Habitation Velier Hampden <>H

"Day 1 Samples de Luxe calendar. Tasted again a year and a half later. Pale yellow color. On the nose, banana compote, Jamaican funk, rum raisins and a vegetal, dried herb side. On the palate, a fairly lively attack with alcohol and tropical fruit. Nice aromas, but rather one-dimensional, like a fruit spirit. Long finish, a little more interesting than the palate. Very well-integrated wood. A very fine rum. To be tasted again after a little oxidation. It's done, and the oxidation gives this rum a beautiful harmony."

"Funky Hampden 🎉 Maybe a little young but nevertheless quite nice and round given ester content and ABV. As a secret contender in a 2013/14 cross tasting the HV came out pretty well, but not in the top spot. While we are looking at different vintages of course, the HV was noticeable more balanced and less funk forwards/punchy."

"Certainly not the best HV release, but compared to many recent releases, this is already a good rum. I adjust my rating upward by one point."

"The fruits here are more of the sour variety (lime, pineapple). Despite the quite high ester content very mild and soft."

"Also a very nice bottling, but again clearly ranks behind the DOK. The nose is dominated by glue and nail polish. In the mouth, the alcohol is better integrated than I expected. Nevertheless, I lack the final funk for a better rating."

"Delicious, tropically matured <>H ... I simply prefer a few years tropical to decades continental - with exceptions, of course. Pronounced, overripe tropical fruit notes (pineapple, but also some banana plus glue and solvent, young wood, almonds, cookies and marzipan. Delicious. For me, however, it could have stayed in the barrel a little longer."

"Another great rum from this bottler. Fruity from nose to finish and has a light touch of wood from palate to finish. Nice and funky release at a good price when released. "

"Rich in esters, but also still very young. As a result, it lacks a bit of the complexity and sweetness of its older brothers. Aftertaste is also quite short."

"Good hampden despite being very young. Strong in ester but the alcohol could be better integrated. Aeration does it the most good."

"A young Hampden with raw strength, displaying strong phenolic (solvents, esters, glue and varnish) and fermented notes on the nose, with a hint of medicinal notes, brine and vinegar. Very ripe exotic fruits and citrus fruits are also very present. There's no doubt about it, this is a funky profile in its purest, most concentrated form. The attack on the palate is direct, frank and straightforward. Very ripe exotic fruit explodes on the palate, followed by a phenolic explosion that pierces the mouth from side to side. Tannins dry out the palate, accompanied by spicy notes and acidic citrus flavors (lime). A slight woodiness also emerges. A powerful, astringent profile that could put a boxer to sleep. The very long finish sticks to the teeth. Exotic fruit, citrus, phenolic, tannic and fermented notes all come together in a festival of flavors. There are also hints of young wood, bitterness, green olive, salt and mineral notes. A very heavy, powerful rum, which shows, at 5 years of age, that it's got plenty under the hood. The alcohol could be a little better integrated. The profile is interesting, but a few more years of ageing would have brought out more of its potential."

"Definitely has the potential to be a top bottling if it were allowed to mature for another 5-6 years. But already very good and intense as it is."

"Not the most successful Hampden Habitation Velier but still a serious Hampden. The finish is not the most pleasant and the integration could be better to put it on the same level as some others. It might have deserved a couple more years in the barrel."

"Compared to the older Hampden representatives in the Habitation Velier series, shows less of the heavy sweetness and also still shows too brash alcohol, which makes it fall off a bit. Solid Hampden, which overall is still enough for a very good rating - but especially with the Hampdens there is another quality class, in which this bottling can not play."

"This is a very nice Hampden and quite good drinkable despite his high ester content and the young age. From start to end a cool high ester/hampden adventure! The alcohol is integrated very well. The finish is long and delicious too, but a bit astringend"

"Es bleibt hohe Hampden Qualität mit (vergorenen) Früchten, Ester, Marzipan und jungen Holz. Alkohol ist gut integriert. Aber auch schon fast langweilig für einen Hampden. Und leider bringt er mir persönlich zu viel Säure mit."