Valinch & Mallet Hampden Trelawny – H 2014

This Valinch and Mallet single cask captures Hampden Trelawny under the H mark from the 2014 vintage, bottled at 9 years and 55.7%. It sits in the funkier middle of Hampden's range, fruit and ester led without reaching the extremes of DOK.

Distilled on double-retort pot stills from molasses and matured in ex-bourbon wood, it leads with overripe banana and the fermented, gluey esters that mark the distillery. The palate brings ester, overripe fruit and dry oak, balancing the funk against wood from nearly a decade in cask. The finish stays overripe, woody and faintly astringent. Certified unsweetened, it is a punchy but well-balanced Hampden that keeps plenty of solventy fruit while the cask adds structure. For drinkers who already enjoy H or other drier single casks, it offers a generous hit of funk and fruit with no added sugar.