Velier Hampden The Younger LROK 2016

Velier Hampden The Younger LROK 2016 is a single distillery Jamaican rum bottled by Velier, drawn from Hampden's 2016 distillation, aged five years and bottled unsweetened at 47%. It carries the LROK marque, one of Hampden's mid range ester recipes, which keeps the funk bright and expressive without tipping into the extreme intensity of the highest marks.

Hampden works entirely with pot stills, long wild fermentation and muck, and even at this softer strength the ester character is front and centre. The nose is fruity with esters, pineapple, banana and a solvent edge, and the palate stays fruity, funky and spicy with the same tropical fruit, drying out through a woody finish. At 47% it is the gentler, more wallet friendly side of Hampden, an ideal entry point for drinkers stepping into Jamaican funk who are not ready for full overproof, lovely neat and excellent in a Mai Tai or highball.