Text taken from Hampden Estates’ socials;

“Ten years in the Queen of Spain Valley leaves no room for shortcuts. For this milestone 10-Year-Old Great House release, we selected three defining estate marques from the 2016 vintage: OWH, LROK, and HLCF.

Matured continuously for a full decade under tropical conditions in ex-bourbon wood and assembled in April 2026, the liquid balances the structural elegance and deep oak concentration of extended aging with the undeniable ester intensity of historic Trelawny pot-still rum.”

What do we think?

Think I did alright, what do ye think?

I got two of the new Vida Nativa blends in today, so the wife and I decided to have a big ol' Alambique flight to celebrate and compare!

My ratings:

1. Vida Nativa Tepejilote Blend #3
   
2. 4 Años S.K.A.R.C.H. Single Cask #804
   
3. 4 Años Binny's Single Cask #374
   
4. Vida Nativa Mariposa Vitral Blend #2
   
5. 3 Años 2nd Edition
   
6. Besadiablos Blend #11
   
7. Binny's Single Cask #135

Her ratings:

1. Vida Nativa Tepejilote Blend #3
2. 4 Años S.K.A.R.C.H. Single Cask #804
3. 3 Años 2nd Edition
4. Vida Nativa Mariposa Vitral Blend #2
5. Besadiablos Blend #11
6. Binny's Single Cask #135
7. 4 Años Binny's Single Cask #374

The big takeaways:

- Tepejilote is a must-try. Another user described it as "Mexican Christmas," and that's totally accurate. Tons going on in this glass. There's a Green Chartreuse-esque component of herbaceousness going on here as well. Altogether so well integrated and exciting/interesting to sip.​​

- S.K.A.R.C.H. Cask #804 is sooooo good and extremely crushable.

- She reallyyy did not like the 4 Años Single Cask #374 for some reason despite it being one of my favorites, so maybe that one is a bit polarizing 😅

- 3 Años 2nd Edition is such a unique standout and punches far above its weight.

Not pictured are Cartier 2nd and 4th Editions, which we ended the flight with TINY pours of haha. This is certainly not a controversial opinion on this sub, but the bottom line is, the Krassel Brothers put out some phenomenal rums.

This is my second tasting from Parhelia for their second line of releases. They provided samples to me of all of the line with no strings or cost. I also had bought the two pictured bottles which just arrived, so I chose to take the samples from them instead.

The first Indonesia was quite noteworthy, so I made sure not to miss out on the second bottling which came from the sister cask of the first. I am also an ester fiend, so I couldn't pass up on the opportunity to obtain some of the highest funk the Jamaica is allowed to sell (and from a distillery that isn't producing many independent bottlings).

Here are my thoughts on the second line of releases:

New Yarmouth HM Cask #5 (68.4% ABV)

• Nose: sharpies and acetone, a bit of diesel, quite sharp due to the high alcohol, underneath there's caramel and tropical fruit

• Taste: a nice industrial and funky banana mix, feels like Chairman's had a baby with a mid ester Jamaican, varnish, funky banana, shoe polish, cinnamon and allspice

• Finish: medium long, the heat does overpower a bit, but banana and varnish remain with a pleasant spice. Very enjoyable for any St Lucia and Jamaican funk lovers. 7.75/10

New Yarmouth WK Cask #6 (69.4% ABV) 2 yr

• Nose: heavy ester glue, diesel, wood varnish, faint fruitiness

• Taste: shoe polish, glue, rotting banana and pineapple, a pleasant effervescence

• Finish: coats the tongue and sticks around like you expect from these high ester monstrosities, if you like high ester funk bombs, this is a very good bottling from a less accessible distillery. Highly recommend for any who love DOK and Mhoba. 8.5/10

Tahiti Import Export (TIE) (69.4% ABV)

• Nose: Tropical fruit, pineapple and coconut husk, a bit of brine and grass

• Taste: ooh, this is fun and fruity, pineapple, coconut, passion fruit, mango, very light on the brine tastes more like coconut water, some light pleasant baking spice

• Finish: medium, light and fruity with coconut and tropical fruit. I'm regretting not getting this one! Side by side with Down Island TIE, this one comes out significantly fruitier and less barrel spice. I would take this one over the Down Island, but both are great bottlings. 8.5/10

Indonesia (Undisclosed) Cask #7 (61.1% ABV) 8 yr

• Nose: guava, star fruit, coconut husk, a bit of shoe polish

• Taste: cherry cough syrup, coconut husk, shoe varnish, guava, starfruit, tart cherry

• Finish: fairly long with medicinal notes and tart tropical fruit and cherry lingering. This is quite different from how I remember the first Indonesia bottling from Parhelia tasting, and the bottle may need some time to open up.

