The Limits of Funk: Hampden Estate

2/14/19 -

I've never much understood the concept of "smoothness". The things I put in my mouth for pleasure, I want them to be exciting, expressive and soulful. I'm not necessarily always looking for higher proof, but I am always looking for an experience. In this regard, I am most fortunate to have Jamaican rum in my life, particularly the amazing juice coming from Hampden Estate in Trelawny Parish. 

Hampden Estate is one of the last great traditionalists in rum making. Before the advent of huge global brands situating themselves within a stylistic category (i.e. molasses-based "Spanish" style, "solera blah blah blah"), rum was made at sugar estates, as the economic usage of the byproducts of sugar production. The last of its kind, Hampden Estate is operated like a sugar estate from the 18th century, creating their rums from a mix of molasses, freshly pressed sugar cane juice, and whatever else is left over; distilled in a beautiful old pot still with two retorts (chambers attached to the main pot), creating an unrivaled array of flavors. There really is nothing quite like it.

The most important aspect of the production process at Hampden is fermentation. The molasses and sugarcane is fermented wholely with natural yeasts for a minimum of two weeks, creating rich and intense flavor. And then there is dunder. Traditionally, Jamaican distilleries will repurpose dunder (the leftover matter in the still after distillation) in consecutive distillations, similar to the sour mash method in bourbon production. Hampden takes it a step further, processing the dunder into “muck”, adding, and whatever solids are left over from the crushing of the cane. This is all consolidated into muck pits, where it is left to continue fermentation and further biological activity for months, sometimes even years. While my grasp of chemistry is quite limited, in broad strokes the purpose of these muck pits is to promote the development of bacteria, which in turn create acids. Flavor in distilled spirits mostly comes from esters, and esters are created when particular acids are chemically bonded with alcohol molecules. The more virile the muck soup, the higher the acid content, leading to heavier, funkier rum. This muck will then be added in various quanities to the wash before distillation. In the 1905 text "Report on the Experimental Work of the Sugar Experiment Station", muck was cutely given the term "flavourings" when described in formulas for the distillation of rum in Jamaica. 

Legends in Jamaica state that there were additions of goat heads, bats, and other malevolent creatures to the muck pits to promote even more biological activity, though Vivian Wisdom, the distillery manager at Hampden laughs them off. The continued appeal of these stories is perhaps fed by the very real presence of the evil-sounding “muck graves”; pits dug into the earth where muck is sometimes buried to preserve it for future use. Nevertheless, this historical process is what sets Hampden apart; they are the last remaining producer in the rum world still working in such a traditional manner. For anyone looking for to dig way deeper, there is a wonderful article on the blog site Boston Apothacary, which can be found here. 

For centuries Hampden Estate has sold off their rums in bulk, mostly to European blenders, used to spice up batches of lighter rums (called common cleans), or rarely bottled as single-cask expressions, all aged in Europe. Quite interestingly, I've found historical references to German Rum, a process where German companies would buy up incredibly high ester, funky rum from Jamaica and mix it a small amount with neutral grain alcohol back home, thereby reducing cost, and also saving on taxes. When we heard that there would be a release of aged bottlings straight from the distillery, we knew we had to have them. The two on offer today are aged for 7 years in the tropical climate of Jamaica, proofed down with natural spring water, and bottled without any addition of color. A blending of several marks (different batches, each with its own ester level) these are wonderful introductions to the unique distillates produced at this timeless distillery. We've also added the radical white overproof Rum Fire offering from Hampden, and a special limited release from our friends at the Italian company Velier, just to round things off.