There have been so many Hampden bottlings lately which makes it incredibly hard to keep track and I must say that I kinda enjoy these two by two sessions where we compare two different vintages to get an idea of the bigger picture and then two bottlings within a single vintage to get a feel for the nuances. Now with Hampden and their different marques that doesn’t makes as much sense but let’s see what we have.

Velier Hampden “HLCF” ‘Elliot Erwitt’ 2016 5YO (60%): This is a DB, not an IB. No, that doesn’t stand for defensive back but for dependent bottler, rather than independent bottler. I don’t know if that will ever catch on but let’s just call it that, shall we!? Nose: Hampden HLCF – how much more is there to say!? Well, it actually deviates a bit from said norm. We get grilled pineapple, oranges, cinnamon, cheap chewing gum, hickory wood chips, bacon, candied pear and fresh grass. Quite cool. Relatively speaking, it is on the smoky notes and weaker on the fruits but hey, this is still Hampden of course. Palate: Very dry, woody and astringent, something I didn’t expect at five years. Flavourwise, we are more or less in the same territories as we were in the nose. To name just the differences, I can clearly detect pear and towards the finish a mix of herbs. Cherries perhaps!? We can definitely cross bacon from the list, however. Not too bad. Finish: Relatively long and dry with smoky notes, vanilla and pear. A very good Rum. Nothing earth shattering, but more than you might expect from a five year old HLCF. (85/100)

Habitation Velier Hampden “<>H” 2016 4YO (62%): This isn’t the first time we taste this Rum, but we never took notes. Nose: This is high ester stuff with tropical fruits, acetone, sweet pastry, grilled almonds, citrus and quite some wood. It is major downside is the subpar integration of the alcohol. Later also cherries. The sweetness is insane by the way. Palate: Very dry and astringent, with lots of oak and a subtle sweetness (think candied almonds, cherries) at the back end. It is definitely a good Rum but a small let down after the nice nose. I must say that I do enjoy it way more now than back then, when it has been released but having said that, I still think it isn’t big enough in the mouth if you know what I mean. Well, relatively speaking that is, in comparison to other Hampdens of this caliber. Finish: Shorter than usual, with quite some wood and and slightly tannic notes. All in all it is a good but not my favorite bottling of the series. (85/100)

The Nectar of the Daily Drams Hampden “<>H” 2013 8YO (64,4%): On paper, this one looks solid. A bit young but The Nectar knows how to pick barrels if you ask me. Nose: Not very aggressive, especially when judged by the Rum’s age and abv. It starts with solvents, baklava, that characteristic grilled pineapple but also banana, beef seasoning, thyme and chorizo. Quintessential Hampden, if you will. However, it is lacking that certain “boom” that you get with the more mature expressions. Palate: Slightly aggressive and sharp and full of fruit schnaps. While that’s usually a bad sign (immaturity), it doesn’t bother me too much in this case but you can definitely tell that this one should have stayed in the barrel for a bit longer. While the additive elements in the form of spices and oak are present, the fruit schnaps character is becoming increasingly annoying with every additional sip. Flavourwise, we get mostly aromatic exotic fruits, with the switch to herbs towards the finish. Raspberries and white chocolate would be the nuances of this particular barrel I think. Finish: Medium long but not very entertaining. Pineapple, apples, herbs and vanilla stay around but don’t leave a lasting impression. A few more years might have done the trick here. (82/100)

Nobilis Hampden “LROK” 2013 9YO (64,4%): Same abv as the The Nectar bottling and I’d be amazed if this comes from a different production batch. Given that maturation is typically partially tropical before the casks are thrown together in a big steel tank to be shipped to Europe, I imagine that the differences are going to be tiny. But wait, this is “LROK”, not “<>H” so forget about that. Nose: Yep, definitely one of Hampden’s lower ester marques but nevertheless, this is still a high ester Rum in the grand scheme of things. I get a basket of ripe continental fruits, some foul exotic fruits, acetone and the feeling that this didn’t stay in the tropics for very long (I checked: two years in Jamaica, seven years in Europe). After a while I get more green and yellow banana as well as green apples. Solid. Palate: Way too sharp and alcoholic for my liking, which kinda ruins the sipping experience. Acetone, pineapple, hot almonds, orange blossom honey and sweet citrus are my main impressions here. Finish: The relatively long finish is way more enjoyable now, as it is a more pleasant version of the palate. Certainly interesting, but I am not convinced. (80/100)