Review #701; Rum #153: Habitation Velier Hampden 5yr <>H (2016)

This 5 year old rum comes to us from dependent bottler Habitation Velier. From the famed Hampden distillery in Jamaica, this rum of the <>H Marque was aged for 5 years on the tropics before being bottled at barrel proof with no additives. Clocking in at 885.5g/hlap this is high compared to many other marques, but falls short of the super high octane release from Hampden like C<>H and DOK. Let’s see how it fares.

ABV: 62%

Nose: Classic Funky Over-ripe pineapple, Banana, grill char, slight honey, black pepper,

Palate: Medium oily mouthfeel, Star Anise, Over-ripe Pineapple, slight honey, black pepper, vanilla, guava

Finish: Longer finish, Pineapple Bark, dark chocolate, black pepper, vanilla cream

Rating: 7/10

Big fan of this release. It comes at you with a nice level of funk that trends on the higher side, has nice depth of flavor from the spices and vanilla that balance out the funky fruits. The slightly bitter finish brings it down a little bit but once again a higher ester release from Hampden does well for me to the surprise of no one that has read my rum reviews.

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