Review #1000; Rum #338: Kill Devil Hampden 35yr 1983

Kill Devil Hampden 35yr 1989

This rum comes to us from the independent bottler Hunter Laing & Co. (under the Kill Devil label). This Jamaican rum from Hampden estate was distilled in 1983 (it is the oldest distilled Hampden that was until recently available that I was aware of) and bottled in 2019 at cask strength with no additives. According to the Marks list on Single cask rum, this is HGML, which has an ester count of 1000-1100.

The chance to try this just happened to occur for me and I felt that it would make for a fun milestone review hitting 1000 reviews overall. On that note, let us see how it holds up.

ABV: 58.1%

Nose: Quite pungent, meaty, allspice, grilled pineapple bark, banana, faint glue, guava, lime peel, peppery, coriander

Palate: Thick oily mouthfeel, Meaty, Cement Glue, Guava, Lime Peel, Passionfruit, Grilled Pineapple, Allspice, Black Pepper, Black Tea, Oak Spice, Star Anise

Finish: Long finish, Grilled Pineapple, Black Pepper, Allspice, Cement Glue, Star Anise, Lime Peel, Lemon Zest

Rating: 9/10

This is an incredible rum. The fruits are great as are the spices. That weird meaty note combined with the cement glue is interesting and fun as well. The oak influence is just a hair on the over oaked side for me, but that doesn’t really show up until the very end of the finish. It’s an excellent rum though with the high quality rums Hampden is able to producer at significantly younger ages and cost I can’t say that this is worth buying a bottle of. However, if presented with the opportunity to taste this I would say go for it.

Having recently had a 27 year Hampden from Golden Devil (Kill Devil) it helps give a comparison in terms of oak influence. Here this is shockingly fruity given that it spent 35 years in oak before being bottled. At the same time, it’s still a 35 year old rum and is less bright than the 27 year old that I have.

Moving on from the rum, it was fun to look back on the journey that has occurred over the past 1000 reviews. Starting in the more accessible American Whiskey (bourbon / rye), dabbling in a good amount of Scotch, trying assorted agaves and brandies is a fun and varied journey. Over the past 2.5 years or so however, rum is really the spirit that has captured my interest and imagination and continues to do so. The variety of flavors, countries, history, and production method and the great people I have met because of it have all lead to it being my favorite spirit. I will always enjoy other spirits as I enjoy variety but I do not foresee rum as my favorite being toppled any time soon.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect