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Swell de Spirits Royal Funky Navy 2025
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Sold as a "funky Navy," but nearly everyone agrees it drinks like a Hampden with company along for the ride. The nose is all Jamaican ester — fermented pineapple, banana, acetone, rubber and glue over roasted oak. The palate opens up with Caroni tar, TDL menthol and dark chocolate. Some tasters wanted more balance from the other components; most just loved the wild ride.
The community says- Massive Jamaican funk
- Oily, complex palate
- But: Hampden overpowers blend
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The look inside the bottle
How does Swell de Spirits Royal Funky Navy 2025 taste?
Summarized by AI from 33 community reviews.
Wild, funk-forward Hampden-led Navy blend A near-unanimous hit as a funk bomb, less so as a "real" Navy — Hampden dominates and some wanted the other regions louder. Cask strength is beautifully integrated.
Aroma profileHampden lovers who want a funk-heavy Navy blend
Anyone expecting a balanced, classic Navy rum
Style & occasion: Tropical & funkySipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
23 of 33 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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Community voices
What does the community say?
33 community reviews
26 selected write-ups on this page, all of them in the RumX app
Top 5% of Multiple countries rumsTop 18% at Hampden
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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 Jacques etdom
At first nose, Jamaica dominates. Then, as it aerates, the TDL with its mango aromas expresses itself more and more. All accompanied by a nice depth brought by the Caroni. On the palate, a nice balance but funky. Still those exotic fruits, pineapple, mango, wood, and a slightly dark, even dirty side. Long and dry finish. Now that's some good work!
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
#5857 13.10.2025 Relaxing with a few samples hoping that my upset stomach will come to an end. Nose Fresh, wood, roasted, dried fruit, light cherry, light cinnamon, faint floral, fruity, light citrus. Palate Oily, wood, faint smoke, faint rubber, fruits, light chocolate, banana, light cherry, light citrus, faint coffee. Finish Long and warm, wood, mango, medium dry, oily, light nutts, light cherry. Empty glass Chocolate, berries, light rubber, faint leather, light floral.
Review by LukaŽiga
8,9:On the nose, esters, fermented, overripe tropical fruits like banana and pineapple, cherry, strawberry, citrus fruits, funky, fresh, yet coppery and medicinal with iodine, roasted wood notes like dark chocolate, caramel, roasted nuts, bump into our nosetrils. On aeration, the molasses is grassy, flowery, slightly minty, the wood is spicy with allspice, cream toffee joins, lemon peel is evident. 8,8:On the palate, the attack is oily with roasted wood notes like chocolate, crème brûlée, caramelized, coffee, smoky, slightly burnt, dirty, spicy, fruity with overripe tropical fruits like banana and pineapple, then strawberry, raspberry, cherry, some citrus fruits, later blackcurrant, medicinal with esters, rubber, some iodine, coppery, as the molasses is candied, fresh with tea, minty, vegetal with briny olive. 8,8:The finish is long, dry&tannic, dirty, coppery, the rubber is burnt, the wood roasted, smoky, spicy, the fruits tropical, red and the molasses minty, dark with black tea. Edit:14.8.26
Review by Timo Groeger
Toller Navy Blend von Swell. Jamaika ist hier relativ deutlich erkennbar ;-) Die typischen Hampden-Marker, auf jeden Fall viel Ester, ber auch die altbekannten tropischen Früchte Ananas und Banane. Sehr gelungen.
Review by Banana Joe
First impression, but I can already say that it is by far the strongest Navy Blend for me that has come out this year. There are worlds between the Swell Navy Blend and the Ricci RumX and the SOTD for me.
