Roots Hampden Hampden 2012 OWH

 Very spicy. Not a typical HD ... ok low Ester was clear but he comes across very different. I'm a little bothered by the smoky especially when he has breathed well ... Otherwise little fruit alcohol very concise.

 OWH there are not so many high class ones. So this one comes in handy. Now for midsummer, I prefer the low-esters anyway. Clearly recognizable as a Hampden on the nose. On the palate, it seems very light and playful for a high-proof Hampden. In the back I have light mint and toasted barrel notes. Nice bottling, but also nothing with which you can win prizes.

 Of course, you can't expect an ester bomb at OWH. However, I like the profile of the root surprisingly well. On the nose, yogurt, grilled pineapple and baking mix dominate. On the palate, burnt sugar, barrel, mocha. The 58.3% is very well integrated. Really tasty stuff! Best thanks to Paris for the split!

 I think I would not have recognized blind as Hampden. Fruitiness is there but the typical notes like grilled pineapple and marzipan do not jump out of the glass at me. For this I find something floral like anise or perhaps fennel and yogurt / cream cheese. Nice and fruity on the palate but also metallic, which I don't like. Compared to the old Highester Hampden also much Fasseifluss. Very briefly, it also reminded me of grappa. The aftertaste is very long and I like it better again. At the beginning dry and even salty, it then becomes more fruity again. Despite the low mark, this rum has more funk and complexity than some other rums from Jamaica or Barbados, for example. On the palate it reminds me of a young Port Mourant because of the dryness and salt / olive note.

 All in all a very solid and tasty Hampden. Thanks to France for the great split. The fruitiness prevails over the ester. Olive and some saltiness also comes through clearly after a while. Alcohol is well integrated.

 Amazingly fruity OWH!

 Solid but gentle Hampden, more fruity than funky. Olives are there, some brine & salt. Medium to long finish and well integrated alcohol, solid release!

 Surprisingly good OWH. Alcohol top integrated, light creaminess, fine fruit note.

 Nose: Hampden at room volume. A hint of ester, a few fruits.... Surprisingly but almost at eye level the wet plank. Palate: Naa, I wonder if I would have blindly recognized this as Hampden? Low ester is not my preferred HD profile and this one is OWH according to the app then (as are all 2012s really). There's a pleasant fruity note, but not a whole lot else going on. Alcohol is not bothersome. Finish: Medium length with a slight hint of acidity. "Our funkiest release yet" is a strange statement when you roll up the funk scale from the bottom.

 О да... это изобилие тропиков: банан, ананас, манго... и чуток мебельного лака, 95-й бензина, трубочного табака, приполированного согной зелёной травой и мятой. Вкус сладковат, но мощный и пряный. За сладость отвечают тропические фрукты,изюм и чернослив. Дерево есть, но не выпирает. Хорошо. Финиш длительный, согревающий и ... соленый. Интересный экземпляр. 2322`89

 Nice. Once again this inimitable tropical cocktail from HD. In addition to tropical sour-sweetness, caramel, orange zest, vanilla nuances, oak barrel, and a little acetone in the final. On the palate the influence of the barrel is great, although the tropics are present. The aftertaste is astringent, abundantly oaky with a peppery finish. The low level of esters can be felt, apparently they were lacking in the flavor and aftertaste...the barrel dominated here. Nevertheless this is a tasty HD.