Hampden Estate (Rum)

Hampden Estate is one of the oldest sugar estates in Jamaica. It dates back to 1753 when the estate was under the ownership of Mr. Archibald Stirling of Scotland. In 1779 Mr. Sterling built the Hampden Great House of which the ground floor served as a rum store until the early 1900s. The Farquarson family operated the estate producing sugar and rum until 2003 when it came under the ownership of the Jamaica Sugar Company of Jamaica. The estate is renowned for possessing the best cane lands in Jamaica producing the highest Ton Sugar from Ton Cane milled. During this time its rums were exported exclusively to Europe, England and Scotland. In 2009, Everglades Farms Ltd. owned by the Hussey family, acquired the estate via public bid through divestment procedures of the Jamaica Sugar Company assets, owned by the Government of Jamaica. Since the acquisition, Everglades Farms has invested heavily into the estates, provided jobs throughout Trelawny and provide considerable financial and other infrastructure support more than 17 communities and schools.

Water used in the making of its rum washes is supplied not from underground aquifers but via its own mountain water collection system, and after use, returns only clean water to the earth. Extended fermentation occurs with wild yeasts. Hampden Estate is one of the last surviving distilleries that still uses discontinuous distillation to produce its rums; it currently has four operational pot stills. The oldest is a John Dore, which was installed in 1960 and can contain 7,560 litres. The rums are aged tropically; both the spirits are aged for more than 7 years in Jamaica, in a tropical climate which is equivalent to 25 years ageing in Europe.

Hampden’s pure single rums are produced, aged and bottled without any additives. No added sugar, tannins, caramel or glycerin.