Review: 1998 Hampden 18 yr.

1998 Hampden 18 yr. - Kill Devil - 46%

Context: Hampden hooked me on rum. After hearing some buzz on Barrell Rum 001, I traded a sample pack of all 10 Four Roses Private Selection recipes for a full bottle. I had no idea how to wrap my head around the pour. The 134.73 proof slapped me around for a full minute or so and never dropped flavor - like never, it just kept going and going well past what would commonly be described as a long finish. You could smell it a room over. There weren't many Hampden options available in the US back in 2017, so I ended up draining those Four Roses bottles quickly for backups of Barrell Rum 001 and Stolen Overproof. Once I was stocked full up, I had a couple bottles of this 1998 Hampden shipped from overseas, stashing the final two ounces from those bottles to be reviewed below.

Nose: Pineapple. Oak. Brine. Black pepper jerky. Olives. Caramel. Melted butter. Nutty fudge. Faint camphor. Great sugared and savory combo.

Flavor: Buttery and vegetal up front. Tropical fruit into wood and seasoning spice. There are some sweet and cheesy notes running underneath everything. Smoked oysters in the finish.

Palate Structure: Big action. Flavor comes in waves. Notes spike mid-palate into a mellow finish.

Alcohol Integration: Nose and palate offer more expression and complexity than you usually get at this proof. Heat is pretty non-existent.

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Ardbeg Corryvreckan

Score: 7 (Highly Recommend) I bought three of these never regretting a drop. That said, having taken down a lot more Hampden over the past 3 years, I wouldn't buy a backup of this one today. Some of the higher proof 16 and 17 years I've tried as well as the younger, tropics aged Velier releases make a bigger impression.

Archived Scores

Rating System

10 - Reevaluate The Budget

9 - Stash Two (If Able)

8 - Stash One (At The Right Price)

7 - Highly Recommend It To Strangers

6 - Solid - Above Average

5 - Acceptable For The Situation

4 - Not Vocally Complaining

3 - Wish I Was Drinking Something Else

2 - Nothing Nice To Say

1 - Drain Pour