Overview
Brand: Hampden Estate
Origin: Hampden Estate, Wakefield, Trelawny Parish, Jamaica
Still: Pot
Age: NAS
Finish: ex-Bourbon
ABV: 59%
Birthdays around the world are often celebrated with sweets, parties, and gifts that honor the person in question. For a family in charge of a historic distillery, the usual fanfare may not be enough, and rum must be involved!
Christelle Harris is a member of the Hussey family who has owned Hampden Estate since 2009, and a visible face of the brand as the marketing director during this era of growth for the estate. She's such a valued member of the team, that her wedding was marked with a distillery-exclusive rum blend called "New Beginnings", the composition of which was selected by her and her husband, Matthew. When Christelle gave birth to their son, Maverick, they again decided to mark the momentous occasion with a special rum.
Hampden Estate The Maverick– named after the birthday boy– consists of double retort pot still rum, produced from a base of molasses and dunder. The marques chosen for this blend are as follows: 50% HGML from 2018, 40% LFCH from 2020, and 10% C<>H from 2021; all components were aged in ex-Bourbon barrels at origin. This release is presented at 59% ABV.
For transparency, this bottle was provided to me by a brand representative, with no obligation other than to enjoy the rum.
Appearance
Gold, low viscosity
Nose
Fresh pineapple, banana, caramel, underripe blueberries, kiwi, caramelized grapefruit, vanilla wafer cookie
Palate
Grilled pineapple, rotting banana, blueberry yogurt, caramel, kiwi, caramelized grapefruit, plum
Finish
Long, funky, warm; vanilla, grilled pineapple, cooked blueberries, stewed plums
Rating: 8/10
Summary
This is a really great blend that Hampden has made for The Maverick. I've long been a fan of the HGML and C<>H marques, and they shine in this expression.
Unsurprisingly, tropical fruits make their presence known throughout the experience. Pineapple, banana, kiwi, and caramelized grapefruit come through on the nose, while blueberry yogurt joins with kiwi and plum on the palate. The finish is long and fruity, with a little more oak influence than I typically pick up on other blends like the Great House releases.
The Maverick is an excellent bottling to celebrate a special occasion. Some may balk at the price– a reasonable reaction to the over $200 price tag– but I don't think anyone will be let down with the product itself.