Aroma visualization from community tastings
Hampden Rum Artesanal Jamaica Rum HD HGML 1989
Made for people already deep into Hampden funk, this 1989 HGML is a fermented-fruit bomb of pineapple, banana, glue and cookie dough with a smoky, roasted edge. At nearly 68% the alcohol is remarkably well tucked away — several tasters call it the best Hampden they've had. A few find it milder and more "gentleman" than wild tropical Hampdens, and the finish turns grassy and lightly bitter.
The community says- Superb alcohol integration
- Huge ester fruit
- Very long finish
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The look inside the bottle
How does Hampden Rum Artesanal Jamaica Rum HD HGML 1989 taste?
Aggregated from 71 community reviews.
Powerful, ester-packed long-aged Hampden Loved by nearly everyone who's tried it — huge ester fruit, marzipan and cookie dough with astonishing alcohol integration. The only quibble: some wanted more wild intensity, and it's near impossible to find.
Experienced Hampden and high-ester fans
Anyone put off by glue and solvent notes
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
31 of 71 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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How is Hampden Rum Artesanal Jamaica Rum HD HGML 1989 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 9.3 sits in the “Excellent” band. 98% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
99% rate it 8 or higher. 18 selected write-ups from 71 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
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 Christoph H.
More and more it becomes apparent that I High Ester Hampden in combination with relatively crass tropical or continental maturation, do not really want to like. Especially in the nose, bother me the blatant varnish and glue notes, in combination with the classic, strongly fermented fruit pot. This is on the one hand already very horny and wants me somehow quite like, on the other hand but somehow not, because it is simply also very demanding. With a rating I do me very difficult from a qualitative point of view, however, he has Ü90 points well deserved
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 Émile Shevek
Al naso è molto pungente e intenso con note di solvente/resina polimerica e agrumi. Al gusto è corposo e meno pungente che al naso, con sentori di arrostito, solvente, frutta tropicale fermentata, funky e una piccola nota dolce; finale lunghissimo pepato, agrumato e leggermente tostato/arrostito(porchetta). Nel bicchiere vuoto sempre arrostito, esteri e formaggio stagionato. Non sono un fan dei Giamaicani, ma è davvero una bomba
Review by Werni
Hab lange gezögert in Anbetracht der Trauer wenn die 2cl leer sind,aber irgendwann muss ja mal der Geist aus der Flasche.😉 Hampden High Ester in Bestform!!! Es reicht schon die Nase im Glas zu haben,geil😍! Eine intensive Fruchtbombe und hinten raus ein Klecks Keksteig.😋 Am Gaumen kommen dann röstige,speckige und Holzarmen hinzu. Alkohol ist top integriert. Danke das ich dieses erstklassige Destillat probieren konnte.👍🏻
Review by Pavel Spacek
Nice, fruity and integrated profile. Just too mild taste, not extravagant like I love from Hampden. I preffer DOK :) .. Hampden, legendarni jamajska destilerka, ktera krome rumu produkuje take alkohol do parfemu. Ve vsech rumech z teto destilerky ucitite divoke estery, po kterych cely vas organizmus nasakne vuni zluteho tropickeho ovoce - manga, papaji, anansu, broskvi. Jeden z rumu, ktere "must try before die"
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 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 mto75
Tasted together with the Old Brothers 2001. The OB goes more in the direction of sherry/vinegar on the nose. The RA, on the other hand, offers the full load of fermented tropical fruits and gluten, that paired with butter croissant and cookie dough🤪 On the palate, vinegar and smoky bacon are very pronounced in both. The very long finish is dominated by wood and toasty aromas, even leaning towards Caroni's workshop in the case of the OB.
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 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 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 DaveLamb
so good, in these aroma and ester bomb(HGML, C<>H…), this one has the most impressive balance. Alcohol integrate very well. Especially, the finish is very very long among several HDs of RA so that I can get a lot of things from it. Just little too much bitter and astringency. kind of dull compared with C<>H.
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 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 Adrian Wahl
Wow! I've been saving this sample for a long time for a special moment. Today is the day and the rum is a sensation. Distilled in 1989 and so much power and fruit. Absolutely outstanding. Now comes the crowning glory. A Mai Tai with this liquid legend
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 Mirco
Insane Hampden... The best Hampden I've had the pleasure of tasting so far. The balance of flavors in this bottling is terrific and the alcohol is nicely integrated. It's certainly addictive. 😁
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Expert reviews
2 critics scored it, averaging 9.3/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by Tasting Bro's
Read full review →
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
Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Market value
What this bottle last achieved at auction. A research indicator, not a forecast.
Auction results 553 € – 664 €
from 2 sales, latest 03/2026
Prices incl. buyer's premium — what a buyer pays, not what a sale nets you.
Avg. community purchase price 397 €
What members paid for this bottle, self-reported. Not a market value — the purchases are over three years old at the median and unverified.
Details about Hampden Rum Artesanal Jamaica Rum HD HGML 1989
A Pot Still Rum from Jamaica, bottled by Heinz Eggert GmbH, at 67,6%.
Community purchases
78 bottles logged by 56 collectors.
A drinker & collector.
16% opened, 6 emptied and repurchased.
What did the community pay for Hampden Rum Artesanal Jamaica Rum HD HGML 1989?
Community paid 363–532 €.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
78 purchased · 72 tasted · 87 wishlist · as of
Read on in the RumX Guide
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Hampden Rum Artesanal JMC Distillery C<>H 1990
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Hampden Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 18 Treasure Cask Jamaica HLCF 1992
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