Hamilton cask strength

[Bbstout]

Any thoughts? Looking for something similar to bourbon. 

 

[kevinbrink]

I love it but it isn't bourbon like, it brings the funk big time.  

[Kpiz]

Hmm I've never seen a 10 year before, I thought they only made up to 9yo. Anyways, I agree with KB, they're good but funky.

[Bbstout]

Any way of describing "funk"? 

[kevinbrink]

The closest thing I can compare would be wild fermented Belgian Beer (think funky saison) but amplified if your familiar with that sort of thing. Some earthy flavors and some fruit esters, a flavor profile that if you like it, you love it. 

[Bbstout]

Belgian saisons are one of the few beers I don't like. I'm not a fan of the funky banana like esters. Thanks for saving me $80.

[tanstaafl2]

On ‎7‎/‎29‎/‎2017 at 0:37 AM, Kpiz said:

Hmm I've never seen a 10 year before, I thought they only made up to 9yo. Anyways, I agree with KB, they're good but funky.

 

 

As I recall a 10yo was part of the original line. This seems to confirm it.

 

On ‎7‎/‎29‎/‎2017 at 1:19 AM, Bbstout said:

Any way of describing "funk"? 

 

On ‎7‎/‎29‎/‎2017 at 3:00 PM, Bbstout said:

Belgian saisons are one of the few beers I don't like. I'm not a fan of the funky banana like esters. Thanks for saving me $80.

 

Defining funk, now there's an elusive task! I suppose saying it is a like like hogo doesn't help much...  

 

For this line of rum banana-y esters are indeed a fair description! With a good healthy dose of finger nail polish remover as well....

[tanstaafl2]

And a bit surprised to see these still sitting on a shelf at more or less retail. There weren't many available to begin with.

[Kpiz]

On 7/29/2017 at 10:46 AM, kevinbrink said:

The closest thing I can compare would be wild fermented Belgian Beer (think funky saison) but amplified if your familiar with that sort of thing. Some earthy flavors and some fruit esters, a flavor profile that if you like it, you love it. 

 

On 7/29/2017 at 0:00 PM, Bbstout said:

Belgian saisons are one of the few beers I don't like. I'm not a fan of the funky banana like esters. Thanks for saving me $80.

 

1 hour ago, tanstaafl2 said:

Defining funk, now there's an elusive task! I suppose saying it is a like like hogo doesn't help much...  

 

For this line of rum banana-y esters are indeed a fair description! With a good healthy dose of finger nail polish remover as well....

 

The analogy of Belgian saisons is a good one, but I don't get the same flavors from them as I do from funky rum. To me they're both funky but in different ways...most Belgian saisons have the banana and clove amplified whereas in funky rum it's a less definable earthy funk. As Bruce says, defining it is can be an elusive task. I don't see the funkiness as being tied to traditional flavors we can describe, it's just a certain something that weaves itself through some rums. I think those rums tend to have some fruitier flavors as well, but I tend to differentiate those flavors from the funk. I'm not sure whether that's a fair or accurate assessment or not.

 

I guess my point is that even though you don't like Belgian saisons, Bbstout, you may still enjoy some funky rums. It may not be worth taking a chance on an $80 bottle, but give one a shot at a bar some time and see what you think. I'm lukewarm on saisons and yet I love the rum funk, so maybe you will too.

[kevinbrink]

2 hours ago, Kpiz said:

 

 

 

The analogy of Belgian saisons is a good one, but I don't get the same flavors from them as I do from funky rum. To me they're both funky but in different ways...most Belgian saisons have the banana and clove amplified whereas in funky rum it's a less definable earthy funk. As Bruce says, defining it is can be an elusive task. I don't see the funkiness as being tied to traditional flavors we can describe, it's just a certain something that weaves itself through some rums. I think those rums tend to have some fruitier flavors as well, but I tend to differentiate those flavors from the funk. I'm not sure whether that's a fair or accurate assessment or not.

 

I guess my point is that even though you don't like Belgian saisons, Bbstout, you may still enjoy some funky rums. It may not be worth taking a chance on an $80 bottle, but give one a shot at a bar some time and see what you think. I'm lukewarm on saisons and yet I love the rum funk, so maybe you will too.

I agree though when I said Saison I was thinking something like Fantome more then then most of the Saisons the craft guys are pushing out these days (somehow when there were less Saisons around the flavors seemed more diverse), both are the product of letting wild yeast and bacteria do their thing to some degree, but agreed that Rum Funk is a difficult flavor to pin down. Wild Ales like Vicaris or Reinaert might be closer though I think in today's world wild equates to Sour which is not always entirely the case.

 

ack to Rum there certainly is not an abundance of bars where you can try the good stuff, I think that is one of the biggest issues for a newbie, even finding bottles can be a challenge. There is an abundance of great Whiskey on the shelves, in your average liquor store in my area you might find Mount Gay or Appleton. Barbancourt, Cockspur and Real McCoy probably are the next most common and anything else would only be found at a more upscale specialty store. Everybody basically buys Hamilton, Duncan Taylor, Four Square and some others from the same half dozen or so places in the country it seems like. Admittedly I'm still young in my Rum journey to some degree but I honestly can't even think of a readily available St Lucia Rum the only ones I can think of being in stores near me are the Hamiltons at Astor Wines and the Chairman's Reserve line that I've seen at a couple places. 

[Bbstout]

7 hours ago, Kpiz said:

 

 

 

The analogy of Belgian saisons is a good one, but I don't get the same flavors from them as I do from funky rum. To me they're both funky but in different ways...most Belgian saisons have the banana and clove amplified whereas in funky rum it's a less definable earthy funk. As Bruce says, defining it is can be an elusive task. I don't see the funkiness as being tied to traditional flavors we can describe, it's just a certain something that weaves itself through some rums. I think those rums tend to have some fruitier flavors as well, but I tend to differentiate those flavors from the funk. I'm not sure whether that's a fair or accurate assessment or not.

 

I guess my point is that even though you don't like Belgian saisons, Bbstout, you may still enjoy some funky rums. It may not be worth taking a chance on an $80 bottle, but give one a shot at a bar some time and see what you think. I'm lukewarm on saisons and yet I love the rum funk, so maybe you will too.

After reading this I might have to pick one up. If I don't like it I can always give away samples. I like funk. I love Belgian lambics and American wild ales. 

[Bbstout]

Just dove into the rabbit hole of dunder and funk. Does anyone know if Hamilton discloses ester counts in ppm? Do these rums have high ester counts like those made at Hampden Estates?

[Kpiz]

Just dove into the rabbit hole of dunder and funk. Does anyone know if Hamilton discloses ester counts in ppm? Do these rums have high ester counts like those made at Hampden Estates?

It's a pretty interesting rabbit hole, eh? I know cocktailwonk has a interesting post about muck, dunder, etc from his visit to Hampden. I don't think Hamilton discloses ester counts, although that would be pretty cool. If they do it'd probably be on the website that Bruce (tanstaafl2) linked to earlier in this thread.

[The Black Tot]

I don't expect it to be as big and bouncy as a Hampden, but it will have its own great qualities.

 

Have you bought one of these yet? Which one, and give us a taste review - we're keen to read your thoughts.