Aroma visualization from community tastings
Hampden Pure Single Jamaican Rum Classic HLCF 2017
One member nails it: "pineapple, shoe shop, banana, saddle room and glue in a wonderful mix." That's the HLCF in a nutshell — overripe tropical fruit, acetone and varnish, buttery pastry, with young oak and smoke underneath. The 60% is well integrated but the 4-year age shows as heat and edge. Let it rest 15 minutes; a few drops of water tame the bite.
The community says- Classic Hampden funk
- Pineapple and banana
- But: Young, edgy palate
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Was 85.95 €, now 78.85 € All price drops
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The look inside the bottle
How does Hampden Pure Single Jamaican Rum Classic HLCF 2017 taste?
Aggregated from 276 community reviews.
Funky young Hampden, pineapple and glue A go-to daily Hampden most people rate highly, with all the funky ester markers. Several find it a touch young, edgy, or flatter than the older Overproof — but hard to fault for the money.
Fans of high-ester Jamaican funk and Mai Tai builders
Beginners wanting soft, sweet rum — this is hot and funky
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
100 of 276 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Recommendation
Your next rum
One difference each to this rum.
Rated better
Hampden Great House (Distillery Edition 2021)
8.6/10107 €
Milder
Hampden Great House (Distillery Edition 2023)
8.4/1097 €
Similar rating, cheaper
Hampden Rum Fire
8.0/1027 €First choice: 90 of 112 tasters who tried both prefer it.
How is Hampden Pure Single Jamaican Rum Classic HLCF 2017 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.3 sits in the “Very good” band. 97% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
86% rate it 8 or higher. 49 selected write-ups from 276 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
One of the community's most-rated rums
Review by A13M
The same marque as the 1753, but stronger, denser and more complex. On the nose the first aromas that hit are pineapple, bananas and acetone, with a very fresh, green, slightly minty character. Behind that you can gently detect almond, wood and yeast. On the palate it is surprisingly drinkable, oily and well rounded. Notes of wood, spices, light vanilla, a touch of salinity and grilled pineapple appear. The finish is medium long, spicy, warm and woody with a slight peppery note. Hints of cherry, black plum and a brief touch of cocoa also show up. The final taste is slightly charred wood with a light iodine-like aftertaste. A very good Hampden, and although it is overproof it is truly a great sipper. Definitely worth buying again and a bottle that deserves a place in any private collection.
Review by Mirko Frosini 🇮🇪
Most helpful positive review
Nice rum, but a little under compared to batch1. The presence of a slight solvent note I liked less and it is less intense. However, we are talking about finesse and personal taste. We are dealing with a rum that I would drink all the time! I do not understand all these new versions of Hampden Velier that I find little different from each other and especially pòco justified in terms of value for money. Velier lately is focusing too much on collectors with the result of making the bottles unobtainable already upon release and overpriced.
Review by Michael Janek
Most helpful critical review
I can't rate this at all it rolls its tongue back and forth It's a chainsaw cane massacre. 500-600 esters. you have to drink it in very small sips, and the power that's in it is unbelievable.
Review by Stefan L
I’m a bit confused about this rum replacing the Overproof, as they are so different from each other. I may recalibrate this another day. - Now another day, but still no recalibration 🤪 however this is really good and I’m bumping it a few points. - Coming back to this rum again and I still consider it’s a completely different but better rum than the original. - Almost a year later from the above tasting. This bottle is better than the original, but less complex and lacks some of the asphalt notes that I like however is more potent in esters and more funky. 250701: Agree with myself above.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
This is a retaste and I stick to my initial score 😊 A pretty good HLCF release and I have ordered a bottle after testing the sple I got. Leave to rest for a good while in order to release all the flavours. You can also add a few drops of water if you think it bites too much. The nose is intense and fruity with wood, clove and varnish and a hint of mint. The palate is also intense and fruity with smoky wood and nice spiciness to it. The finish is long and fruity with smoky wood, sugarcane and light herbal notes.
