Hampden RA Jamaica Rum HDHE DOK 2009

What can I say? It's an aromatic atom bomb. The nose explodes with borderline rotten fruit (pineapple forgotten in the basket, exploded banana). Acetone fills the nostrils without being sickening, with that nail polish. All warm and intriguing. The palate is oily, like sipping sun-forgotten pineapple essential oil. The esters develop on the palate with incredible power. Everything is well-balanced without going overboard. There's a slightly fizzy edge on the tongue, yet it's round and greedy. The finish offers a bouquet of spices that carry through to an interminable finish.

Blind tasting in the RumX calendar 2024-12-06 Fruits. Pineapple, mango and lots of ester funk. Just as much ester on the palate, tropical fruits, solvent. Green olives on the finish, dry and slightly salty. Almost no barrel notes and quite pale in color. All this makes me think Hampden, approx. 10yo 60% alcohol. The mark is more difficult: possibly DOK? Score 9.0 Actually DOK! Score +0.2 I think this bottling is clearly undervalued. This is a really good DOK that has already shaken off its rough edges and is therefore very accessible for this brand. --------- It's amazing how practically all Hampden rums manage to remain "pale faces" and take on little color even after a long time in the barrel. The rum can be perceived from a great distance: fruity-sweet wafts waft through the room, and someone hasn't closed the tube with the glue 😁 However, there is not only intensity but also different aromas to discover when you pass the glue. A very similar picture on the palate: lots of fruit and sweetness, dryness at the same time, the dryness increases towards the finish and the barrel influence becomes more present. The alcohol is well integrated. I like it a lot, better than the Nobilis GRF 13 I just tasted, and at the same price, this seems to be the better choice.

Then I'll start with xem RumX Calendar 2025. First of all, a nice Hampden. Typical Jamaican on the nose. Lots of esters and tropical fruits such as mango, pineapple and bananas on the palate. Alcohol very well integrated. Tastes great

Very intense and yet accessible. Balanced with a great barrel influence. A highlight of the 13th German Rum Festival Berlin for me.

Very accessible Hampden, probably from the DOK marque, for which the release is surprisingly accessible. Lots of drop fruit, but also pleasantly sweet and balanced. Great release, a highlight in the current Hampden releases.

Blind DOK Tasting - 6th and penultimate place. It’s quite a good rum, also looking on the price tag and the wonderful marzipan/caramel notes. It’s like a “beginners” DOK, with a well integrated alcohol contend..

First impression on the nose: surprisingly round and sweet (those tinned fruits for the fruit base come to mind), underpinned by a slight note of glue and sour cream. Also quite 'smooth' on the palate. The 15 years in the barrel have done a great job here. I found the 12yr TRC DOK a little more exciting, but the RA certainly has nothing to hide!

I find that aeration has really brought out the sweetness on the finish, with banana dominating the tasting overall, but here it's almost a dessert banana flambé. Otherwise, of course, esters, funk and ripe fruit galore. Very pleasant!

Advent Calendar 2024 #6 I'm back in Jamaica, Hampden again, DOK again. But not quite as intense this time, comes across as restrained at first, but after some time in glass I'm more and more with DOK. Alcohol is perfectly integrated here.

RuX Advent Calendar Day 6: Here we have another unmistakable Jamaican. Typical DOK, lots of esters on the nose and palate, plus tropical fruits such as pineapple and glue. In any case, a very good rum.

Very good DOK. A little too much on the dry side for me, but still extremely good! Good PLV!

#5149 16.03.2025 Running through some samples at home. Nose Fresh, medium intense, light wood, faint smoke, fruity, ester, light pineapple, faint floral. Palate Round, fresh, oily, medium intense, light pineapple, banana, ester, light wood, faint glue, spice. Finish Long, balanced, light oily, fruits, banana, faint glue, spice. Empty glass Chocolate, vanilla, light pineapple, faint floral. Needs to rest for a while to really open up. ABV integration is very good.

Day 6 of the RumX advent calendar: Despite the attack being characterized by a certain vinegar-like acid kick and the noticeable ester content, the mouthfeel that follows is very relaxed and invites extensive chewing before a long and very fine finish follows. I would prefer a little less acidity, but this is still a very nice Jamaican rum.

Delicious round and very drinkable DOK. Alcohol perfectly integrated, light, subtle acidity with lots of fruit, some herbs and marzipan balls. Definitely worth drinking and the price of 90€ is more than fair!

Beautiful DOK that delights the room with aromas of pineapple and marzipan as soon as it is poured. Typical DOK nose, some bubblegum. The esters come through well on the palate, but in a very relaxed manner. Even if there is a slight hint of bitterness: I've never drunk such a relaxed DOK before - high ester without being tiring, almost drinkable. It still has power, of course, but not as extreme as you would expect from DOK. A really nice piece, especially for the price.