Hampden RA Jamaica Rum HD HGML 1989
Loved by Christoph, Tschusikowsky & 69 more
For seasoned enthusiasts only: a 67.6% high‑ester, continentally aged Hampden that’s all balance and power. Expect fermented pineapple, overripe banana, glue, cookie dough, roasted notes and polished oak. A legendary, almost unobtainable benchmark Jamaikaner for slow, focused sipping or insane high-end cocktails.
- Huge ester funk
- Incredible balance
- Endless finish
Details about Hampden RA Jamaica Rum HD HGML 1989
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How does Hampden RA Jamaica Rum HD HGML 1989 taste?
Aggregated from 72 community reviews.
World‑class, high‑ester Hampden benchmark For seasoned enthusiasts only: a 67.6% high‑ester, continentally aged Hampden that’s all balance and power. Expect fermented pineapple, overripe banana, glue, cookie dough, roasted notes and polished oak. A legendary, almost unobtainable benchmark Jamaikaner for slow, focused sipping or insane high-end cocktails.
Fans of high‑ester Jamaican funk who want a mature, ultra-complex Hampden with massive fruit, glue and cookie‑dough notes at near full power.
Those sensitive to high ABV or new to funky Jamaicans; anyone looking for an easy, gentle sipper or a budget bottle.
How is Hampden RA Jamaica Rum HD HGML 1989 rated?
RumX's 0–10 scale is strict — 9.3 lands squarely in the "Excellent" band. 98% 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 Christoph
For 100 points is actually missing only the impossible, to integrate the alcohol even better while maintaining the "flavor bomb" in all its complexity. Best of Hampden! Tip: Tastes even better from a large red wine glass than in a "normal" tasting glass.
Review by Tschusikowsky
Absolutely top! Sensational. The essence of a Hampden. Hard to top for me. Extremely harmonious and diverse at the same time. Everything you want: strong aromas, top alcohol integration. Harmonious from the nose to the mouth and the finish. Simply good. Confirmed today at retasting
Review by Jakob Mmmmhhh
Absolutely brilliant ... but also very intense. If I take the Habitation Velier as a reference, then I would guess blind even between HGML and C<>H.The 2010 HGML is more quaffable and more sweet pastry / marzipan, the 2010 C<>H is overripe and more acidic.I find the here very exciting, very round, also rounder and with more interesting wood notes that impose themselves but not at all. This is still full Hampden fruit basket.A little I miss the sweetness and pastry of the 2010 HGML but still. Perhaps still the best Hampden.And yes, I will still taste it in May Tai despite secondary market price.
Review by Galli33
For my tasting note number 500, I chose a very special sample to match my vintage. And this one is a great rum and for me the best Hampden so far 🤤🤤🤤😎😎 So much funk, ester, pineapples, glue. Soo delicious😎 The alcohol is integrated well😎
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
ABSOLUTE GRANATE!💥🇯🇲😍Smell and taste are very close to each other:an absolute explosion:raw cookie dough, pastry in general, plus flambé pineapple, fermented banana, discreetly roasted nuts and marzipan, vanilla paste, buttercream.... In the finish then comes the longer you enjoy the rum discreet bacon, maple syrup and a very pleasant tannin structure to it. Brett! Grandiose bottling... Chapeau Dominik!!!😍💥🇯🇲
Review by Lukas Jäger
What a bomb!The full high ester charge, glue, coconut, pineapple and other tropical fruits. Slightly burnt on the nose (no smoke as known from other bottlings), some cookie dough on the palate, even a bit herbaceous out back. Hampden essence that finds few colleagues at Aufenhöhe and does not leave the memory (as well as the taste) so quickly!
Review by Rene Pfeiffer
Absolutely awesome stuff!
Review by Thunderbird
In the nose the full blast ester! Fermented pineapple and overripe tropical fruits...On the palate, despite the high alcohol content surprisingly mild! Creamy it spreads in the mouth! The esters and roasted pineapple predominate here too! After some time also joins some sweetness.The finish is extremely long.... A real experience!!!!
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
Sampling this one right now and I have to admit that it's one of the most well balanced rums I have ever tried when it comes to ABV integration. Very fruity and lovely funk from nose to finish. There is a slight roasting note on the finish that I like a lot. Wonderful rum that is virtually impossible to get. Put my nose in the glass today and the smoke is very strong today :-)
Review by Frank
Nose: typical Hampden. Intense, delicious, esters to the bone with a slight vinegar and foot-sweat note and fine glue. Overripe, fermented pineapple and banana and a hint of lime. There is also a pleasant honey sweetness.Palate: Wow! Astringent, then esters right away, going a bit umami. Kind of toasty, bacony as a result. Pineapple right up front, then a tart sweetness from maple syrup. A subtle marzipan note comes.Crazy long finish, getting a bit grassy.Very very good High Ester HD!
Review by Michael Schillheim
Puuuh! Was für ein Teil im Glas. Vorab vielen Dank an Sönke, dass ich diesen tollen Rum heute probieren darf. Vermutlich der besten Hampden, den ich bisher im Glas hatte. In der Nase den vollen, vergorenen tropischen Obstkorb. Klebstoff, Funk. Sehr intensiv ohne dabei drüber zu sein. Am Gaumen zusätzlich noch Keksteig, Marzipan und eine Fleischerei, Speckstein Note. Langer komplexer und intensiver Nachklang.
Review by igor_loves_rum
Simply great rum...my first High End Hampden...but can hardly imagine that it still goes extremely better
Review by John Coffey
The best hampden tasted ! A big slap. We love rum for these drinks. What a balance frankly... Glad to have put my lips on this hampden...
Review by Johannes
Phew, a real board! One of the best Hampdens for me! But not for a relaxed evening: If it's too strong, ...
Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by Tasting Bro's
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Expert review by Zucker und Zeste
"The best Jamaican we have had in the glass so far. Incredibly round and complex. Great fruit bouquet. Phenomenally integrated alcohol"
Community purchases
113 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 83 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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