Rum Sponge Jamaica 19 yr

Nose - overly ripe banana, spoiled cream, vanilla, molasses, burnt orange, fusel notes, white pepper, allspice, cardamom, pineapple, mango, with a moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - pineapple, orange, overly ripe banana, vanilla cream, molasses, lemon, lime, ginger, white pepper, olive brine, fusel notes, cinnamon, allspice, with a moderate alcohol bite, finishing long with pineapple, lemon oil, and fusel flavors. If there was any doubt about this rum’s origin, opening the cap on my sample immediately confirmed it. This screams Jamaica. Funk, hogo, fusel oils. Whatever you call it, this has it. It’s both rotten and refined, which is how I prefer my Jamaican rums. The nose and palate are quite aligned and dominated by decaying tropical fruit, citrus oils, spiced molasses, and some vegetal olive brine notes. And the finish lingers deliciously for minutes. This is excellent rum. It’s certainly the best Jamaican I’ve tried, although it tastes younger and brighter than I would have expected after aging for 19 years in the Caribbean. Nevertheless, I would happily drink this anytime I want to be challenged a bit. Many thanks to a friend for providing the generous sample!

The aroma begins with a combination of earthy, funky fruit, then moves to notes of salted mango, plantain crisps, and pineapple before shifting to musky, oily scents and spices like cardamom, saffron, star anise, and whole peppercorns, with a strong ethanol burn. The taste has a moderate texture, starting with smooth butterscotch, followed by an earthy, funky fruit mixture, then flavors of bananas foster, limoncello, and pineapple, preceding a moderate spice that fades into dark chocolate, musky, oily notes, and spices such as cardamom, saffron, star anise, and whole peppercorns, with a strong ethanol burn. The finish is medium in length, featuring earthy, funky notes, dark chocolate, butterscotch, pineapple, mango, cardamom, and limoncello. This is a very funky, fruity rum that incorporates fruit, earthy funk, and spices in a well-balanced way. The funk doesn't overpower the flavors but adds complexity to the sweet fruits and spices. If you appreciate Campbeltown whisky, you might enjoy this rum, provided you like strong funky notes to truly appreciate it. Many thanks to a friend for the generous sample of this to try.

I generally advocate for balance and moderation. I have one serving weekly, opting for green tea on other evenings. Even during tastings, I rarely have more than two samples (a small taste of various whiskies). However, this particular one truly challenged my balanced approach. It's far too easy to drink, and one could inadvertently consume a quarter of the bottle without realizing it. This is a Hampden 19-year-old Jamaican rum. I'm uncertain if it was fully aged in the tropics or the UK, but I suspect a combination of both. The aroma presents pineapples and bananas. The taste is like a fruit salad, with more pineapple and banana, limoncello, and green olives! That transition from the Caribbean to Italy truly elevates this from a 3-star good rum to a 4+ star unique one. I'm not fond of sweet rums at all, and the only ones I've appreciated were the high-funk, aged offerings from Caroni or Foursquare. But this exhibits a balance of both - you get the fruits and the ester funk. It's designed for whiskey enthusiasts, particularly fans of Irish whiskey or Campbeltown styles. Unfortunately, as soon as a specific reviewer gave it a high score, these sold out. I'm pleased I decided to purchase a bottle.