A scant trace of aging is betrayed by the subtle straw hue in the otherwise nearly clear liquid. Not oily, but shows a weight when swirled. The packaging is acceptable on the whole - while the matte paper labels seem unnecessarily like working draft mockups, the unique neck bulb and lip results in an attractive bottle shape overall. The nose is quite floral, then saccharine, and laced with soft fruits like honeydew and white peach. Pineapple bark. White cake. Marjoram. Almond extract. A bit of petroleum. It carries a zippy punch throughout that doesn’t quite scream “ethanol”, but is enough to force you out of a nosing. A creamy palate that is rich with flavor, yet somehow soft. It mirrors the nose - pineapple bark, melon, jasmine. Quite saccharine, but sharp and tangy with a strong vein of vegetation, like agave in a dry tequila or sotol. Allspice berry. Banana peel. Tarragon. This is pretty good – unadultered, interesting, and a touch exotic but not challenging. I like it in the second half of the bottle with plenty of air rather than freshly opened. Oxygen seems to round off the sharpness of the Hampden distillate for the better. Plenty enjoyable to sip if you like youthful white rums with some elegance, but punchy enough for a daquiri with intrigue. Recommended – only real knock is that a couple similarly quality blended rums (Banks 5 Island, Denizen 3 Year) can be had in the low-$20s, while this is usually $25-$30.