Hampden - Great House Distillery - 2024 Edition - 57%
Hampden Estate is one of the oldest and most prestigious sugar plantations in Jamaica. Founded in 1753, this property belonged to Mr. Archibald Stirling from Scotland. In 1779, Mr. Stirling had the remarkable Hampden Great House built, whose ground floor served as a rum warehouse until the early 20th century. The Farquarson family operated the estate for sugar and rum production until 2003, when it became the property of the Jamaica Sugar Company. Renowned for having the most fertile sugarcane lands in Jamaica, Hampden Estate produces the largest quantity of sugar from its milled cane. Historically, the prestigious Hampden rums were exclusively exported to Europe, notably England and Scotland. In 2009, Everglades Farms Ltd, owned by the Hussey family, took over this estate through a public offer during the sale of assets of the Jamaica Sugar Company, owned by the Jamaican government. Since this acquisition, Everglades Farms has heavily invested in the rum distillery, creating many jobs in the Trelawny region and providing vital infrastructure to more than 17 surrounding communities and schools.
The water essential for making Hampden rums is not drawn from groundwater but comes from an exclusive mountain water collection system, ensuring optimal purity and exemplary environmental respect, as only clean water is reinjected into the earth. The fermentation, which reveals the aromatic richness, is carried out using exclusively natural yeasts. Hampden Estate remains one of the few distilleries still practicing traditional batch distillation, currently operating four stills, the oldest being a 1960 John Dore with a capacity of 7,560 liters. Aging is done under a harsh tropical climate, allowing for extended tropical aging: more than seven years in Jamaica is equivalent to about 25 years of aging under European climate. Hampden rums are carefully produced, aged, and bottled without artificial additives: no added sugar, tannins, caramel, or glycerin, thus guaranteeing a pure expression of the terroir.
Hampden Great House Distillery 2024 Edition pays tribute to the historic Jamaican distillery habitation, used in the early 1900s as a warehouse for barrel storage. This unique blend celebrates the most iconic and representative brands of the distillery, offering an exceptional rum with a rich and complex profile.