Review by Lukas Jäger
What I was looking forward to this tasting. Its predecessor was my introduction to Hampden and it still tastes great to me. Unfortunately, my fears with the HLCF Classic have come true. Old and with are difficult to compare here, because yet something clearly different, nevertheless, this comparison must be allowed in my eyes, because one finally replaces the other. The "new" is for me flatter, more one-dimensional. Less fruit, less barrel, less depth, but a little more varnish and perhaps even more alcoholic.For a standard bottling still a good rum, which stands out far against the usual standards, but for me personally unfortunately somewhat disappointing...
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Clearly more fruity on the nose like the 8y old predecessor. Taste then slightly acidic, buttery fruity and somewhat smoky and umami. Definitely a very nice HLCF and surprisingly sweet and tasty! Overall, however, I like the predecessor a little more and does better in the Mai Tai due to the longer maturation, which comes through in the Mai Tai with much more glue and butyric acid and fermented pineapple, but with too little wood. Pure I like the better here, in the Mai Tai the "standard" overproof. Both but absolutely top!
Review by Christoph
Nice umami, typical Hampden Ester notes that come across strong due to the young age and are not always pleasant.
Review by Mirco
Solid Hampden with good PLV.
Review by LukaŽiga
9,5:On the nose, the distillery's typical fruity intensity goes hand in hand with a less usual vanilla sweetness. A handful of orange peel joins jackfruit and pineapple to give us some pastry highlights. Aeration reveals the heart of the rum, which also takes the opportunity to perfume the room. The heart is sweet and creamy, ever more pastry-like, with almond milk infused with cherry stones. Of course, the warmly tropical atmosphere is still the order of the day, with the many exotic fruits brimming with powerful aromas. 9,2:On the palate, the rum earns its overproof stripes and conquers the palate in the blink of an eye. Its spicy, coppery edge warms the taste buds to a white, delivering intense kernels and incandescent almonds. The almond milk and exotic fruit compote quickly soften all this, while adding a beautiful substance. 9,2:The finish is pastry-like, with candied fruit, plum jam and cherry-soaked frangipane.. Well, shortly, orgasmic!!! Edit:26.4.26
Review by Adrian Wahl
Very cool release from Hampden. Great extension of the range with this HLCF single mark. Pure a really solid and beautiful HLCF, a little young and wild. Really cool, but he will be in May Tai. There he delivers brutally and convinces at full length 5/5. In these times a really great release at a fair price. 4 years tropically stored, single mark and bottled by Hampden with 60%....all that for just under 70€ is ne cool story.🇯🇲🔥
Review by mto75
clearly he can not hold a candle to the 92s HLCFs of Nobilis and RumClub etc. (have the RumClub Ed. 18 in the other glass for comparison), but the HD HLCF Classic can score for it with a lot of power💥 💪 and a successful mix of Marque / maturity / ABV. For me, clear thumbs up 👍
Review by Thunderbird
Once again a great Hampden, where the PLV is right!In the nose funky Jamaica, on the palate rather young, slightly smoky wood, perfectly integrated alcohol and gentle esters!The finish nice soft woody fruity!Class
Review by Frank
The HLCF Classic joins the original bottlings seamlessly.nose: very pleasant and soft come the esters therefore me neat solvent. Fresh and sweet, lemon with ripe, tart pineapple and candied orange peel. Behind that, subtle honey sweetness, with a doughy, buttery texture. None of it overbearing at all. Just my kind of thing. Hampden, that's what it is! Palate: here the 60% is a statement. Already comes across bitter with tannins. Even a bit salty-metallic with a slight umami impact. Fruit is present more in the direction of lemon zest. Also seems slightly toasty.In the finish it remains bitter, but becomes more fruity in the direction of melon.Overall a decent drop. Nose I like really well, on the palate I like the 8yo Overproof better.
Review by Righrum
A really poor performance IMHO. This rum retains all the edges of the High Ester despite not having the positive sides. Too smoky and aggressive, not a pleasant sip
Review by DomM
Didn’t try this neat for quite a while. I have to say, this is actually better than I remembered 😅 Nose is a little bit uninspired, Performance on the palate however quite good.
Review by HenryL
Nice fruity-fresh nose. On the palate, the floral note overpowers the fruity a bit too much for my taste. Hammer finish with a great sweet fruity, slightly floral note.
Review by BTHHo 🥃
A lovely Hampden with plenty of power, tropical fruit and candied lemon.
