Hampden RA Jamaica High Ester Rum HGML 1983
Loved by DomM, zabo & 94 more
For seasoned enthusiasts only: a 35‑year high‑ester Hampden that’s both wild and astonishingly polished. Expect grilled pineapple, overripe tropical fruit, marzipan, pastry and moderate oak. A legendary, slow‑sipping reference Hampden, praised by 97 RumX members.
- Explosive tropical fruit
- Perfect balance
- Creamy, long finish
Details about Hampden RA Jamaica High Ester Rum HGML 1983
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How does Hampden RA Jamaica High Ester Rum HGML 1983 taste?
Aggregated from 97 community reviews.
Legendary aged high‑ester Hampden For seasoned enthusiasts only: a 35‑year high‑ester Hampden that’s both wild and astonishingly polished. Expect grilled pineapple, overripe tropical fruit, marzipan, pastry and moderate oak. A legendary, slow‑sipping reference Hampden, praised by 97 RumX members.
Fans of high‑ester Jamaican funk who want to see what 35 years of aging can do to HGML: massive fruit, esters and oak working together in rare harmony.
Beginners, anyone sensitive to high ABV or those who dislike funky, ester‑heavy profiles and dry, tannic finishes.
How is Hampden RA Jamaica High Ester Rum HGML 1983 rated?
RumX's 0–10 scale is strict — 9.2 lands squarely in the "Excellent" 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 DomM
Extremely well balanced Hampden. Fruits, cask, spices, a faint sweetness and a hint of bacon. Outstanding stuff!
Review by zabo
Edit Edit Je öfter ich ihn probieren je besser finde ich ihn. Nochmal nach oben korrigiert Edit: mittlerweile habe ich auch andere HGMLs im Glas gehabt, und es ist schwierig zu sagen welcher mein Favorit ist. Alle bewegen sich auf einem sehr h Nochmals probiert und das einzige was ich jetzt tun muss, ihn einfach nochmal nach oben korrigieren. Mein neue Nummer 1!
Review by mto75
epic Hampden! On the nose, the full (fermented) fruit basket with pineapple, banana, kiwi, gooseberries, plus a subtle yogurt butter cookie note. And all brought together impressively, with no noticeable barrel influence. Also bacony, toasty rather than oak barrel on the palate. Creamy finish, and somehow between sour drops, smoky bacon, pineapple and marzipan.
Review by Galli33
#10th dec RumXCalendar Blind tasting: Nose: delicious, pineapple, ester, fruitbasket, glue Mouth: Pineapple, ester, barrel, oak Finish: long, pineapple, barrel, oak, dry, a bit astringent Amazing delicious High Ester Hampden 😍 Funk Extreme! A lot of fruits in the nose, the more time you’ll give it the more fruits you’ll get. Important: This rum needs time to fully open min. 1 hour. I think it’s a hampden… in the high ester section <>H ca.60% approx. 30 Years
Review by Tschusikowsky
Rum X Advent 10.12.22 At first I thought of a rather younger version of a Hampden. But in the end it's not wild enough for that. It seems a little tamed by the years. In the mouth, this crisp dryness comes through for me, which brings me to a 92 HLCF. At the same time, it's creamy and smooth, with a slight cherry note, which doesn't quite fit. I also think it's below or close to 60%. The color is also quite bright. Wild guess: Blend of 92 and 90 (?) vintages. Definitely super tasty! Edit: Hampden adventure park. At the top end of the scale. Unbelievable how creamy and accessible the rum is after so many years of ageing. Liquid gold. Insanely delicious.
Review by Leo Krüper
Best Hampden. A clear winner in the triple comparison with CDI and Corman Collins.
Review by Christoph H.
I'm not really a fan of superimposed Hampden and certainly not of superimposed ester bombs. The first thing that went through my mind here was: it's so much better than the RA HD 89. Why is that?...you simply don't notice its age. NEVER, if I had thought it possible that we were dealing with 35 years of maturation here, my feeling would have told me 25. Full HD DNA, but simply round and smooth. If you put the Kill Devil next to it, you know what above the zenith means. Clearly one of the better Hampdens for me!
Review by HenryL
RumX Adventskalender 10. Dezember Mein erster Hampden mit Jahrgang 19xx. Sehr lecker und ausgewogen! Nase noch einfach Hampden typisch und nicht besonders ausgewöhnlich. Im Mund ist es aber ein wahres Fest! Trotz des hohen Alters noch wunderschön fruchtig mit süßlichen Mangonoten. Es fällt schwer einzelne Noten zufassen zu bekommen, aber der ist verdammt lecker. Anfangs dachte ich noch ich könnte die Bewunderung für die alten Hampden Jahrgänge nicht ganz nachvollziehen, nachdem der hier etwas im Glas war kann ich es aber verstehen!
Review by Basti
For me, this Hampden is also an absolute exception with a super cool nose. The absolute Hampden essence in the mouth. Super intense, slightly astringent and the Hampden fruit basket with a floral/perfumed attack. Clearly in my top 5!
Review by RumTaTa
This is one of the oldest rum I had so far in the glass and the expectations are high...Nose: not at all appropriate to the age 😉 There is clearly less wood and barrel than in some younger rum from Guyana. I'm sure the storage in Europe plays a role in that. All the Hampden markers are there and show very balanced, none stands out. I like it very much!On the palate, an immense sweet-fruity wave with wonderful transition to barrel and wood notes in the long finish.At the very end, it even gets a little salty and smoky.A fascinating, intense rum with great flavor arc, unfortunately, the fruity sweetness fades relatively quickly. Actually crazy that you can buy the beginning 2023 still on the primary market!
Review by Christian Rudt
Einfach nur toller High Ester Hampden mit gesetztem Alter. Holz ist natürlich spürbar aber längst nicht so wie man vielleicht befürchten konnte. Es tut dem Rum vielmehr wirklich gut, zähmt ihn etwas ohne daß er seinen Charakter verliert, er ergänzt es einfach um schöne röstige Noten. Und es ist auch nur eine leichte Bitterkeit zu spüren.Von vorne bis hinten ein Vergnügen. Da könnte man viel Zeit mit verbringen. Ich reise daher kurz in der Zeit zurück und Kauf mir zwei Flaschen okay 😉
Review by Oliver
Die 35 Jahre im Fass haben diesen Jamaikaner zu etwas ganz besonderem gemacht.
Review by Master P
Wollt den schon lang probieren und jetzt ist rs soweit 😍 Ein wirklich großartiger Hampden. Er ist unglaublich komplex und cremig. Mit viel Ester, Marzipan, Nagellackentferner und einen tropischen Fruchtkorb in der Nase. Alkohol ist perfekt eingebunden. Ein Rum, der sehr angenehm zu trinken ist, wirklich gut und auch ein toller langer Abgang.
Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by Single Cask Rum
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Expert review by Barrel Aged Thoughts
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Expert review by Tasting Bro's
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Expert review by The Dunder Hut
"What 35 good years can do, unbelievable that this was available for so long. This was very pricey when It came out but the market came around. And now it is actually quite a steal. Hgml is very nice..."
Expert review by Zucker und Zeste
"It's amazing that this rum still exists. A very fine Hampdel that has not lost its DNA despite being stored for ages. Classic pineapple, moderate wood and very harmonious spices. Very tasty and relaxed to drink."
Community purchases
145 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 74 members.
About the Hampden distillery
The Hampden distillery is located in Jamaica. Rums from Hampden have been reviewed 18,404 times with an average of 8.4/10.
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Oliver · FounderBy rum lovers, for rum lovers
I'm Oliver — together with Jakob, Robert and Lukas, we started RumX in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
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