Thompson Bros JMH 19 Year Jamaican Rum (Hampden)

Reviewer: Tashtego

Distillery: Hampden Estate
Origin: Jamaica
Bottle Size: 700 ml
Bottle Count: 271
ABV: 61%
Distilled: 2001
Base Material: Molasses
Still: Pot
Aging specs: 19 years
Bottled: Unstated; purchased September 2026

Nose: Pineapple, glue, diesel, pine, anise, oak, vanilla
Palate: Burnt pineapple, sweet fruits, cola, ash, wildflowers, custard, caramel
Finish: Oak, woods, Demerara sugar

From Scottish independent bottler Thompson Bros comes this “JMH” rum, which we know to be from Hampden Estate in Jamaica. It’s a long-aged high ester mark, we just don’t know which one for sure. According to Excellence Rhum, where it was sold at some point, this is DOK - the highest ester mark Hampden makes. According to the Fat Rum Pirate, this may be <>H (merely their 4th highest ester mark) just based on the year it was distilled (which predates the current Hampden ownership). What’s clear upon opening the bottle is that it’s high ester Hampden, of one type or another.

I first dipped into this bottle on the same day I tried the Swell de Spirits High Ester. Where the Swell de Spirits is a high ester rum that sweetly romances you, the JMH slaps you across the face. From the first whiff it’s a classic Hampden nose with lots of pineapple, glue and Jamaican funk. When you dive in to taste it, it’s overwhelming. I’ve had other DOK expressions that are so sweet that the high ester funk is just an accent, but on this one it’s raw and potent. It’s tough to suss out specific tasting notes because there’s so much concentrated hogo flavor. If you really focus you can make out some more fruit, some floral notes, and custardy dessert.

It’s interesting this was bottled for a Japanese bar, because I don’t know what you would do with it besides sip it. It would dominate any drink you make with it, even as an overproof rum float. It’s quite an experience as a sipper, though. Challenging but enjoyable, it’s a rum you won’t forget any time soon. While it did get a bit easier to drink as it went on, it probably benefits from a drop or two of water to tame some of that estery funk.

For Taste, I’ll give it a 3, which may be a touch low since I’m grading it on a bit of a curve. I’ve tried a lot of Hampden the past few years, including quite a few DOKs, but the Thompson Bros bottle is one of the more aggressive ones. For Haste, I’ll rate it a 2. This one is sold out everywhere. I picked this up at Unicorn Auctions for a reasonable price since I don’t think most people knew it was high ester Hampden. If you happen upon a dusty bottle of this tucked away at a liquor store, and you don’t have a DOK expression, I’d pull the trigger on this since it’s still a fun high ester thrill ride.

Taste/Haste Scale: 3 / 2