Intensity, length and exuberance… An encounter with Hampden rum is always a captivating experience. Using the same distillation methods since the 18th century, the Jamaican distillery is known throughout the world for its so-called “high-ester” rums. These contain a huge concentration of volatile substances and esters, the molecules obtained through long, dunder-induced fermentations that can sometimes last several weeks. The higher the ester content, the further these rums venture into luxurious universes characterised by powerful notes of very ripe banana, polish and varnish. Although in Jamaica a rum’s ester content is subject to a very specific classification system, each distillery is free to define its own “marks”, expressed in grams per hectolitre of alcohol and identified by different initials or acronyms. At Hampden, marks are created from different aromatic profiles or the initials of members of the Hussey family, who brought the distillery back to life in 2009. This gift set is the first time all of Hampden’s marks have been brought together, from the OWH mark (Outram Wormald Hussey) — with the lowest ester content — to the DOK mark (Dermot Owen Kelly) — offering the highest legal ester content possible (1,500-1,600 g/hl of alcohol). These eight white rums, from the most accessible to the most unrestrained, will immerse you little by little in the inimitable aromas of the Trelawny distillery.