A little flight of assorted Jamaican rums


July 10, 2022

A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace!

A little flight of assorted Jamaican rums

Just as they come out of the boxes and shelves, in no particular order (but we'll make sure we'll be having some Hampden and WP!) In our book, Jamaica remains the Islay of rum.

(Sip and read while listenting to Jamaican jazz star Ernest Ranglin - photograph Toma Iczkovits)

Worthy Park 7 yo 2013/2021 (66.9%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Jamaica, #R11.11, 2nd fill bourbon barrel, 'Pushing the frontiers of funk', 259 bottles)

Pushing the frontiers of funk? That would rather be Bill, I mean George Clinton, no? I have no proof that this would be Worthy Park, but no one's ever said it was not. Colour: straw – pale gold. Nose: totally on brake fluid, Diesel oil, crushed black olives, anchovies in brine, kerosene and, hold on, new vinyl indeed. It's not even repulsive at almost 67%, which I find rather miraculous. With water: lots of love. A little caraway plus new magazines, paint, putty, shoe polish, brine, olives… Cumin and anise cookies! Mouth (neat): drinking seawater with some concentrated lemon juice inside, plus some salmiak and fresh paint diluted in it. Once again, this is curiously 'drinkable'. With water: a few notes of rotting tropical fruits, especially bananas, and this feeling of chewing your new rubber boots. No stress comrade! Finish: long, briny, with all things inks and paints. Typical. Comments: I don't think WP goes as high as Hampden, Long Pond or New Yarmouth as far as esters go, but this feels like a 'solid 500' (not sure that makes much sense, having said that). Impeccable and implacable drop.
SGP:463 - 90 points.

Once again we're starting too high.

Worthy Park 15 yo 2006/2021 (55.5%, Whisky Age, Picnic Bar, Jamaica, bourbon barrel, cask #21, 246 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: so hard to beat in this category! Some magnificent overripe bananas macerated in seawater, with some coal tar and liquorice, plus fresh paint, carbolineum, and some more delicate touches of high-end green tea and flowers, which I find rather quietening (I can hear you, who said 'at last'?) Grand and certainly not 'just funk'. With water: that old fisherman's boat, the same that they have on Islay, with old ropes, tar, paint, fish, oysters, pipe tobacco and whatnot. Maybe scuba suits. Mouth (neat): what an amazing distillate, at a perfect age. Marvellous saltiness, olives, drying liquorice, coffee dregs, benzine (tsk, reminiscent of benzine), sea urchins, a tiny pinhead of hoisin sauce… With water: just perfect, if a little simpler, as if it did gather its strengths. A scalpel. Finish: exactly, a scalpel. Comments: desert island rum. I haven't recently tried any officials, I just hope they're along the same lines.
SGP:463 - 91 points.

Too high, we're too high… It's going to be hard to leave Worthy Park… So cheer up, let's run away from our task and have more Worthy Park…

Worthy Park 14 yo 2007/2021 (59.1%, Hunter Laing, Kill Devil, Jamaica, 241 bottles)

The company reminds us that WP is pot-still rum. Colour: gold. Nose: obviously very close to the Picnic, just a tad more 'phenolic' and with more very aromatic grasses and herbs, such as thyme or melissa, also fermenting fresh cane juice (but naturally, this is ex-molasses). I'm afraid this one too is brilliant rum. With water: no actual changes, perhaps a little pinewood that connects well to thyme. Mouth (neat): holy featherless crow, this has ev'rything, from diesel oil to heavy liquorice, ink, books, leatherette, tar, rotting tropical fruits, balsamic vinegar, pu-her tea, olives, marmalade, mosses, miso, hoisin… Amazing fermentary, yet rather clean profile, certainly not 'all esters and that's it'. In other words, funk, not skunk (ooh that's smart, S.) With water: etcetera. Finish: long and very much chiselled at this point, back to the core. Olives, salt, seawater and tar. Comments: another flabbergasting Worthy Park, qué alegria! The Picnic was just aw wee tad more complex, but we're splitting hairs once more…
SGP:464 - 90 points.

What are we going to do to get around all this? Take down WP?

Worthy Park 9 yo 2011/2021 (65.6%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Jamaica, #R11.10, 2nd fill STR barrique, 'Whole, uncut and unbruised', 264 bottles)

Sure the STR cask may have wrecked it, but it's was refill, so probably little luck. Colour: straw. Nose: petrol and rotting fruits. This one's a little 'lighter and cleaner' than the others, a tad acetic and lemony, and there's even a little peach, but let's not dream, it is still wonderful this far, but we'll get it! With water: tiny whiffs of rotting wild strawberries. Not that we're 'nosing' rotting wild strawberries very often. Mouth (neat): top five rum distillery, simple as that. Big salty liquorice and rather more menthol and aniseed this far. STR wine stays at home. With water: could be that the cask handicapped this one in a very infinitesimal way. Some very tiny fruity notes that should not really belong here (red berries) but once again (and again), we're probably nit-picking and splitting hairs. Finish: long, salty, a tad gritty towards the aftertaste (tomato leaves or something). Comments: absolutely wonderful, but the other three were stars.
SGP:463 - 88 points.

