Aroma visualization from community tastings
Velier Hampden New Beginnings (June 03, 2023)
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"One of the most beautiful aromas I have ever smelled," one taster wrote — and most agree the nose is the highlight: overripe pineapple, esters, vanilla, marzipan and cookie dough. The palate softens into sweeter tropical fruit with kiwi, leather and young wood, sometimes a peppery, bitter close. A Hampden wedding bottling that reads rounder and more drinkable than the Great House releases.
The community says- Stunning fruity nose
- Well-integrated alcohol
- But: Palate less special
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The look inside the bottle
How does Velier Hampden New Beginnings (June 03, 2023) taste?
Summarized by AI from 54 community reviews.
Rounded Hampden with a gorgeous fruity nose Loved for its gorgeous nose and easy, rounded profile, but many find the palate less special than the Great House releases — good Hampden, just not the deepest.
Hampden fans who want a rounder, fruit-forward pot-still bottle
Anyone chasing wild, deep high-ester intensity
Style & occasion: Tropical & funkySipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
21 of 54 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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Community voices
What does the community say?
54 community reviews
28 selected write-ups on this page, all of them in the RumX app
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Ranges include their upper bound: “7–8” means above 7 up to and including 8. See the full rating guide
Positive from 8.0 · Mixed 6.0–7.9 · Critical below 6.0
Review by Leo Krüper
Most helpful positive review
Could also be a Great House. Very round and drinkable, classic blend.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
Most helpful mixed review
#4333 21.10.2023 Whisky Live 2023
Review by Thunderbird
The nose is stunning...1a Hampden essence! Verbena pineapple, esters, vanilla, marzipan and cookie dough... wonderful... On the palate, however, disillusionment... initially a heavy sweetness with marzipan and honey and gentle esters with pineapple. This is quickly followed by salty, peppery spices with young wood and a strong bitter note. This continues on the finish... a little longer ageing would probably have done it good
Review by Olivia
Tasting 16.12 Personally, I wouldn't compare it with the GH series. I find it quite unspectacular. No rough edges. Not very exciting, ergo distinctive, flavor profile. I'm glad I didn't get a bottle of it. At least the alcohol is well integrated
Review by Adrian Wahl
Very nice round Hampden. I'm really looking forward to the Mai Tai
Review by zabo
Franconian Tasting Gang Completely undervalued for me. A super rum with its own profile. There's really no need to compare it with the Great House range. Only the price is a little too high. Which in retrospect costs it a point deduction.
Review by Basti
The nose is really top. Very fruity and some floral notes included, plus a bit of vanilla. On the palate also initially some floral aromas, which I find somewhat unusual but quite exciting. Along with tropical fruits, vanilla, and subtle licorice and pepper. For me not an exceptional Hampden, but a bottling that clearly differs from the GH bottlings through the floral notes. I like it better than most GH!
Review by Beancheese
This is about a classic, simple Hampden. On the nose I was hit right away by overripe pineapple and then esters. There is some wood behind that initial rush and hints solvents to go with the usual buttery and vanilla notes. On the palate the esters hit first although they are not wild by Hampden standards. The wood, funk and overripe fruit takes center stage with some spiciness to close it out. Nothing stands out but as a HD fan it was still a good rum.
Review by Schnubbii
I'm looking forward to finally trying this particular Hampden. It's apparently an older OWH married to a younger <>H, created to celebrate the wedding of Christelle Harris and Matthew Hann. On the nose, I immediately find tropical fruit, pineapple and especially kiwi, which I haven't experienced from other Hampdens before. On the palate, again kiwi and some leather, quite exciting. The taste profile is recognizably Hampden, but for my taste it differs somewhat from the Great House range. In line with the Marks, not really extreme but rather accessible, but still somewhere unique. This combination of kiwi and leather is something I've never experienced from Hampden before. In the finish, I first find kiwi again, then leather and finally a slight bitterness. My conclusion: Given the relatively small number of bottles, you may not necessarily be missing out on one of the best Hampden, but it is a very good Hampden with a very unique flavor profile. A sample is worthwhile here.
Review by Serge
I didn't find it any better than the GHs (I tried gh19-23 at the same time) ... I would rate it at the same level even if it differs slightly in style.
Review by Giorgio Garotti
An unusual hampden, very balanced and with few flavor peaks! Considering the reason why this bottle was made I would have expected something different! Let's say this is more of an everyday hampden!
Review by Mentalo
Better than the Great House series, but worse than the Maverick. It has a relatively high level of sweetness. Also marzipan and lots of tropical fruits which come into their own. Alcohol is well integrated. But it doesn't have much depth either.
Review by Alex1981
WL23: generally ok release, but less special than expected. Doesn’t hold much against the GH or other special releases. Probably needed to meet a more general taste for the wedding :-) Yeah, after a second try still not convincing. Not bad, but also not great.
