Hurricane Melissa damaged Hampden Estate; production now said to be safe

After Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica last October, rum lovers awaited news from the island’s six distilleries. Hampden Estate, in Trelawney parish, was in the hurricane’s path; furious winds stripped roofs from its historic buildings and tore fronds from palm trees, and there were alarming rumours that the dunder pits had overflowed.

Andrew Hussey, Hampden’s owner, has reported that production is now safe, though communities who live and work around the distillery remain badly affected. The article explains why damage to Hampden worried enthusiasts: dunder is the leftover liquid from the still that is returned to the next fermentation for funky notes, likened to a sourdough starter.

Hampden also uses “muck”, described as an “outrageously smelly, semi-sentient” soup rich in yeast and decomposing matter, and the distillery relies on wild yeasts that can take weeks to ferment—contrasting with industrial yeasts that typically work in a couple of days. Those microbial practices produce Jamaican rum’s distinctive bassy funk, or hogo.

Rum has boomed recently, though much of the British market favours spiced, sweetened products. Hampden is cited as part of a counter-trend in the Caribbean, where distilleries are leaning on traditional methods to make rums that express place.

Key Topics

Culture, Hampden Estate, Jamaica, Trelawney, Hurricane Melissa, Dunder Pits