Velier Hampden Trelawny Endemic Birds (Ring Tailed Pigeon) LFCH 2011

Part of Velier's Endemic Birds collection, this Ring-Tailed Pigeon release is Hampden distilled in 2011 and aged nine years from a single cask at 60.8%. The LFCH marque sits well down Hampden's ester scale, so this leans into the distillery's gentler, more focused side rather than its glue-and-solvent extremes.

Molasses-based and from the double-retort pot still, it opens fresh and citrusy with caramelised orange, coconut and a touch of vinegar lift, then turns to marzipan, roasted pineapple and dark cherry on an oily palate. Dried fruit, licorice and a tea-like note carry the finish, the oak well integrated and the alcohol carried cleanly for the strength. Velier's tropical ageing and additive-free, full-proof house style show throughout. Certified unsweetened, it is a poised, low-ester Hampden for drinkers who want the estate without the full funk.