Hampden 23 Years Old Silver Seal Wildlife Collection Cask:17 50% 1992

Professional reviews

Serge Valentin (92)

Colour: gold.

Nose: same family as the Monymusk, only even more extreme. A big fat phenolic rum, with some kind of mentholy all-spice mix, tapenade, seawater, gherkin brine, tyres and inner tubes, mud with some diesel oil inside, scuba diving suit, latex, Samsung Galaxy 7 (S., behave!)… And cane juice! All is well. No water needed.

Mouth: the perfect combination, tar and olives. And salt, lime, all oils, clay, plasticine… Oh please call the anti-rumporn brigade! Finish: very long and even more to my liking. Smoked anchovies and salted liquorice.

Comments: one Usain Bolt of rum. A truly amazing bottle. BTW, I know some good friends are arguing that rums aged on location are better than rums aged in the UK (well, in Scotland). Romantically speaking, they’re probably right, but in truth, I believe some slower, more Scotch-like maturation sometimes works better, as that gives us more distillate-driven spirits, which I always prefer when they’re mature. I know, controversial, but there… Anyway, this is simply one of the very best new rums out there. Even if there’s a mistake on the label, this is no ‘fine old rum’, it’s ‘superb old rum’