Review by TheRhumhoe
A rum of a remarkable aromatic intensity for its positioning. The nose takes shape with solvent, honey and very fruity and fermented notes. The palate follows the fruity framework and continues on smoky and floral notes that give a real complexity to the product. The finish leaves a spicy, honeyed, fruity and woody impression. The alcohol is perfectly integrated. A balanced and controlled Hampden.
Review by Agricoler
Very decent Hampden but lacks something special. A great daily Hampden, though. I personally like the predecessor better, though, as it's a little too biting overall. Nevertheless, all the Hampden-specific markers are present and very tasty in the drink.
Review by Skyfly
Very good combination of esters, wood, smoke and spicy aromas. In my opinion, the fruit notes are in the background here; this is probably due to the somewhat stronger wood/smoke aromas. Alcohol well integrated. A classic, which is great for drinks due to its PLV!
Review by Martin Augustin
An absolute classic. Typical Hampden funk notes on the nose. With buttery pineapple and esters. This is complemented in taste by burnt sugar, a little almond and a hint of marzipan. Pleasantly warm finish. A great standard product.
Review by Pavel Spacek
... Hampden, the legendary Jamaican distillery that produces rum as well as alcohol for perfume. In all the rums from this distillery you will taste wild esters, after which your whole organism will soak up the smell of golden tropical fruits - mango, papaya, pineapple, peach. One of the "must try before you die" rums
Review by Nicofr
A very good Jamaican rum, powerful and complex. I haven't tasted the old Overproof, but this one is one of the best value for money on the market, even more so for those who aren't interested in the boxed set.
Review by Timo Groeger
The Savanna Masterclass is unfortunately over, but who cares? All 5 Savanass are great. But anyway, here's a really fine Ha.pden I just love this stuff :-)) Savanna pure is actually ungenieabR
Review by Rene Pfeiffer
Very good addition to the Classic Range from Hampden himself. Just a pity that it is still so young. With 80 euros for 0.7l and 60 c but a good way to get "cheap" to a tropically matured HLCF.
Review by Godspeed
Update: just tried this in mixing and it is probably one of the best cocktail jamaicans I have ever tried. Easily rips through layers of fruit and citrus to deliver body with a strong yet balanced flavor. Just exceptional for mixology. In sipping it is very different from the 8 year which I found to lack a bit of ABV to really punch out its flavors, whereas in this one the 4 years of aging does not quite allow it to expand that hampden richness. Quite light in color. Expected more of a flavor explosion from this one as a sipper. Heard that Hampden may discontinue this one in its current form and instead add it to its Rum Fire line as an aged alternative to the white rum. Wise move if they do imo in order to flag it more clearly as a killer cocktail rum.
Review by abaker-rum
This is an excellent rum. So much going on in the nose an palate. You get tons of tropical fruit with a lot of pineapple and esters to start. Those bots continue in the taste with a burst of banana and other tropical fruits. There is a nice long finish where these notes continue but with some spice added in.
Review by Sebastian Kornett
For me again an all day sipper. Less round than the Overproof but directly you should not compare. Is just another mark with more ester power and the young 4 years stand him very well.
Review by Joël
Good Hampden, but nothing spectacular. For just under 70 euros at armagnac.de, a very fair price. If necessary, you can still make great cocktails with it.
Review by Portman
More pronounced acetone notes than the Overproof, which may be due to the shorter aging. Still lovely fruit, some subtle methol and funky esters on the palate. Tart yet round, intense and complex yet balanced.
Review by Leo Krüper
Nice Hampden starter on full %. Good PLV.
Review by Rare Akuma
Extremely interesting nose that keeps changing over time. A lot of exotic fruits intermingled with melon, litchi and green apple. Little oak is present as it is dominated by a mixture of peppers and varnish that aggressively prickles the nose. Let it sit for a while and pleasant, light juniper and herbal notes appear. The taste is less woody and more spicy that its batch 1 counterpart. Burnt sugar appears to balance out the spicy peppers. The light herbal flavours get replaced by deeper, darker licorice and earthy ginger. High esters make the finish quite acidic, maybe even astringent. This is a strong rum, that I personally prefer over the previous batch.
