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B-21 Top Recommendation
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"If you’re a fan of Jamaica’s most authentic rums, this is a must-have."
- Andrew Kitz, B-21 Spirits Buyer
Among rum fanatics, the Hampden name instills a sense of reverence and, you might even say, joy thanks to their incredible, single-estate expressions that are known the world over. The estate's storied history as a sugar plantation and distillery dates back 265 years, but it was only in 2010 that they began aging their rums on site, and only in 2018 that they began bottling under their own label. In that brief span of time, the estate's official bottlings have become some of the most coveted and desired in the rum scene, and their annual Great House release, inaugurated in 2019, is a day that hardcore tiki heads circle on the calendar.
Although we've endured a bit of a Hampden absence for a while, we're thrilled to announce their triumphant return to B-21 with the Great House 2025 at razor-sharp, market-leading pricing. The 2025 is the first edition to be composed of four distinct Hampden marks and the first to include the extremely rare C<>H, their second-highest-ester mark. "This year’s rendition truly shows all the facets of Hampden’s heart and soul in one outstanding blend," notes B-21 spirits buyer Andrew Kitz. Bright, ripe, aromatic tropical fruits, heavy-duty industrial funk and everything in between can all be found in this "stunningly layered, complex, and endlessly intriguing profile."
Jamaican rum is a category unto itself, and Hampden occupies a very special place in that sphere, so when we say this is a limited release that's not to be missed, we surely mean it. |
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The Hampden Great House 2025 Edition Rum, the 7th release in this series, is all elegance and class. Dried fruit, crushed flowers, cedar, toffee and light caramel overtones are nicely lifted throughout. Aging in cask amplifies aromas, flavors and textures beautifully. This is all refinement, all class.
95 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Jun 2026)
As an unrepentant Hampden fanatic, I’m admittedly biased here, but the 2025 Great House is everything I was hoping it would be prior to release. This year’s rendition truly shows all the facets of Hampden’s heart and soul in one outstanding blend. Starting with a 40% base of their light-ester LFCH mark, the blending team then climbs the ester ladder with 20% each of HLCF (400-600 g/HLPA), HGML (1000-1100 g/HLPA), and C<>H (1300-1400 g/HLPA), all of which results in a stunningly layered, complex, and endlessly intriguing profile. No surprise – the aromas fill the room with everything from fermenting pineapple, furniture polish, new rubber, and chocolate-chip banana bread to teriyaki, Werther’s Original butterscotch candies, and ginger biscuits. But it’s not over by a long shot, as faint touches of diesel engine, juicy tangerine, Christmas cake, Jamaican jerk spices, and treacle all emerge against a background of wood and dark cherries. The palate is exactly what you’d expect from the blend composition. The medium weight and exceptionally balanced mouthfeel shows just a hint of heat, with plenty of room for flavors of dark molasses, milk chocolate, cooked tropical fruits, more of those Werther’s Originals, apple butter, and apple pie filling. The barrel regimen is evident but restrained in notes cinnamon and brown sugar, earthy wood tones, clove, anise, and cola, all concluding in a funky, industrial finish that goes on for who knows how long. If you’re a fan of Jamaica’s most authentic rums, this is a must-have.
95 points, Andrew Kitz, B-21 Spirits Buyer (Oct 2025)
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