Hampden Estate Great House Distillery 2023 Edition

I'm surprised how varied these releases are in taste and wow factor, although the price goes up like crazy with each one. This one is very restrained on the nose and pretty fiery on the palate.

Smell is toffee apples, butter, volatiles and alcohol. It's like icing sugar but richer. Integrated but pretty subtle for a Hampden.
Taste is initially soft and integrated, then the fiery burn kicks in with a vengeance before a long dry finish fling the roof of my mouth with a solid burn.

Flavour wise, it's initially toffee and touch of oak, then the ester complexity comes to the fore, then the varnish and wood.
Overall, it's more complex than the 8yo, and easier drinking than HLCF Classic, but considering, in my humble opinion, even the 8yo is now overpriced, these Great House releases are laughably overpriced. I have a Pagos open alongside, and though I think it could do with a few more years in the barrel, I think that's at least as interesting as this is.

I could forgive 2021 the price, as it's one of the best rums I've ever had, but this is an 8 and £50 more than it's worth.

The problem I have with this rum is the price it's over 100 it's a solid rum but not funky

Another great choice from Hampden in what still remains my favorite series of rum. I tasted this freshly opened bottle side-by-side with the 2022 vintage.

The nose is pure Hampden - funky, rich, oakey.

The taste is great, as always from this distillery. Pure Jamaican funk aged to near perfection. But something is missing here...

The one thing holding this one back is - well, the 2022 (and prior years) which are simply better. Everything on this one is slightly muted (except the alcohol content): the color is a little lighter, the taste is a little less funky, and the nose is a little less strong. Its like someone took the knob from 10 down to 9 for the 2023 edition.

Overall a great rum but side-by-side with it's predecessor - not quite perfect.

GH 2023 je blendem rumů HLCF 2016 (40%) a LROK 2021 (60%), který zrál v sudech po bourbonu.
Vyrobeno bylo 5739 lahví.

Aroma: Tropické ovoce (banány, ananas), kyselost, květiny, závan ředidla, tinktury a gumy.
Chuť: Ovoce a dřevo, svíravá, živější, hutná.
Dozvuk: Jód, tinktura, tropické ovoce mísící se s hořkou dřevitostí. Dlouhý a celkem hořký.
Sladkost: 0/3
Ochutnán vzorek
Porovnával jsem přímo s GH 2020 a s poznámkami GH 2021 - a oba jsou určitě lepší. 2020 působí zakulaceně, neagresivně, krásně ovocně a bez hořkosti. GH 2021 je ještě jemnější.
GH 2023 působí bouřlivácky a tinkturově - ovoce je upozaděno a do popředí se dostává právě tinktura a v závěru dřevo, kde nahořklost hraje prim. Vzorek bohatě stačil.

Ve vůni Jamajku (zatuchlou trávu) cítím jen slabě v chuti už daleko více. Přesto je jemný a pro mne i vcelku příjemný rum.
Mám i předchozí ročníky, tak musím ve vhodné chvíli porovnat.

příjemná jamajka s lehkou technikou
dřevitý a příjemně esterový.

dobrý ale na předchozí verze nema

Tropical fruits on the palate. Alcohol forward and funky.

Smells like the beach, taste is light funk with hints of fruit (pineapple?). Finish is standard hampden which is great and finish has grape like sweetness. Solid rum