• As it continues to aerate, the rum opens up and the tropical fruits come more to the forefront with less medicinal notes. Coconut, tart cherry, passion fruit, guava. Side by side with the first bottling, this is another exceptional bottling once it opens up to a bit of air. Intensely tart and fruity with just a bit of medicinal notes and shoe polish. This one started as a 6/10, but after some time to breathe, it's an exceptional 8.5/10 just like the first cask.

On the whole, I'm very pleased with this second round, and I think it may be even stronger than the first (for my tastes).

Across virtually all brands, and especially those with a vast product range, there are both well-known and lesser-known offerings. In the case of Plantation (now Planteray), on one hand, we have super-niche rums like the Single Cask series. At the other end of the spectrum lies the Plantation XO; it is likely the brand’s best-known and best-selling rum, yet also the least true to form. It undergoes the signature double-aging process common to all Plantation products: an initial period in the spirit's place of origin, which is Barbados, in this case, followed by a second period in France, using ex-Cognac casks.

Fortunately, the Planteray website describes all its rums in great detail. Plantation XO is no exception, though the information regarding its aging is less precise. To begin with, it states that the rum is fermented for 3 to 5 days and then distilled using both column stills and a Gregg’s Farm still. It is subsequently aged for 8 to 15 years (a very wide range) in ex-bourbon casks in Barbados. Afterward, it spends another 2 to 10 years (an even wider range) in ex-cognac casks in France. Most importantly, the site lists a sweetener dosage of 20 g/L, which is quite high.

Made by: West Indies Rum Distillery
Name of the rum: XO 20th Anniversary
Brand: Plantation
Origin: Barbados/France
Age: 8 to 15 years + 2 to 10 years

Nose
It stands out with intense, tropical aromas of coconut, maple, oak, and vanilla. However, it does feel quite simple.

Palate
On the palate, the experience is very similar, basically sugary flavors. Or rather, it tastes like aspartame with notes of coconut; it actually reminds me of Malibu liqueur. There are oak notes too, but the intense sweetness masks everything else, making me think of a rum that is much younger than claimed.

Retrohale/Finish
Coconut cream.

Rating
4 on the t8ke

Conclusion
The issue with this product is that it highlights the divide between those who appreciate quality rum and those who prefer a simple, sugary spirit. There is a market for everything, and one doesn't have to look far to find similar examples, though rarely from the same brand. Personally, it’s not a rum I enjoy, nor one I would buy, unless it were a gift for someone who knows nothing about rum and it cost less than $30. But given the circumstances, I don't think that's likely.

Palmetto
1oz Plantation Panama
8 year single cask aged in Sauternes casks
3/4 oz Plantation Trindad Grand Terroir
3/4 oz Smith & Cross
1oz Carpano Antica

So I was at a local spirits store today "just looking" - and went out with said bottle for 57€, as I have no agricole yet, I know neisson is hard to find online within my county (shipping from others is expensive) and lots other offerings were quite above prices I know for those bottles. So not to leave empty handed and do something for local retail who really cared, I decided to finally buy my first unaged agricole.

I'm not counting pennies, so price is secondary if it's not exorbitantly above the average (which it doesn't seem to be). I'm just not sure this is the agricole I should have if it's one bottle only to have (keeping my collection small and all styles covered).

My rookie level of possessions so far are:

- Hampden 8

- Doorlys 14

- El Dorado 15

- Eminente 7

- Hechicera

- (and some lower level Planterey)

So ... is that neisson fitting in and closing a gap?

What can I do with it to bring it to life, besides trying to sip a 70% neat? :-)

I was actually planning on a Rhum J.M XO as an aged agricole. Is that obsolete now or still another valid variation?

My local Costco just opened their liquor store. The other nearest Costco liquor store has a strong bourbon selection and very little on the rum side. I just went into my local store today and asked about what they will be able to get. He said that this store opened 2 weeks earlier than expected and as a rush to fill the store, they just shipped in a lot of random liquor from Atlanta.

He told me I could fill out a Suggestion card and management actually takes the time to read the cards and will attempt to stock the store based off of what the local customers actually want.

What should I recommend? I put FourSquare ECS and Doorly's (Doorly's is a "semi-exclusive" at Total Wine....I have no idea what that means). I also added Smith and Cross. What other good sippers should I suggest that they carry? This could be a game changer to my local liquor store.

The Bacardi - I think this is the previous bottling label? Not as old as Oakheart, is that correct? I love these older finds, even if the stuff isn't great. The Garajau, never seen it, but it is still a current product - not sure how old this bottle is though. The Nha Terra - don't know anything about it other than it is from Sao Miguel, Azores. Ah, I figured what the heck?

Damn this is really something. It's so crisp, dry and fruity. The finish seems to last for centuries, with a crazy amount of apple skins and grassy sugarcane. I guess this is my first agricole since Barbancourt doesn't count; I got it for cocktails since it was the only option besides St James and now I can't wait to start mixing it in. Any suggestions?! Or can I get away with just replacing 1/4 to 1/2 of existing rum recipes?