Good, I believe we're ready for other Jamaicans… Picnic is the benchmark at this point…

Hampden Estate 'Pagos' (52%, OB for LMDW and Velier, Jamaica, sherry, 2022)

Pot stills, NAS, butts, PX and oloroso, where else did we spot that already? Doesn't the world of 'aged' (sometimes barely) spirits get globalised? And what's the proper price for NAS? Colour: deep gold. Nose: Hampden, at least this one, is much more acetic (not ascetic) and varnishy than WP. Huge brine, glues, nail polish remover, olives and capers. I wouldn't swear poor PX does come through, but that's good news in my book. With water: new magazines and books, touch of juniper and caraway, green walnuts, nocino… Mouth (neat): high and heavy, with a lot of acetone, even a feeling of ammonia, liquorice, grass extract (more and more chefs are using that), salty cough syrup, eucalyptus… Frankly, I'd have said Yarmouth. With water: superb salty and varnishy development, all with green walnuts that keep it really tight and dry. Finish: very long, salty, with sardines, anchovies and olives. Comments: I find it absolutely excellent, but the WPs were rather more complex (especially the Picnic). Now, there isn't only complexity in life, naturally. Very good Hampden.
SGP:464 - 88 points.

Hampden Estate 'HLCF Classic' (60%, OB for LMDW and Velier, Jamaica, 2022)

There used to be an excellent 7 yo 'Overproof' at 60% vol. but it looks like this new one's lost any age statements. (UPDATE it's a 4 yo 2017). HLCF means 500-700 grams esters per HLPA. Colour: white wine. Nose: once again, this has far more brine and acetone, more earth as well, olive oil, tarragon, a really salty and acidic style on the nose but at 60% it's hard to get a proper full picture. With water: a lovely earthiness and some big rubber. New wellies, all sizes, plus touches of strawberry gums, a thing that's related to some yeasts and that would go away over the years, I've been told. Nutshell, pears and strawberries mean really young spirit. Mouth (neat): very pungent, very salty, with echoes of the most extreme finos de Jerez. With water: pure brine, liquorice, lemon and tar, perhaps a little minimalistic but we do enjoy Bauhaus sprits. Finish: long and even saltier. Rubbery signature, with tinned anchovies. Comments: young Ardbeg in Jamaica.
SGP:364 - 87 points.

Jamaica 29 yo 1992/2022 'HD' (58.2%, The Colours of Rum, Wealth Solutions, Jamaica, cask #6, 251 bottles)

A twenty-nine years old Hampden, they do not just grow on trees, do they. Colour: gold. Nose: most probably aged in rainy Scotland or in the Netherlands, so still fresh and vibrant, and absolutely stunning. Incredible set of herbs and grasses, bouillons of all kinds and from all peaceful countries, plus small and larger green olives. Just totally unstoppable on the nose. With water: sawn eucalyptus wood, sauna oils, pinewood, all that on top of what was already there. Mouth (neat): we know these, we know that they're stunning, tart and precise, well-chiselled and extremely bright, just like the greatest manzanillas. Green walnuts, mustard, olives, tar, rubber, liquorice, lime juice and all that. With water: sends shivers down your spine, this is a Formula 1 spirit. I'm not saying it's for every day, as it's the opposite of, say an old agricole for example, and at times you could even believe it's only ten. Grapefruit in the aftertaste. Finish: long, ultra-tight, high-precision old vertical rum. Comments: brrr…
SGP:473 - 92 points.

Jamaica 29 yo 1992/2022 'HD' (58.1%, The Colours of Rum, Wealth Solutions, Jamaica, cask #9, 250 bottles)

Naturally, 'HD' could also mean Harley-Davidson, high-definition, or heavy-duty, but we do believe the mysterious acronym means 'Hampden'. Colour: pale gold. Nose: no wait, this is even greater, with more subtle herbs, teas, smokes of all kinds, mints (spearmint, peppermint, chocolate mint et al), earths, fermented sauces including Chinese ones, brines (fish, olives)… Wow! With water: like a great Meursault of great age by a great winemaker. Mouth (neat): just evident. Salted tar, liquorice and lemon juice. Extremely focused and tight. With water: astounding brininess. I'm also finding notes of sorrel soup, cress, melissa and a rather moderate tar this time. Finish: long, tarrier again. Would you believe me if I said it's reminiscent of some Port Ellens? Comments: something Bowmore-y in this one, actually, forget about Port Ellen. I find it even greater than its sister bottling, but that would rather be like 92.99 vs. 92.01, so both 92, let's not puzzle over numbers.
SGP:374 - 92 points.

