasting day 1: Ananas! Nice nose and taste. There is a strong fruity sweetness, that goes on to a dry aftertaste. All sorts of esters play around, and I have them in an aftertaste even 1 hour later. Tasting day 2: I have some additional fruit in the nose, like pear, and the taste is much better to my liking, this time. I attribute this to giving the sample some additional time to breathe. Very good!

 Another great Hampden. What a great rum. A great rum. Has a fruity nose that continues on the palate. Ester also comes to the fore and you can also taste the cask. A super rum, delicious.