Hampden RA JMC Distillery C<>H

Wow.... Such power after 33 years... no matter how old these Hampdens are, they remain first class! The only fly in the ointment is that the long barrel ageing is now somewhat noticeable. But that's complaining on a high level... I'm thrilled 🤩 Today a small cross comparison with the RA JMC: The TRC is not as intense on the nose as the RA, but is much more incisive and intense on the palate. The RA, on the other hand, is almost soft, but more "drinkable"! They don't give each other much... brilliant Hampden essence

My first impression is that it suits my taste exactly. It's almost too drinkable for me, which makes it very dangerous. The taste lingers in the mouth for a long time. Not bad for a continental. I don't find it too woody either, which I had suspected. Edit: Now I've finished what's left in the bottle. I don't like it that much anymore. It degraded quite a bit after opening.

Tasted together with the Hampden Rum Club 1990 (RX14100) The color does not differ. The nose is wonderfully fruity and slightly fruitier than the Rumclub, which has a hint more yoghurt/butter. The Rumclub is also a little more intense. Overall, very inviting and uncomplicated without the brute force of younger bottlings. The Rumclub is a nose ahead here with more complexity. On the palate, the Rumclub has something bacony/smoky that the RA doesn't have. The RA then again has a nice transition from intense fruit to brine and olives - I like it very much! The Rumclub is also a touch more complex on the palate. The fruit returns in the finish and lingers for a very long time. There is a little barrel influence, but in no relation to the long time in the barrel. In direct comparison, the RA seems less complex to me and therefore more palatable. These long continental matured Hampdens are really something great, they manage to hide their true age with ease, there is not too much wood or even bitterness anywhere. But if you take a closer look, you notice how round the time in the barrel has made the former rough edges of youth.

Today I compared the new RA JMC #212 with the RA JMC #213 and the RC 90 C<>H. The three years younger #213 gets a little more on the citrus and sour cream, the #212 is more on tangerine and cake batter, but objectively speaking the differences are really small. The RC is a bit out of competition, as the rest of the sample was very small...but with what was left, it seems milder than the two RAs. I had the #213 at 92 points, then the #212 now gets 91 points...

Nose: Wonderfully fruity with lots of pineapple, papaya, mango and banana. Ester is no longer so strong, rather in the background for me. Slightly acidic and a little barrel (wood notes) Palate : Slightly oily in the mouth. Here the fruitiness subsides a little but the wood and bitterness come through. Minimally musty . Alcohol very well integrated. Finish: Long but rather bitter and woody. Later some fruit is added again. All in all a great rum but it falls short of my expectations. In my opinion, it has lost a little too much of its bite and funk... but this will certainly inspire others. I think the PLV is pretty good for a 33y allten HD.

Intense and complex nose. Lots of tropical fruit on the palate (especially pineapple), glue and a great creaminess. More barrel influence than its 1990 siblings, but by no means bitter or too woody. Relatively little marzipan. Dangerously drinkable. Excellent Hampden!

Little 1990 C<>H cross-tasting with 2x RA, RC Ed. 5, TWJ and TRC. The second RA bottling indeed is also very nice. The additional aging has taken off some more edges and rounded out some intensity in the process. Still a very good representation of what the vintage can deliver, just a bit less exiting than the younger bottlings.

The nose is already delicious. But not an absolute top-class 1990 on the palate, I would say it's a little past its peak. A great rum, but no 90+. For me a good 88/100. The release price of around €260 for a 33-year-old Hampden is absolutely fair.

#4507 07.12.2023 A very nice and fruity rum with medium roasted wood notes. The palate is oily and warm and medium dry with fruit and esters. The finish is very lond and also medium dry with light pineapple. Draws really nice curtains in the glass. The empty glass has some vanilla and faint cherry notes.

Sehr gut. Aber ich bin trotzdem eher ein Fan der tropisch gelagerten. Update: die volle Flasche habe ich inzwischen veräußert und genieße jetzt den Rest des Samples. Ich bleibe dabei, dass er mir gut schmeckt (ist mit etwas Luft sogar nochmal besser geworden), ich mir aber im selben Preisrahmen dann lieber was tropisch gelagertes suche.

Once again a very good 90s Hampden, but in my opinion it has slightly passed its zenith. For me, the astringent bitter notes dominate a little too much in the finish. I miss the typical yellow fruits.

Everything is wonderful, but without rough edges. The bottling is very smooth, it is a formidable vintage. Lots of pineapple and glue on the nose. Oily in the mouth and, in addition to the classic markers, puffed rice. The balance is very good but not perfect. A very good rum, unagitated but classy. Not enough for a 9 for me.

Auch das kleinste Tasting sollte man immer mit einem Hampden beenden ☺️. Hier ein sehr schönes, intensives Mark mit einem beachtlichen (kontinentalem) Alter von 33 Jahren! Nase: na klar, intensive Ester vor allem anderen. Dann kommen aber die vielen Finessen. Vergorene Ananas mit Zitrone, ein Hauch Honig, Fruchtessig, Lösungsmittel mit Klebstoff. Die lange Reife macht sich durch eine satte Buttrigkeit und Brioche-Teig bemerkbar, die die sauren Ester gut einfangen. Wird mit der Zeit immer angenehmer. 9,0 Gaumen: sehr angenehme, intensive Ester. Zu Beginn adstringent, dann immer cremiger werdend. Ananas-Marzipan mit Mandarine. Leicht holzig, was dem Rum ausgezeichnet steht. Vollmundig und fleischig-speckig. Klebstoff und Früchtebrot. Solitär betrachtet toll! Den direkten Vergleich zu anderen alten Hampden habe ich aktuell nicht, daher aus dem Momentum heraus 9,0

I was worried that the 33 years would emphasize the barrel too much. You can certainly taste the wood, the tart notes provide an undeniable astringency. Some people will say: it could have come out of the barrel 2.3 years ago. Maybe so. Nevertheless, it is quite smooth overall, the alcohol is superbly integrated and the taste lingers beautifully in the mouth. You have to like the combination of wood and ester - I like it!

An der Nase dominieren Holz und Gewürze, Klebstoff und trop. Früchte. Am Gaumen neben tropischen Früchte auch ordentlich Holz und Gewürze und eine leichte Bitterkeit. Abgang für meinen Geschmack etwas kurz. Insgesamt ein solider Hampden, doch nicht ganz auf dem Niveau anderer 90er Hampdens.