Review by SaibotZtar
Wuchtig mit richtig Bumms !!! Viel Fruchtester Banane Ananas Papaya Grüner Apfel etwas Vanille sehr sehr lecker. Am Gaumen Ähnlich sehr Fruchtig mit Funk ... Geiles Teil gefällt mir extrem gut. Cheers
Review by TheJona'Spirits
I'm starting a Navy Rum battle. After the excellent Velier Royal Navy, here is a blend that promises to be very funky. 👃 Okay, it feels more like a Jamaican and Hampden blend than a classic Navy Rum blend. That's not a problem. Pastry and butter aromas fade quickly to give way to esters, lots of fermented pineapple and bananas, lemongrass, essential oils, acetone, varnish, new rubber, sneakers still in their box, synthetic leather, olive in brine and anchovy paste. In the background, menthol freshness, green tea and sour cherry in a beautifully roasted oak wood. 😋 You find more the different regions that make Navy Rum famous. Coffee and premium chocolate roasting with chili (Guyana), menthol freshness (TDL), hot tar and diesel empyreumatic (Caroni) and this typical mix of caramelized pineapple, varnish, rubber and olive (Hampden). In the background, bitterness of overripe citrus, grapefruit note, sour cherry, light tropical fruits, green tea. The oily and intense sensation is very pleasant. ⛳ Long, warm, astringent, tannic, dry. A bed of tropical fruits quickly gives way to bitterness of crushed walnut, chili chocolate and mild coffee bean. Peppermint freshness, eucalyptus that settles durably on the mouth walls and throat, light green tea. 🏆 A very good blend with the particularity of having smells very focused on the Hampden profile. The palate is more in phase with the different selected origins, Guyana, but especially TDL and Caroni. The Navy Strength suits it perfectly, the ABV is very well integrated. 🏅 89 > 90, +1pt for the very Hampden approach, which I love. A Navy marked by Jamaica but remains coherent and has the merit of offering a less classic approach than usual 📝 Note to adjust later depending on other Navy Rums in the batch; Ricci x RumX and Spiritoftheday. The Velier Royal Navy is between 91-92 for me. I'm also looking for the Navy Blends from RumClub for comparison.
Review by Jussi Piirainen
Time to review my Swell de Spirits samples. On the nose: Jamaican rum notes. Ester, Woody, fermented/overripe pineapples and bananas. Light cherry notes. Light citrus notes Taste: Oily, light smoky notes, light chocolate notes. Then you get tropical fruit notes, sour cherry notes and light citrus notes with rubber note in the background. Alcohol is integrated very well. Finish: Woody, Warm and oily at first. Light rubber note, light roasted coffee note. Light fruity notes like sour cherries. Long finish This was an excellent fruit bomb. Jamaican rum notes (possibly Hampden low ester-medium ester) were dominating the profile, but i cant compare this to a single mark Jamaican rum, because this offered slightly wider range of notes and the notes were integrated so smooth together on this one.
Review by DutchRumPirate
In the glass, this rum already smells very fruity; banana, pineapple, peach, and tropical fruits come through deliciously with a strong ester bite. Very funky. On the palate, the fruitiness really comes to the fore. Along with that, chocolate, tea, and a hint of woodiness also come through. The finish is slightly dry and medium-long. Delicious rum, I love it.
Review by mto75
Today three Navy blends in comparison: the RX Ricci, Spirit of the Day and the Swell. The Ricci and SotD are more similar with dried fruits, rubber, workshop, freshness; Ricci leans more towards spice, SotD more menthol (and plum jam?). The Swell is a bit different, more funk (but it was fairly sold as Funky Navy). On the palate I like the Ricci very much.
Review by Skyfly
Swell de Spirits Advent calendar: for me very very Hampden heavy. Lots of tropical fruits, other typical Navy Blend notes are only subtly noticeable for me. Still, that was a super cool rum!
Review by Manuel
Funky is the name of the game here. For me, it's a tad too much Hampden.
Review by Thunderbird
What a crazy Navy rum...this is by far the wildest Navy I've ever had in my glass... Jamaica clearly dominates the nose with its funk... but on the palate, there's a wild explosion of flavors from Guyana, Trinidad, and Jamaica... and surprisingly, it all harmonizes very well. I'd love to see more experiments like this...even if, for me, this is no longer a true Navy rum.
Review by zabo
Viel Hampden. Edit: irgendwie hatte ich mir unter diesem Blend was anderes vorgestellt. Nicht das bekommen was ich erwartet hatte. Das schmälert natürlich ein wenig die Bewertung. Blind hätte ich auf einen reinen Hampden getippt, weil die Noten schon sehr dominant sind.
