Lime and Sugarcane

Specs

Distiller: Hampden Estate, Trelawny, Jamaica
ABV: 63%
Age: Unaged
Material: Molasses
Distillation: Pot
Additives: None
Price: $30-$35
Appearance: Transparent

If there is an unaged overproof white rum with the funk, I will find it, and I will imbibe.

If Wray & Nephew is the most famous unaged overproof white rum from Jamaica, Hampden Estate’s Rum Fire is the corporate alternate contender. People who enjoy these types of rum always have a favorite and to them the differences between them are night and day. These people are not wrong. Rum Fire is probably the 2nd most enjoyed Jamaican overproof white unaged rum.

Is there an acronym for these bottles? JUWOR? ROWUJ? UWOJR?

The bottle itself is boring. It is the standard round liquor bottle with a black seal on top. But what adorns the bottle itself is certainly eye catching and pops out against other rum bottles.

Behold! Flames! Red and blue, both hot, hot, hot! Full bold letter, RUM FIRE, all caps, WHITE OVERPROOF RUM, tiny letters, then HAMPDEN estate PURE SINGLE JAMAICAN RUM.

I have seen it said that this bottle screams ‘graphic design is my passion’ and I do not disagree, but this bottle definitely stands out against the kitsch and the overly simplified or overproduced bottles of trash many rum shelves are stacked with. Everyone is going to pick up a bottle with this design to at least look at what the heck this is.

Producer’s Notes

According to the Hampden Estate’s Rum Fire technical sheet, this rum “was developed with the clear intention of crafting a white rum that remained true to the heavy pot still style of Hampden Estate…(Rum Fire) is unique, bold, and full of tropical notes, Rum Fire packs a lot of complexity and brings enough personality to add depth to a large array of cocktails.” The nose is ‘explosive and fruity, overripe banana, mango, pineapple, full-on spices, green olive, and smoke notes.’ The palate is ‘intense and spicy, notes of pepper and overripe tropical fruits.’ The finish is ‘long, balanced and exceptionally distinctive.’

What the heck is ‘full-on spices?’

This is all very promising. I like to see these descriptions for my Jamaican white unaged overproof rums. Yum yum yum.

My Experience

I think there is a reason that a lot of people’s first choice for this category of rum is Rum Fire. It is quite the experience to taste and is not easily replicated elsewhere. The nose might seem decently standard for this category but once you take a sip there is no mistaking the feelings and flavors you are going to be hit with. It brings that wonderful hogo I adore so much but then also takes you on a roller coaster of sensations on the tongue. The spirit is not tamped down at all and lasts for so long that you will remember exactly what it is that you were drinking the whole time. The hogo in Rum Fire is married to the peppercorn tingling and bursts of flavor that are not mellow in any sense of the word. You will be feeling the Rum Fire in your mouth for the next 20 minutes as the rotting banana continues to age.

Rum Fire: It has the funk.

The weirdest thing about Rum Fire though is that this rum is NOT hot. There’s no burn, there’s no fire, except from the flavors, but the heat is not there. It is a very ‘smooth’ rum.

The opposite of ‘smooth’ in rum is ‘hot.’

But glycerin and sugar are also both ‘smooth,’ and neither are welcome in my rums.

Comparing Against The Producer’s Notes & Flavor Profile

I hate rhapsodizing like those silly tasting notes from the producers I never seem to agree with or pick up on, but the Rum Fire description is pretty good at telling you what you are getting yourself into.

The tropical fruit flavors are definitely present through the entire experience from nose to finish. On the tongue I get more than an intense experience, and the finish goes on and on and on while being distinctive. All good things.

I’m not sure I really get olives, mangoes or smoke from Rum Fire anywhere on the nose, palate, or finish, but if by ‘peppery’ they meant ‘peppercorns,’ then yes, we are in agreement. As for the mangoes, I think a lot of tropical fruits get muddled together in my nose and on my taste buds and fuse together in my mind. But as a big fan of mango, both the fake candy flavoring and fresh fruit, I think I would be able to pick it out against the obvious banana and pineapple I find rather easily. The olives and smoke are a no-show for sure though, but seeing as I did not think there was a burn, why would there be smoke?

Where there’s no smoke there’s no fire burn?

Conclusion

Overall Score: Read the Review; words have meaning, numbers are liars.

Rum Fire is definitely unique, even among unaged Jamaican overproof white rums. I made two cocktails with Rum Fire and it cut through those cocktails and made itself known, while also harmoniously blending with the other ingredients. But that’s a subject for another post.

Rum Fire is a bottle that is worth keeping stocked in your rum locker because there is no replacing it. It brings the funk like a fireworks display in your mouth, while also giving you a great tasting experience to anything you mix it with. It is unique and a great offering from Hampden Estate. If a cocktail calls for Rum Fire specifically, use it! And if it calls for this type of rum, well, Rum Fire is going to give you a very unique experience with it. Cannot recommend more!

Okay, but seriously, what is ‘full-on spices?’