Located in the north-west of Jamaica, in the parish of Trelawny, Hampden Estate sits between sea and mountains in an extraordinary natural setting. From above, and from within, the distillery resembles an old refinery, where the transformation of sugar cane spirit unfolds in an atmosphere that feels magical.
Hampden’s story begins in 1753 – more than 270 years ago – when the Scotsman Archibald Stirling established the property as one of Jamaica’s leading sugar producers. By 1779, a rum distillery had been created at the Hampden Great House. The business expanded across the Caribbean and beyond until the early 2000s, when mounting debts threatened its survival. In 2003, the Jamaican government stepped in to preserve around one hundred jobs, acquiring the distillery before auctioning it in 2009 when profitability remained elusive. The company was then purchased by Everglades Farms, owned by the Hussey family, who undertook substantial investment to restore its fortunes. In 2018, Hampden released its first official estate bottlings, marking a decisive turning point in the distillery’s history.
Defined by an exceptional aromatic profile shaped by time-honoured methods, the estate’s rums are revered by connoisseurs worldwide. Today, Hampden continues to set the standard in pot still distillation and the famed dunder technique, and its momentum shows no sign of slowing.

A Hampden 6 year old distilled in 2010 and bottled in 2016 for the Habitation Velier range. Distilled in a double-retort Forsyths still depicted on the label, it is marked LROK, meaning it has an ester content of 200-400 g/hlpa. Velier was founded in Genoa by Casimir Chaix in 1947. It was originally a small, family-run business specializing in the import and distribution of wine and spirits. Luca Gargano, a former representative for Saint James and serious rum collector and enthusiast, bought the business in 1986 and began bottling whisky first in 1992 and then rum in 1996. Rums selected by Velier are only ever aged in a tropical climate, which explains both their concentration and the high angels’’ share. They are generally bottled at cask strength or just below. The company’’s selections from Diamond’’s vaults as well as the Caroni bottlings and the bottlings from various distilleries in Jamaica, Barbados and other countries have played a key role in rum’’s history and are today some of the most sought-after in the category.