Review by DomM
While to funky for my personal „Navy Rum preference“ this is an amazing blend. On the nose Hampden is clearly taking front row with lots of funk and tropical fruits. The other components are enhancing this nicely, creating a rich and deep profile. This reminds me somewhat of the 83 Hampden HGML batch. The picture on the palate is more balanced. And again very rich and complex with (less) funk, tropical fruits, some dirt, wood, spices and notes of milk chocolate as well as tea. Very nice.
Review by TheJackDrop
Very interesting this Navy Blend. In my opinion not the most balanced, on the nose it's very (good) Hampden, but the oily texture, the almost medicinal side on the banana on the palate, with a nice spicy and roasted finish... there's relief, there's pep, there's Jamaica.
Review by Djehey
It smells like Jamaica full on with some peculiarities. You also get an impression of strawberry yogurt. The mouthfeel is very Jamaican as well. The finish brings a bit of variety where you can guess there was a blend. Integration of the alcohol is top. Excellent texture especially at the entry of the mouth.
Review by Leo Krüper
Excellent Navy with a lot of Hampden influence.
Review by Fuwi
A rather unusual Navy profile. On the nose, initially very top-fermented fruit, ester acidity, and a slight freshness. The first sip on the palate bursts with completely unexpected notes of burnt rubber from Caroni, which immediately turn into menthol on the cheeks—it's all there! A very interesting bottling, it's a shame I don't like TDL menthol—thanks to Daniel for the sample, love goes out for that ❤️
Review by alex
J’adore ce genre de jus , Plein de fruits, Du sale, Du caoutchouc, Belle explosion en bouche, une très belle longueur, Un Navy très bien doser…. L’alcool est bien intégré, J’ai une belle rondeurs et une belle complicité. ❤️❤️❤️
Review by Mentalo
Navy Blend from Swell de Spirits. For a blend, unbalanced (even if it's supposed to be a funky blend), as Hampden clearly dominates. Other notes are rather subtle (bitter notes, slight menthol). I still like it, but only because I like Hampden. Has a nice citrus fruit note.
Review by Johannes
Very good blend! Dominated mainly by Hampden and also TDL. In the finish, there is also a trace of tropical Caroni notes. I can't taste Guyana.
Review by F.L.O.
If there's no Jamaica involved here, I'll eat a broom. There are some dirty notes as well as some mint. The Jamaican is more pronounced on the nose than on the palate. Here, nuances from Guyana or Trinidad (?) also shine. Very nice piece... a bottle would be great.
Review by DosenZorn
An der Nase überwiegt zu Beginn Jamaika den Blend. Mit etwas Standzeit wird die Nase ausgewogener. Am Gaumen dann Holz und schwere würzige Noten, während im Abgang Caroni-Dreck dazu kommt. Gefällt mir sehr gut.
Review by FischeJ
Hätte blind ein Hampden sein können. Die "funky" Note im Funky Navy kommt sehr sehr dominant durch. Alles was da noch im Blend ist, kommt wenig bis gar nicht durch. Alles in allem schöne Abfüllung, aber irgendwie kein Navy Rum. Verkostet gegen den Velier Royal Navy. Da sind für mich schon Welten dazwischen. Beim Swell Navy fehlt dieses schöne Caroni Grundgerüst wie beim Royal Navy. Oder auch sonst ein Gegenpart zum Jamaikaeinfluss
Review by Jakob
Sehr stark durch das Hampden-Profil geprägt, blind wäre ich möglicherweise sogar bei einem Hampden mit Finish gelandet. Sehr rund, expressive Tropen- und Zitrusfrüchte, das hat natürlich Charme. Wer sich hier ein klassisches Navy-Rum-Profil verspricht liegt falsch, das zielt deutlich mehr in Richtung einer modernen Interpretation des Navy Rums - und das auf gehobenem Niveau.
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Community shelf
22 bottles logged by 19 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
9% opened, 0 emptied.
What did the community pay for Swell de Spirits Royal Funky Navy 2025?
Community paid 129–213 €.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 165 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
22 purchased · 35 tasted · 24 wishlist · as of
Details about Swell de Spirits Royal Funky Navy 2025
A Pot & Column Still Rum from Multiple countries, bottled by Swell de Spirits, at 57.1%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
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