HAMPDEN 7 ans 2018 HGML Magnum Series #3

Color : topaze.

Nose : Rich, complex. Delightfully liqueur-like (dried grapes, roasted pineapple), honeyed (acacia) and vanilla-led, the aromatic palette becomes progressively more powdery (cocoa), medicinal (benzoin, balm) and resinous. With aeration, a profusion of essential oils (savory, rosemary) floods the air.

Palate : Full-bodied, unctuous. Intensely fruity (apple, pear, banana, pineapple), the flavour profile also shows striking smoothness. Over time, resinous notes of sugarcane and ginger build a subtle bridge to floral (lily, dandelion) and spicy (turmeric, ylang-ylang) registers.

Overall : Long, concentrated. Vegetal (fresh-cut cane), herbaceous (tobacco, straw) and floral (tuberose), its heady character asserts itself with disarming ease. In retro-olfaction, notes of tar, charcoal, bourbon vanilla and star anise stretch the tasting moment infinitely. The dry residues in the empty glass reveal hints of artichoke heart and essential oils.