Jamaican Rum 19 yo 2001/2021 'JMH' (61%, Thompson Bros. and Bar Tre Hiroshima, Jamaica, 271 bottles)

Hampden again, a DOK this time. DOK means over 1500 grams esters per HLPA, which I think is the maximum at Hampden. Colour: white wine. Nose: this one's rather more metallic, not that funky, but very dry, austere, Jansenist… I'm sure it'll need H2O to open up (or a whole night in your glass, but there, we can't). With water: highly viscimetrical and engine-y. Putting your head under the hood of an old Jag. Also a lot of ink. Mouth (neat): huge salt and highly concentrated lemon juice. This one too would send shivers down your spine, which is good if you need to check whether you've still got all your vertebras. With water: not that extreme, but really very salty. To think that in theory, there couldn't be any salt in any aged spirits, unless someone's added some on purpose. Kippers, tar, ink, ashes, and really a lot of salt indeed. Finish: long, on ashes mixed with brine. Lemon in the aftertaste, as well as.. peat! Comments: a pretty narrow, highly focused rum that would still tick all boxes in my own little tasting book. We call these 'perfect' spirits. Oh and yeah, it's smoky rum while I doubt they would have dumped it into some ex-Laphroaig cask, as some do. Boo!
SGP:375 - 90 points.

JMH Jamaican Rum 22 yo 1998/2021 (62.6%, RumSponge, Jamaica, refill barrel, 249 bottles)

I'm sure the label is a tour de force, but it's not exactly my generation. Wondering if it would suggest that this one is going to throw bananas at us... Colour: white wine. Nose: very similar Hampden, just a notch lighter, I mean also with a few fruity molecules. Perhaps more manzanilla too, more pine needles, more garden peat, more aromatics, less austerity... Well in fact, it's rather not the same rum. With water: miso and soy sauce plus pine bark and cotton. Exceptional. Mouth (neat): very extreme once more, just a wee tad fruitier, and a little earthier. But watch it, it could still tear you apart. With water: careful with water, if you use water loosely with Hampden, you may unleash some plastic and 'chemical' rubbers. I say better not and that's the problem with these kerosene-y drops, either they're too strong or you run them off the track when adding water. So, careful, a high-precision pipette is needed. Seriously! Finish: long and petroly. Peat smoke. Comments: a feeling of peated rum this time again. Wonderful Hampden, but it'll dominate you, there's not much you can do about that.
SGP:375 - 90 points.

Let's unwind and cool things down… We'll have all other Jamaican distilleries next time.

Hampden 2016/2021 (46%, Rumology, Jamaica, PX finish)

This baby's been finished in PX but I believe the price is very fair, so all is well in the best of all possible worlds. Colour: deep gold. Nose: looks like someone's smoked grapes and sugarcane; having said that, this is anything but unpleasant, on the contrary, as we're finding some chocolate, cigars, herbal teas (chamomile), barbecue sauce and Hampden's expected rubber. Raisins too, naturally, the PX cask was not inert at all. Mouth: you can read this spirit as you can read a book. Sucking your pencil (cedarwood), actual PX, burnt butter, salted popcorn, tobacco and some spicy sriracha sauce (chilli). Great, unusual fun, even if this little spirit will probably lose you. Please remind me, what is it, exactly? Finish: rather long, with a leafy, tannic bitterness that's not obligatorily good friends with the raisins, but there. Comments: exploratory spirit, shall we say. We find it good and certainly palatable.
SGP:563 - 82 points.

We need a last goodbye. Maybe this one…

Hampden 'Rum Fire' (63%, OB, Jamaica, +/-2021)

Terrible label but this is 'white overproof rum', so compassion is in order. Now we've tried a 'Rum Fire Velvet' two or four years ago, and it was excellent, but not sure this is a similar make. That's what's good with white rums, no silly and unnecessary woods or wines can get in your way. Colour: white as Tom Cruise's teeth. Nose: yep, new garden hose, new tyres, new scuba diving suit, old ashtray, plastics, new iPhone, new Tesla, and gherkin brine and green olives. With water: dusts, chalks, ashes and new newspapers. Mouth (neat): we've just gulped down a dozen ashtrays and six pairs of rubber boots. With water: the trademark saltiness coming out, which goes to prove that it's in the spirit, not in the woods. Gherkins and carbon dust. Finish: long, salty, rubbery, with smoked olives and ashes in the aftertaste, as well as something burnt. Sure, I'm sure smoked olives do exist. Comments: tough boy, but I'm rather fond of it, even if I find WP's white 'Rum Bar' rather superior.
SGP:364 - 84 points.

Good, we didn't manage to go beyond Worthy Park and Hampden on this very Sunday, but watch these pages, we've got dozens of other Jamaicans lined up… Cheers!

Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far