Overview
Brand: Rum Fire
Origin: Hampden Estate, Wakefield, Trelawny Parish, Jamaica
Still: Pot
Age: NAS
Finish: n/a
ABV: 63%
I've yet to meet a rum enthusiast who has anything short of undying love for unaged Jamaican overproof rums. Rum Fire is no exception, but may somehow be even more beloved than its counterparts.
Take the no-frills, provocative label design: it could have been created in Microsoft Paint, and sets it apart from every other rum bottle on the shelf. Why settle for Wray & Nephew's stuffy medallions when you could literally play with (rum) fire? Or perhaps its because it's produced by Hampden Estate, a distillery with a strong following and distinct style.
Ultimately, it just comes down to what's in the bottle– and people love it.
Rum Fire is the product of one of the best in the game at heavy, Jamaican funk. It features extra-long wild fermentation, meaning yeast endemic to the Estate in Trelawny Parish are the drivers of the process. Distillation is conducted via Hampden's copper pot stills, and bottled at 63% ABV without aging. The final product measures in the ester range of 500-600 g/hLAA, which coincides with the HLCF marque.
Appearance
Clear, high clarity, medium viscosity
Nose
Freshly-cut pineapple, overripe banana, kiwi, paint primer, white vinegar, honeydew, green bell pepper
Palate
Pineapple, banana, green apple, kiwi, ethanol, bubblegum, primer, blueberries, bell pepper, cane syrup
Finish
Long, fruity, hot; banana peel, grilled pineapple, wet cement, black pepper, black licorice, sea salt
Rating: 8/10
Summary
There really isn't a better-named rum than Rum Fire; it's so descriptive, yet succinct, and perfectly describes what you got in your glass. Rum? Check. That's easy. Fire? Duh– both as in the high proof and it's just damn tasty.
Rum Fire provides the funk, complexity, and enjoyability that one expects from Hampden Estate, and then some. The explosion of fruity-funky notes are unencumbered by oak, blasting one's palate with banana, pineapple, kiwi, and other tropical fruits, while vinegar, paint primer, and ethanol provide some more industrial and chemical notes to the experience.
Whether we're talking tiki cocktail, 50/50 shot with an amaro, or splashing this on the rocks with a mixer, Rum Fire doesn't disappoint, and that also includes in a neat tasting. I would suggest grabbing a bottle of this from your neighborhood bottle shop next time you're around, and try this for yourself (if you haven't already).