Overview
Brand: Kill Devil
Origin: Hampden Estate, Wakefield, Trelawny Parish, Jamaica
Still: Pot
Age: 11 years
Finish: ex-Bourbon*
ABV: 63.2%
Scottish independent bottler Hunter Laing is back with their Kill Devil brand and a bottling of a very sought-after, high-ester marque.
On Hampden Estate's scale of marques, C<>H is the penultimate step on the ladder. It's ester count alone ranges from 1300-1400 g/hLAA, and features a 20 day fermentation process that utilizes molasses, dunder, muck, and cane juice vinegar. This is a fan-favorite marque, and seldom seen outside IB releases, often only available in Europe.
Kill Devil Jamaica 2007 is one such release. It was produced in November 2007 to the C<>H specification, using Hampden Estate's double-retort pot still at their facility in Trelawny Parish, Jamaica. After distillation, it was placed in an ex-bourbon cask and aged for 11 years. The aging location(s) are undisclosed, but an educated guess based on the bottler and color, it's likely full-continental aging in Europe. It was bottled at 63.2% ABV.
Appearance
Pale gold, low viscosity
Nose
Grilled pineapple, underripe blueberries, plain cream cheese, fresh kiwi, banana peel, spiced green apple, paint primer
Palate
Grilled pineapple with Tajin, baked green apple, underripe blueberries, banana peel, cinnamon, smoked cream cheese, rotting kiwi, serrano pepper, nutmeg
Finish
Long, stinging, slightly smokey; rice pudding with nutmeg, grilled pineapple, fresh banana, cream cheese, serrano pepper
Rating: 8/10
Summary
C<>H is like your long-time best friend: you'll always recognize them when you meet again, even if it's been years. In this bottling, the funk is pronounced as ever, but has a modest amount of oak influence from its aging process.
Grilled pineapple, blueberries, cream cheese, kiwi, and banana peel are the themes today; on the palate, the pineapple is dusted with Tajin seasoning that gives a nice kick. Green apple appears throughout as well, spiced on the nose, but baked when tasting, alongside serrano pepper, nutmeg, and more dairy-adjacent notes like rice pudding. Every sip yields something new, which is perhaps what one should expect from Hampden's second-highest ester marque.
C<>H is a treat; I really enjoy the fruits, slight creaminess, and funky notes found in this marque. Kill Devil bottled something special here.