Habitation Velier Hampden Spirits in the sky HGML

"First impression: chemicals and solvents, a bit rough around the edges. Improves as it sits in the glass. Alcohol integration not that bad, but delivers quite a punch. Edit: compared to RX328 & RX16253 Most remarkable nose with some smokiness (is that bacon?). Esters are far more present on the palate and a little burn. Very nice. Bottlekill 15/04/24 The oxidation made it a bit more mellow. Very lovely fruity esters. Alcohol still present, but much less compared to the first tasting. Bumped it up with 0,3 points, because I find it excellent at this moment."

"An explosive yet balanced nose. Buttery, fermented fruit, burnt caramel and a slight acetic bite. Not much funk, except on the very first nose, which is quite explosive. Aesthetics are very volatile here, and this rum mellows out considerably if you wait before drinking your glass. The palate is complex but not quite clean. In addition to the acetic bite felt on the nose, the fermented sides detract a little from the attractiveness of this rum, which is nonetheless very interesting and pleasant. The finish is long and balanced."

"Intense and fibrant on the nose. Rather young and rough until it sits for quite some time in the glas. Does not hide its ester content at all , but develops a nice rich HGML fruitiness over time. I also get a rich sensation of BBQ/Chipotle spices on the nose, which is surprising but gives an interesting twist in my mind. Very nice and fruity on the palate. Some roasted notes and quite a bit sweetness. Very good. Not quite on par with the HV 2010 HGML, but not too far off. Also ahead of the 2010 12y single cask imo."

"Another excellent HGML bottling... I like this Mark... buttery sour on the nose with marzipan and esters. The palate is funky intense and full of power... this is how a Hampden should be. The finish is just as intense and long"

"#4765 07.07.2024 Relaxing at home with a few samples. Nose Light wood, pineapple, orange, overripe, light floral, spice, light herbs, light anise. Palate Round, balanced, light wood, pineapple, banana, overripe, light olive, faint salt, light tar, faint licorice. Finish Long and warm, light wood, fruity, light pineapple, light orange, spice. The empty glass has light chocolate, roasted and light vegetal notes."

"Two attributes stand out on the nose: overripe pineapple and a smell like rancid butter. Behind that I find lemon balm, barrel influence and a little iodine. It's already off to a great start! The palate is then really wild: the barrel is clearly noticeable, overripe pineapple anyway, sweet notes of marzipan, yoghurt towards the finish, then slightly bitter and slightly salty, iodine and a medicinal note also reappears. In my opinion, the alcohol provides just the right boost. The salty note accompanies me far into the long finish and evokes an association with green olives. Unfortunately, I have nothing more of the Hampden Great House 2020 to compare. I remember the GH 2020 as being very similar, but this one is much more intense and multi-faceted. This Hampden is not for beginners and delivers a youthful, wild ride through the distillery's wide spectrum of flavors, excellent!"

"Really intense and spicy. Candy bacon, taggiasche olives, brioche with salted cucumber butter. Very thick, heavy, intense. Not too extreme or too demanding but still challenging and exciting. Surprisingly great bottling!"

"Lots of typical Hampden aromas, which would be promising if it weren't for the very present acidity, which is already above the rest of the profile on the nose. This acidity remains dominant on the palate, which in my opinion significantly unbalances the overall profile."

"Tasted against the top dog HV 2010 HGML On the nose, the Spirits is clearly more acidic and the HV has a great pineapple-marzipan sweetness. On the other hand, the Spirits in the Sky scores with a meaty/grilled note that comes out of the background after a while, which you would otherwise expect from an LP. Great bottling, but doesn't quite match the feel good factor of the HV ..."

"In direct comparison with the much younger HGML from TWJ for TastToe, the nose here is much fruitier, riper, with more barrel influence. On the palate, too, it is simply more mature, rounder, with more spicy aromas and fruity notes."

"Wow, was ein ungewöhnlicher Hampden. Zwar kann man auch hier die typischen Aromen wahrnehmeny es gesellt sich aber auch ein rauchig fleischiges Aroma dazu. Das habe ich bei einem Hampden so noch nie gehabt. Klasse Fassauswahl von The Nectar"

"Great young single cask that shows why Hampden is at the top of the list. Alcohol perfectly integrated."

"Richtig guter Hampden! Etwas adstringierend, aber richtig gut!"

"An excellent Hampden HGML. Great nose, just as you would expect from a rum with such a high ester content. Really outstanding palate, one of the most interesting Hampden released in 2023. I regret not buying a bottle...."

"What can I say, except that for its age it is excellent, with all the usual markers of the great Hampden ! Butter, fruit and esters are all there !!! What a treat, I love this Mark 😍😍 Let it rest and breathe in the glass so that it matures ♥️ Big favorite ❤️"