Hampden LROK The Younger 2018 47% 2018

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Serge Valentin (90)

Lighter Hampden from a double-magnum, how does that sound? They had done it before, this is the newer expression. Remember LROK means 200-400gr/hlpa esters, which is very high but pretty low for Hampden. As they say, it's not linear anyway. Colour: light gold. Nose: indeed it's not linear, this is smoky, carbony, petroly, with many rotting fruits, some rice vinegar (any, really), one litre of proper riesling and two litres of seawater. It is pristine. Mouth: a lighter marque, but of course. Salted liquorice ad nauseam, Mediterranean seawater (said to be saltier), black olives rather than green ones, touch of rotting pineapple and a tiny bit of pretty old parmesan cheese. Oh, and glues and varnishes. Finish: long but not stuffing. Glue, olives, tar, rubber. Comments: this size of bottle is rather for bartenders, apparently. Well, how do you become a bartender? So good…

BOW (90)

Founded in 1753, Hampden Estate has been distilling rum for over three centuries in the Trelawny Parish, historically the grand cru of Jamaican rum.

Hampden Estate is known for producing a wide variety of distillates. Depending on several parameters, such as the duration of the fermentation or the addition of dunder (the remains of a previous distillation), a rum is given a certain mark. The mark LROK stands for Light Rum Owen Kelly, and is one of the marks produced at Hampden Estate and refers to a rum with a high concentration of esters, from 200 to 400 g/hLPA.

Although he has been aged relatively short, these 4-year-old Hampden has a lot of personality and really embodies the Hampden-style. Produced under the name of the LROK brand and created in 1952, The Younger combines the aromatic intensity that is given through the tropical maturation and the freshness of a young, fruity rum.
Test notes:
Nose: fresh and fruity. Mango, banana and pepper.
Taste: tender and tasteful. Fresh pineapple and orange peel.
Finnish: long and pleasant. Warm sugar cane juice and cloves..