MCF Rare Wine

Gems from Hampden and Privateer
 
While it's not quite 'Rum Season' for me, a few recent arrivals have put my usual calendar of drinking under review.

First off, we have a collaboration between the Privateer Distillery and our favorite importer of boutique distillates, PM Spirits.  Privateer is a fabulous Rum distillery out of Ipswich MA, with an obsession with the classic styles of America's early days.

This special bottling is a single cask of 'Queen's Share' (the best barrels that used to be reserved for royalty), made using the traditional Cognac method of re-distilling the secondes, or the cuts that lay between the Hearts and Tails.  It was distilled in the Winter of 2017 and bottled last Spring.  This single cask was selected with PM for a very special (just 178 bottles!) release of their finest product.

The gentler maritime climate imparts all of Privateer's rums with an elegant, refined character, carried by a broad richness, and deep complexity.  This is definitely more of the 'Bourbon Drinker's' style, with creamy, caramelized depth and herbaceous nuance.  It's scary how easy it goes down.

Then, we have three releases from The Hampden Estate, and event that never doesn't make my giddy with geekdom.

First, the standard bearer of the Hampden style, The Great House 2023 Edition.  This is the fifth release of this glorious dram, which, when compared to the 2022 release, is less unctuous and more linear, but still retains that fabulous richness and glorious aromatics.  It's bright, spicy and loaded with ester-y pungency, and, well, like almost anything Hampden does, it just brings a smile to my face.

Then we have a small amount of Hampden's HLCF Classic - a bottling solely of Hampden's signature mark.  HLCF (Hampden Light Continental Flavoured) is the first in their hierarchy of what they consider to be the higher ester distillates, and covers a spectrum of each esther.  If you want to taste the truest, most historic flavor of this estate, HLCF is your bottle.

Finally, we have the Pagos, a Hampden rum aged entirely in Ex-Sherry casks.  With an ester content of 467gr/hlpa, this is solidly in the HLCF level, but the Sherry cask offers up a deep, savory, oxidative fruit that just jives so well with that classic Hampden funk.

Speaking of marks and esters, we still have a few of the Hampden 8 Marks Collection boxes, a fabulous box of eight 200ml bottles, each filled with un-aged distillate of each of the estate's famous marks.

Oh and special pricing too!

Okay, go!

PRIVATEER
Queen's Share Single Cask PM Spirits Collab

THE HAMPDEN ESTATE
The Great House 2023 Edition
HLCF Classic
Pagos
The Hampden Eight Marks Collection

You may order by calling 212.255.8870.

Matt Franco
MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
249 West 13th Street NYC 10011
212.255.8870

Looking for a wine you loved from a past newsletter or a favorite you can't find anywhere?  Email Raphael at raphael@mcf-rarewine.com, and we'll do our best to find it for you!