Cask & Climate

Does rum from Trelawny age in the barrel? Not at all in the case of Rum Fire, which is bottled unaged at 63 percent. Other Hampden releases, however, spend years in wood. Only since the Hussey family took over the estate in 2009 has Hampden also aged rum on site itself; three warehouses stand ready for the purpose.

The barrels are mostly used bourbon casks made of American white oak. They impart vanilla and woody spice but little force of their own, letting the distillate's own aromas stay in the foreground. This is particularly desirable for rums with a high ester content.

The Jamaica designation of origin requires that ageing take place on the island, in oak barrels of no more than 250 litres. The smaller the barrel, the more wood surface touches the rum. Sweetening afterward is not allowed; only water and sugar colouring are permitted.

The climate in Trelawny is warm and humid. As much as eight percent can evaporate from a barrel there each year, far more than in Scotland. This loss is called the angel's share. Some reckon a tropical year equals three European years, though this isn't proven.

What age statement can appear on the label? Within the EU, only the age of the youngest rum in the blend, and ageing must have taken place under excise supervision. A bottle containing rums aged five and ten years may therefore only state "5 Years." Colour reveals nothing about age, since sugar colouring can darken even young rums.