The Colours of Rum had this idea to take the same newmake from Hampden Estate and mature it in three different cask types: Madeira, Oloroso sherry and Pedro Ximénez sherry.
Each of these rums was distilled in April 2023, with the highest possible esters content (DOK mark) and bottled after just 9 months of maturation.
Hampden 2023 DOK (63,4%, The Colours of Rum 2024, first fill Madeira barrique #38, 88 btl.)
Nose: initially a lot of nail polish remover and acetone. Hampden will always be Hampden. Also fermenting bananas, glue and black olives. That said, it is quite a winey style too – rather expected after seeing the pink salmon hue. Red grapes, raisin sweetness and plums. A woody note in the distance.
Mouth: the wine is getting a little disturbing now. They drying tannins, plums, black pepper and woody notes don’t mingle well with the naturally industrial profile of the DOK spirit. Bananas with tobacco, and walnuts with liquorice and plastics. Funny how one astringent flavour seems to fit in, and another flavour seems to be out of key. Walnuts, some rubber. Lots of bitter herbs and simply drying wood.
Finish: quite long, still very herbal, with tannins and a cardboardy edge.
First of all, no cask could possibly tame such an extreme spirit. That said, it isn’t difficult to detect the Madeira. Especially when you come back to this version after the Oloroso and PX editions, you get a deep sense of red wine and musty wine casks. The least convincing of the three, in my opinion, an undecided fight in a glass. Available from the Colours of Rum webshop.
Hampden 2023 DOK (63,4%, The Colours of Rum 2024, first fill Oloroso hogshead #18, 323 btl.)
Nose: slightly more fruits here. Pineapple, sour plums, a little blackberry, along with baked banana. Of course the nail polish, glue and fresh paint is just as strong here. Perhaps more citrusy notes as well, with less plain wood than the Madeira barrique.
Mouth: the underlying Hampden is getting more room to express itself, compared to the Madeira version. Very salty, with a lot of tarry notes, liquorice and fermenting pineapples and plums. Glue, olive brine, varnish and peppermint. Drying hints of walnuts, over-infused black tea and rubber towards the end, gaining astringency again.
Finish: long, plenty of salted liquorice with citrus and slightly numbing esters.
While the youthful spirit is still a bit invasive and rough around the edges, the integration of the Oloroso cask is more successful than the Madeira version. While young Madeira can have a real winey side, the Oloroso seems more mature and balanced, albeit with a biting dry edge. Available from the Colours of Rum webshop. Score: 87/100
Hampden 2023 DOK (62,9%, The Colours of Rum 2024, Pedro Ximénez hogshead #28, 329 btl.)
Nose: quite harmonious again. The raisin sweetness and plum jam, along with cassis aromas work well with the bananas and papaya from the spirit. Lime adds freshness. Glue and nail polish are clearly there but the whole seems more mature and naturally integrated.
Mouth: darker, slightly caramelly, including the bitterness that comes with burnt sugar. Roasted pineapple, baked mango tartlets and caramelized walnuts. Hints of cigar boxes and light tobacco, along with tarry notes, ammonia and salty liquorice. Certainly a bit sweeter than the Oloroso, but not lightyears apart – esters rule the end result, not raisins.
Finish: long and salty. Banana peels are back, as well as a woody dryness.
PX is often a bit too much, but in this case it’s not nearly enough to overtake the DOK character. Overall this is my favourite, with the best balance. If you’re to do a sherry finish, better use a heavyweight cask – even then it is clear the esters are winning these fights. Available from the Colours of Rum webshop. Score: 88/100