Review #1131; Rum #450
This sample was provided to me free-of-charge. No compensation, outside of the sample, was received and there were no strings attached.
Great House is a bottling of rum from famed producer Hampden Estate. Starting life as a distillery exclusive this bottle is a yearly blend of various marques of differing ages to showcase the versatility of the rums they produce. 2023 is the 5th year of this offering. This years blend is the usual molasses base, pot distillation, and ageing at origin in Jamaica. The blend of 2023 is 40% 2016 HLCF and 60% 2021 LROK. All aged in Ex-bourbon and bottled with no additives.
Distillery: Hampden Estate
Bottler: Hampden Estate
Region: Jamaica
Still: Pot Still
ABV: 57%
Cask: Ex-Bourbon in Jamaica
Nose: Bright, Pineapple, Mango, Allspice, coriander, crème brulee, slightly burnt brown sugar, cement glue
Palate: Thick oily mouthfeel, lemon peel, coriander, crème brulee, burnt brown sugar, pineapple, cement glue
Finish: Medium length finish, Banana, coriander, lemon peel, burnt brown sugar, cement glue
Rating: 8/10
There is no surprise here for me, I have enjoyed each of the Great House releases so far. The word that comes to mind here is balance. This is an excellent balance of those tropical fruits, barrel, and just a touch of that vinegar / glue note that can peek through some Hampden bottlings. This is a great yearly project for Hampden to play around with blending and I think they created something different and interesting once again this year.