Overview
Brand: Holmes Cay
Origin: Hampden Estate, Wakefield, Trelawny Parish, Jamaica (picked by Baytowne Wine & Spirits)
Still: Pot
Age: 15 years
Finish: ex-Bourbon
ABV: 65.9%
Another day, another trip to the ester-laden heights of Hampden's C<>H marque, this time presented by an independent bottler closer to home.
Holmes Cay Jamaica C<>H 2007 is another rum produced to the specifications of the aforementioned marque, which yields an ester count of 1300-1400 g/hLAA, and utilizes dunder, muck, and cane vinegar alongside molasses in its 20 day fermentation. Produced using Hampden Estate's pot still, the resulting rum was continentally aged for 14 years* in the UK, most likely at Main Rum Co. in Liverpool.
This additive-free, single cask rum was bottled at a hefty 65.9% ABV and selected by Baytowne Wine & Spirits in Webster, NY, as a store pick.
* Despite the original label stating 15 years aging, the rum is technically only 14 full years aged
Appearance
Gold, low viscosity
Nose
Grilled pineapple, rotting banana peel, blueberry cobbler, kiwi, warm green grapes, butterscotch, cream cheese, starfruit
Palate
Grilled pineapple, banana split sundae, blueberry cobbler, starfruit, cream cheese, sour green grapes, bubblegum
Finish
Long, fruity, funky; charred pineapple, banana pepper, underripe blueberries, cream cheese, cough syrup
Rating: 8/10
Summary
This C<>H from Holmes Cay brings the funk, but leans a little more mature with oak tempering– but not taming– the high-ester marque's traditionally heavier elements.
Tropical fruits, blueberries cooked in a cobbler, and butterscotch mix with a dairy-forward cream cheese note to provide the backbone of this dram. Other flavors such as banana pepper, cough syrup, and bubblegum add to the complexity and depth of the rum, joining the fruit salad to create a sort of organized chaos of flavors on the palate and finish.
This is another excellent expression of one of Hampden's most popular marques. Holmes Cay did a great job snagging this single cask, and here's to hoping another high-ester Hampden bottling won't be too far away!