Velier Hampden Cees Van Wees 1959
For seasoned enthusiasts only: a historic, ultra‑high‑proof Hampden that rewards patience with bright tropical fruit, buttered notes and gentle old oak. RumX members praise its vivid character despite decades in demijohn.
- Historic vintage
- Vibrant tropical fruit
- Great alcohol integration
Details about Velier Hampden Cees Van Wees 1959
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How does Velier Hampden Cees Van Wees 1959 taste?
Aggregated from 18 community reviews.
Historic Hampden, vivid and intense For seasoned enthusiasts only: a historic, ultra‑high‑proof Hampden that rewards patience with bright tropical fruit, buttered notes and gentle old oak. RumX members praise its vivid character despite decades in demijohn.
Seasoned Hampden fans and collectors who enjoy intense, cask‑strength rums with tropical fruit, buttered notes and a relatively low‑funk, old‑oak profile.
Beginners, those sensitive to high ABV, or drinkers expecting a wild ester bomb or long, complex finish for the asking price.
How is Velier Hampden Cees Van Wees 1959 rated?
RumX's 0–10 scale is strict — 8.5 lands squarely in the "Very good" band. 100% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Rum reviews
A selection of the most popular reviews from our community. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Skyfly
A historic drop that is truly enjoyable in the glass. Despite the long storage time, the wood and spice aromas are subtle. This makes the tropical fruits on the palate all the more powerful — I have rarely experienced such intense and buttery fruits in a glass. The finish seems to last forever. The alcohol couldn't be better integrated!
Review by Jakob
Whisky Live Paris tasting. Impressions and evaluation are based on direct impressions from the tasting glass. A beautiful Hampden with a powerful structure thanks to its high alcohol content. No flavor revolution in the glass, but great quality.
Review by mto75
ein wahrhaft altehrwürdiger Hampden aus dem aufgelösten van Ween Lager. 1988 - 2024 im Demijohn verbracht, was dann vermutlich als neutrale Konservierung betrachtet werden kann. An der Nase geht es Richtung vergorene Früchte und Sauerrahm / Milchcreme, altes Fass (und ein wenig nach Rüben oder Kartoffelkeller), keine Ester-Bombe. Am Gaumen Fass, röstig, Espresso, und klar, bei den fast 72% kommt auch eine deutliche alkoholische Schärfe. Der Abgang ist zwar recht lang (dank des hohen ABV), aber eher eindimensional. Die Bewertung ist hier schwer, ich hatte schon deutlich bessere HDs im Glas, aber mit der Historie ist das natürlich ein absolut außergewöhnlicher Rum.
Review by Serge
Schöner alter Hampden. Helle Früchte, buttrige Noten, gereifte Ester und dennoch viel Power. Auch wenn 1959 drauf steht, so war er ja doch nur 29 Jahre im Fass und davon nur 3 Jahre tropisch. Also nicht ganz so ûber-anders, wie man es im ersten Moment des Fomos gedacht hat. Dennoch sehr gut.
Review by Johannes
It's not so easy to assess the mark after such a long storage period! I would rather estimate Run low Ester Mark as hlcf. Something is simply lost due to the long storage period... The alcohol is quite well integrated. I now have the rum in my glass again and have added a few drops of water. Unfortunately, this causes it to lose a lot. There is a lot of wood left, a slight bitterness, little yellow fruit, an amazing sharpness, and little ester. Overall, I am a little disappointed after the experiment with water...
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
28-year-old Hampden from 1959, primarily matured on the mainland and then further matured in demijohns. It has everything that makes a Hampden special, especially on the nose, but without being particularly harsh or conspicuous. In my opinion, the alcohol is a little too prominent on the palate, which is no surprise at just under 72%. I don't think there's much difference between this and a good 92/93 Hampden today, which costs only a fraction of the price and has a longer finish. I can't quite understand the hype surrounding it, as there's nothing particularly striking about it and the quality isn't outstanding either. The bottom line is that it's a good vintage Hampden, but nothing more, and therefore not worth $2,000 in my opinion...
Review by Righrum
Whisky Live Paris 2025 - to be tasted again to confirm the score and notes. If it will ever br possible. The tasting was initially blind, driving me to recognize an old jamaican, but far from actual Hampden. The best of this rum is the fact that is still vivid after so many years. Fresh and vibrant, tropicale fruits (ananas, some banana) and esters are still there.
Review by Filip Šikula
Nástup připomíná příjemné, ale celkem bězné zástupce hampdenu, nicméně po prvních pár vteřinách v ústech se rozjede uplně jiným a velmi zajímavým směrem. Zajímavá je velmi slabá dřevitost vzhledem ke stáří, ale je potřeba si uvědomit, že velká část odpočinku proběhla ve skleněném demižonu. Co je ale opravdu zajímavé, je neuvěřitelná integrace alkoholu. Tipoval bych klidně kolem 50%.
Review by Martin Švojgr
Neznám přesnou historii tohoto rumu, snad jen, že staření v teopech bylo jen několik málo let. Nejde o žadnou esterovou bombu, nicméně jsou cítit charakteristické tóny Hampdenu. Chuť jsem díky stáří čekal více uhlazenější. Zajímavá zkušenost.
Review by Buddudharma
Die Eckdaten sind natürlich ein Hammer. An der Nase dann auch wirklich schöne Hampden-Essenz, der Gaumen kann da leider nicht ganz mithalten. Alkohol ist recht gut integriert, bin in Summe trotzdem kein Fan von Rums mit so extrem hohem ABV. Das Profil ist mir in Summe etwas zu kräuterig, dazu ist der Abgang eher unspektakulär. Eine interessante Erfahrung, aber den Ausgabepreis bei Weitem nicht wert.
Community purchases
12 bottles logged by 52,000+ RumX members. The ratio of closed / opened / emptied, indicates whether this rum is meant to be drunk or is a collector's item.
Also on the wishlist of 5 members.
About the Hampden distillery
The Hampden distillery is located in Jamaica. Rums from Hampden have been reviewed 18,347 times with an average of 8.4/10.
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