It has been a while. My apologies!

RomDeLuxe Hampden “LROK” 2020 2YO (61,4%): A two year old LROK!? I am not sure if we need this but let’s taste it first! Nose: Lots of fruits such as pineapple, banana, strawberry but also honey, macadamia and many more. Something is odd here so I had to check it out: The Rum aged in an ex-Oloroso barrel. Now that makes sense, especially the strawberry and nutty notes. What is more, the Rum smells much older than its two years, which is a plus I guess. Palate: This is where we are reminded that it is a very young one after all: It is sharp and rough. Unfortunately it doesn’t offer as many nuanced notes as the nose anymore, which I blame on the alcohol (you know what I mean). After a second or two the influence of the (extremely nutty) Oloroso is omnipresent and totally dominates the profile. Finish: Short, dry, nutty, but quite to my surprise also slightly astringent, which I definitely did not expect. Verdict: Do we still call these types of Rum experiments? After all we have had countless expressions like this. Most of the time they are at least interesting, like this one, but I definitely prefer a few more years of age to smooth it out. (79/100)

The Whisky Jury Hampden “C<>H” 2007 15YO (62,3%): I still do not have an articulated opinion of The Whisky Jury but what could possibly go wrong here; this is a superb batch! Nose: Incredibly dense and creamy, with sweet marzipan, salted caramel, papaya, ripe banana, orange oils and orange soda. It is not a complex profile, but it is totally captivating for some reason. Palate: Just as thick and creamy as the nose, with the same level of sweetness, but also a fresh tartness that helps balancing things out. Orange, lemon and tangerine are the main actors here, but that sweet pastry provides a solid backbone. Finish: Long and rich, with citrus, marzipan, oak, vanilla and later herbal notes. Verdict: Really, this is a batch that never disappoints, I do not think we have every had a bad bottling from it. (89/100)

Flensburg Rum Company Hampden “C<>H” 2007 15YO (66,2%): Since the The Whisky Jury was just that good, let’s have another sister cask at the same age but a few more watts. Nose: Compared to the The Whisky Jury bottling, this one is much fruitier from the get go, but not quite as creamy. We get pineapple, litchi, ripe banana, sweet pastry (think lemon pie) and white chocolate. An extremely inviting nose. Palate: Once again, much more tart and sour than the nose. Lime and lemon are my first associations, but pineapple, litchi and tangerine are strong contenders as well. While the oak isn’t really present here in my book, you can tell that the cask struggled with, but at the end of the day did its job, holding the individual components together. Finish: Long, sour and a bit of the weak link here. I cannot explain why but it feels slightly misplaced. Verdict: Another great Rum, but not quite the banger as the The Whisky Jury. (87/100)

Valinch & Mallet Hampden “DOK” 2009 13YO (57,5%): What’s up, Dok!? It remains a joy to taste new DOK barrels, even though we have had unbelievably many of these 2009s by now. Nose: Somewhat tame right after pouring, but it quickly opens up to reveal the usual suspects, namely tropical fruits, esters, nail polish remover and citrus. Nothing noteworthy on that end, but it provides a rather mature impression. Palate: It starts out with esters and slightly sours fruits before it develops to the acetone camp. The Rum offers a furry and astringent mouthfeel such as you get it from certain types of rich chocolate if you just leave it on your tongue to melt. With the third sip I get additional notes of sour cherries, straw- and jostaberry. Finish: Long, intense and challenging. It is a DOK, after all. Verdict: A good one, but probably closer towards the lower end of its within batch ranking, i.e. it is not among the very best 2009 DOKs out there. (87/100)