Review by Jarek
A Hampden tasting, with Great House 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, plus the New Beginnings and both versions of the Pagos. I think the New Beginnings is undervalued compared to the Great House. It's a slightly different profile, less estery and darker on the nose. But still very tasty.
Review by DomM
Nose a little underwhelming. Nice depth and complexity on the palate however. Enjoyable but very much a collectors item I would guess ;)
Review by Johannes
Extremely round, very nice balance, no off-notes. Pretty perfect, but maybe something special is missing...
Review by F.L.O.
The wedding rum from Hampden sends its regards. Super nose with beautiful esters, fruit, little wood .... - simply Hampden like. On the tongue there is a buttery taste on top of the expected aromas. Good, but not necessarily what I would like to have in my glass every day.
Review by Philip M. 🇧🇪
20/06/2025: Road Rummers Jamaican supertasting @ TastToe. In direct comparison to The Maverick, I preferred New Beginnings just a bit more. A got a nice menthol/mint note on the nose which was rather surprising. Nice one to have IF the price is right!
Review by Jürgen Gigl
A somewhat different Hampden! I'm a bit torn because it is somewhat different from the Hampdens I've tasted so far. But it definitely has potential. The alcohol is very well integrated and overall it's well done. But I find the price a bit too high. 🥃
Review by Nika
Higher 8 because it’s fun. Kiwi/pineapple comming to something leathery/ glue. Also really nice flow in taste. How the elements are changing. You can spot different steps in the mouth.
Review by Rado Vito
One of the most beautiful aroma I have ever smell. This it truly rum created for a wedding. Also taste is very complex and integral. Piece of art. Of course, for those of us, who knows Hampden. Let´s admit it, it is not the most interesting one. However, I have to highlight the fact, this rum was created for everybody (begginers and advanced rum lovers). Great job.
Review by Buddudharma
Franconian Tasting Gang 16.12.23: Clearly behind the GHs on the nose, much closer on the palate and very solid.
Review by El Peludo
As a moderate Hampden fan, I find this one rather balanced, with the distillery's own characteristics. Ripe fruit, a certain greediness, a nice freshness on the finish. It's not totally out of the ordinary, but it's very well made and rather easy to enjoy, with well-integrated alcohol.
Review by Stijn Zino
Road Rummers S8T6 Jamaica supertasting I like the citrus notes in the one. Makes it a nice summer rum. Rather medium finish.
Review by Pierangelo Pianta
Solito disco Hampden, bottle for hype.
Review by Michal Jurka
I'm especially glad for the direct comparison of New Beginnings and Maverick. Both editions perfectly reflect the life phases they were released for. 🤵♂️👰♂️New Beginnings (wedding) is a great shot into life, liveliness and enthusiasm on the nose and at the same time a balanced ratio of fruit (overripe pineapple and banana) and chemistry (nail polish) like two wild partners and overall it feels sweeter, like sweet carefree days, but somewhere in the distance a light earthiness and herbalness keep us grounded. 👶 Maverick (birth of a child) still doesn't lose its zest, the liveliness of fruit is still there (especially pineapple juice comes to the fore), but milder, even the chemistry is tamer, on the other hand a certain "maturity" in the form of woodiness and light roastiness comes to the fore, hey fruit and chemistry, calm down, you're not alone here!
Review by Martin Švojgr
I have to say from the start that I expected something different. In the aroma, clearly identifiable Hampden. The sweet esteriness is immediately apparent, but the woodiness adds to it. On the palate, that woodiness adds to it (young wood) in a combination that somehow doesn't sit right with me. Instead of a sweet estery finish, I'm left with a weird woody bitterness on the palate. I'm glad I tasted it, but I wouldn't need a bottle at home.
Review by Pavel Spacek
WLP tastings ... Hampden, legendary Jamaican distillery, which besides rum also produces alcohol for perfumes. In all rums from this distillery you can smell wild esters, after which your whole body soaks in the scent of yellow tropical fruit - mango, papaya, pineapple, peach. One of the rums you "must try before you die"
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Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum.
Expert review by The Dunder Hut
Seriously, this would have been an awesome great house, as it really reminds me in it's quality to the first bottling. Perfectly chosen abv, nice complex aromas. And above all, it is rather drinkable, a nice offering
Community shelf
54 bottles logged by 43 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
7% opened, 2 emptied.
What did the community pay for Velier Hampden New Beginnings (June 03, 2023)?
Community paid 165–255 €.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 212 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
54 purchased · 55 tasted · 15 wishlist · as of
Details about Velier Hampden New Beginnings (June 03, 2023)
A Pot Still Rum from Jamaica, bottled by Velier, at 57%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
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