HD 2000 Jamaica Rum, The Whisky Jury

We don’t think, in this context, that ‘HD’ stands for ‘Harley-Davidson’. By the way, we have a Road King 1994 for sale if anyone’s interested, as we no longer ride American. Though it does need a bit of a restart. And no, the bike has never been fuelled with cask strength whisky, rest assured. Oh, and it’s a first-hand owner. Colour: gold. Nose: absolutely stunning—fairly gentle, with honeyed smoked banana, ocean water, oysters, olives, whelks… There really is that maritime edge that sometimes makes us say Hampden = Ardbeg (just as Neisson = Macallan or Bielle = Springbank). But moving on… With water: it turns highly mineral, almost basaltic – and ballistic. Mouth (neat): oh yes—medicinal, lemony, tarry, very much like Ardbeg, and above all, packed with more olives than an olive tree before harvest. With water: fruity resins of all kinds. Absolutely perfect. Finish: same story, lasting a good while, with tar putting up quite a fight and a bright lemon shining through in the aftertaste. Comments: how could anyone resist these rums? Should we even try?
SGP: 563 - 91 points.

Nose: milder glue, with a nice rounded banana foam and pineapple cube note. Definitely fruitier than the youngsters, even a hint of green mango and whiffs of tropical fruit bubblegum. Then sour butter, a hint of vanilla, sea salt and a faint whiff of diesel.

Mouth: nice salty notes, with light pencil shavings, with more mango and pineapple. Also tiny hints of lime and berries, fresh herbs and drops of cough syrup. Then varnish, pink grapefruit, cardamom and vanilla. Relatively light, staying fresh and harmonious at all times thanks to a crisp tartness.

Finish: medium to long, with a drying funky note, still on pineapple, along with a hint of anise.

A lighter style for a change. Clearly more fruity this time, with less prominent esters. Very drinkable, not the powerhouse some are expecting from Hampden, but hard to resist in my opinion. Score: 91/100