Review by Long John Silver
Really good rum, I really have a reverence for Jamaicans, and I found it really enjoyable to sip. It's a consistently satisfying drink, citric with solvents to give it roundness. Lots of yellow-fleshed fruit and banana and a slight hit of the barrel. This bottle is a little gem 🤤
Review by Serge
Delicious HLCF and a nice PLV. Especially in Mai Tai and Co he rocks for his money. However, I would have liked to see him with 1-2 years more.
Review by Ericsan28
Very good in Mai Tai
Review by Patrik Onderka
I tasted this Hampden bomb on our corporate Christmas party. It was overwhelmingly good even though it’s quite intense due to 60% ABV. I took me a while to get use to it, but I liked the intense nose with funky esters and rounded taste. It was my first Hampden.
Review by Nik the spirit-ed
Ist die Flasche frisch geöffnet, ist das Ganze brutal. Im Geruch breiten sich vor allem. chemische Noten nach Rennbenzin und Nagellack aus. Trinkt man den Drum, kommt man zur Erkenntnis, das ist Rennbenzin. Okay, etwas Frucht ist auch dabei, jedoch nur als Teil von Benzin oder Nagellackentferner. Ist die Flasche nur noch halb voll, dominiert das Holz. Der Funk ist auch noch da, die Fruchtaromen fristen aber ein Schatten-Dasein.
Review by TheJackDrop
Killer! Hampden really does nothing but good :) To sum up, my tasting notes: Nose: Pineapple, Ester In the mouth: Ester, Pineapple, Tropical fruit, Sweet I highly recommend it, as do all Hampdens!
Review by Sebastian.W
At first I get quite some vinegar, but leave it to rest and the fruit takes over. On the nose I also get some sourdough bread. The taste is a bit smoky with notes of pastry. The finish Brings some umami notes.
Review by SaibotZtar
good bottling of Hampden Estate... Pure absolutely ok, but in the cocktail he shows clearly better what he can.
Review by Vincent D
I've been wanting to test this Hampden overproof for a long time. Well, I'm not disappointed. It's simple and effective. The Hampden expression on the nose as on the palate, with a high degree but superb integration of the alcohol. Very ripe fruit, pineapple, banana and wood. It's funky as can be. Good length, with a coffee finish. Very nice. Thanks to Rodolphe for the sample 👍
Review by Santo
I don't understand why some people compare it to overproof, they have nothing to do with it apart from the traffic jam. However, I find it very good. Smooth despite its young age, fruity to say the least and finely woody. It's a solid hampden that represents the HLCF mark very well. The value for money is great! 86 points for a first tasting.
Review by Chrischi78
A solid Hampden, very nicely rounded. Alcohol well integrated, spicy, proper ester and the taste of pineapple and a little banana. You can't go wrong with the PLV, a regular in my rum collection
Review by samuel cutullic
Appréciable fort en fruit mature
Review by m8375e
More to my liking than the old overproof, brighter, more distillate forward, fruitier, ultra drinkable!
Review by RumisRum
Better experience after resting for 15 minutes
Review by SNYBOR 🇧🇪
For its release price it remains - correct
Review by Johannes
Price-performance ratio is right in any case! Really good Hampden! Without direct comparison, I would say that it is better than batch 1!
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Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by The Auditor Reviews
Read full review →
Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Market value
What this bottle last achieved at auction. A research indicator, not a forecast.
Auction results 41 € – 84 €
from 20 sales, latest 08/2026
Prices incl. buyer's premium — what a buyer pays, not what a sale nets you.
Avg. community purchase price 72 €
What members paid for this bottle, self-reported. Not a market value — the purchases are over three years old at the median and unverified.
Details about Hampden Pure Single Jamaican Rum Classic HLCF 2017
A Pot Still Rum from Jamaica, distilled by Hampden, at 60%.
Community purchases
450 bottles logged by 357 collectors.
A drinker & collector.
32% opened, 53 emptied and repurchased.
What does Hampden Pure Single Jamaican Rum Classic HLCF 2017 cost?
Community paid 60–92 €.
Current best price: 71.90 € – within the typical community range.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
+37 purchases in the last 3 months.
Added to collections, last 12 months — dark bars are the last 3.
450 purchased · 279 tasted · 208 wishlist · as of
Read on in the RumX Guide
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Habitation Velier Worthy Park Forsyths WPM 2006
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I'm Oliver, and RumX began in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
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