Hampden Estate – The 8 Marks Collection 1 Year Ex. Bourbon 8×20 cl. 60%

When Hampden Estate launched the first 8 Marks Collection, there was great jubilation among rum geeks. Here was finally the opportunity to compare all the “recipes” from Hampden Estate! Since then, many have requested the same set in a stocked version, and it has now been released. The principle is the same: the beautiful box contains 8 x 20 cl of rum, and starts with Hampden’s “lightest” distillate, moves up through the ranks and ends with a hefty DOK that really hits the chest. All rooms are aged for 1 year in ex-bourbon casks – of course tropical aging at the distillery – and bottled at 60% alcohol.

The set also contains lots of information about the production and Hampden in general.

Colour: Light golden.
Scent: From the pleasantly fruity and spicy to the violently funky.
Tasting notes: Dry, powerful rum all the way through with full Jamaica power!

Serving suggestion: Enjoy them neat and keep your own comparative tasting – and use the leftovers in the wildest mai tais!

Through this experience, you will be able to discover the effect of aging on each brand. These are: OWH, LFCH, LROK, HLCF, <>H, HGML, C<>H and DOK.

The sound of the name “Velier” evokes a very special feeling among rum geeks. Time and time again, the mastermind behind the company, Luca Gargano, manages to shock and delight the rum world with releases that set new standards for quality, transparency and geekiness.

Velier’s reputation for exceptional quality was already cemented in the ’00s with a string of uncompromising Demerara rums. Today, these bottles are the pinnacle of carbon rum and change hands for astronomical sums at spirit auctions worldwide. Later, the company became known for tropical aged Caroni, a distinctive rum from a now-closed distillery in Trinidad, with notes of smoke, tar and bacon. An “acquired taste”, but once you have it…

Along with Foursquare’s Richard Seale, Luca is staunchly (and loudly) opposed to additives or cheating on age designations, which is why Velier’s newest line of rums, Habitation Velier, puts transparency first. The label proudly reveals every detail about the production, from “angel’s share” to ester content.