Hampden Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaican Rum

Big on bananas, funk, and esters—a true Jamaican style. Packs punch for cocktails, but those chasing smooth sippers might want to go slow. One to try if you enjoy bold, tropical funk.

7.8  / 10  (378 reviews)

Funky, bold, and bursting with overripe banana character.

Our community's opinion

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    How does this rum taste?

    • Perfect in many cocktails
    • Superb value for money
    • Funky, fun Jamaican bomb

    Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaican Rum from Hampden distillery is all about intense overripe banana, tropical fruit, and Hampden-style funky esters, rounded out with a hit of peppery spice. The nose hits hard with 'banana, ester, overripe' and 'a whiff of glue' (Kay Meertens), while the palate is fruit-driven, 'funky with some wood and spices' (Lot-NAS), and undeniably dry. While many admire its long finish and 'crazy value', the 57% ABV leaves a bold mark—some call it 'prickly' or 'not for newcomers'. Fans agree it's 'perfect for cocktails' and delivers genuine Jamaican character, even if neat sipping divides opinion.

    Aroma

    Banana Ester Overripe Tropical fruit

    Taste

    Banana Tropical fruit Funky Peppery

    How is this rum rated?

    7.8  / 10  (378 reviews)

    "If you should have just one Navy strength rum in your bar, this is the one. The nose is complex with aromas of esters, fruits and spices. At the palate it’s complex and funky with flavors of esters, fruits and spices. The finish is quite long and dry."

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    8.1 / 10
    Review by: Stefan Persson

    "Three years ago I celebrated him still as a revelation in May Tai and now he gets only 76 😂. In view of the price but in my eyes a must have for the house bar, especially if you still do not have too many Jamaicans at home. Meanwhile in May Tai on my scale also only 2/5 🇯🇲.After tasting again I take away another three points. 73/100"

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    7.3 / 10
    Review by: Adrian Wahl

    "This is a power hampden and perfect for cocktails 🤯 Fruity, estery, woody. The 57% are well notable and not integrated very well. Not the best rum for newcomers, who prefer to drink it neat. It‘s a nice addition to the bar, looking at the price tag."

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    8.0 / 10
    Review by: Galli33

    "I'm really not a Hampden fan, but it did not taste so bad to me. And the 30€ the bottle..."

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    7.9 / 10
    Review by: Joachim Guger
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    Expert reviews

    Details about this rum

    Country
    Distillery
    Brand
    Smith & Cross
    RumX ID
    RX43
    ABV
    57%
    Category
    Pot Still Rum
    Made from
    Molasses
    Distillation
    Pot Still
    Age
    3 years
    Bottle volume
    70cl
    Price range
    <50€
    Type of spirit
    Rum
    Hampden 3yr &nbsp; 57% Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaican Rum

    How is the price of this rum developing?

    The RumX community has already added 1,110 bottles to their collections:

    closed
    598
    opened
    290
    emptied
    222
    Open rate
    46%
    Ø Market value
    29€

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    Where has this rum been mentioned?

    This rum is ranked in the following charts:

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    What people are saying

    About the Hampden distillery

    The Hampden distillery is located in Jamaica. Rums from Hampden have been reviewed 15,029 times with an average of 8.4/10.


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