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Tommy Bahama White Sands Rum Review

tommy-bahama-white-sandsTommy Bahama arrives in two styles of rum, a silver “White Sands” rum which is aged for a minimum of two years and “Golden Sun” which is aged for a minimum of three years. Tommy Bahama, known for their brand of tropical themed clothing, has brought an experienced rum producer into the picture to help them with their rums: R.L. Seale. Today, we’re going to focus on the clear alternative in the name of White Sands.

As expected, this rum pours clear as water and looks as a white rum should, thus the White Sands name stands defended. The nose of this rum reflects that of its name, it smells similar to a suntan lotion mingled with the white sands of a tropical beach setting.  Overall, the nose fits a sweeter profile with a tropical backdrop.

Tasting the white sands keeps with the theme, very bright and potent with tastes that remind me, quite instantly, of a tropical island. The mid-palate transition is a bit hot, with alcohols tingling the center of the tongue and pretty much avoiding the edges of the palate. Much like the mid-palate potency, the follow through to the finish is a very intense sour bite as the alcohols show you who’s boss. The rum finishes clean with a coconut spice and a charcoal mineral finish which lingers for a few minutes. By the third sip my palate grew used to the potency and the sour bite all but diminishes, perhaps my mouth just wasn’t ready for that first sip.

The Tommy Bahama White Sands rum has an estimated price of USD $29.99, which puts it at the price point of a Cruzan Single Barrel rum. Personally, I don’t feel this rum has the complexity to compete with the Cruzan Single Barrel but it does outshine many white rums in its smooth solid structure and great viscosity in mouth-feel.

While I would never use Cruzan Single Barrel in a mixed drink, Tommy Bahama White Sands brings a very important texture to the cocktails. With a slightly tropic taste and a great mouth-feel, I’d suggest this rum in a Polynesian drink that calls for a white rum such as the Zombie cocktail, as long as you include all the other rum requirements with at least the same quality spirit.

This rum is impressive in texture and has a great tropical aroma and aftertaste although most of the rums profile fits what you’d expect from a $30 clear rum spirit. It fits well in a classic mojito without cutting into the drink with too much alcohol but I think it would work best in a polynesian drink. If you can find this rum in the market for USD $24.99 it’s a must try product, the USD $29.99 makes it a harder decision when there are so many competitors on the market. In New Hampshire, today, we found Tommy Bahama selling for USD $18.99 – that’s a must buy price.

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8 Comments

  • Reply
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    Don Q Cristal Rum Review | Everyday Drinkers
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  • Reply
    Caribbean Paul
    September 18, 2009 at 10:55 am

    With regards to Tommy Bahama rum, both Golden Sun and White Sand, the tropical smell is the only thing both have going for it which the author points out. At close to $30 for 750ml, it is much easier to end up purchasing something with more substance like Mount Gay Extra Old.

  • Reply
    Tom
    November 16, 2009 at 10:19 pm

    On sale at Magruders Chevy Chase DC for 30 bucks in the 1.75 L size. I like it, but the funny-shaped bottle is almost 2 foot tall.

  • Reply
    James Koller
    January 28, 2010 at 8:31 am

    I’ve done one shot on 3 separate occasions (sipped slowly). It gave me a nasty headache all 3 times. The buzz is very unpleasant–like you’ve been poisoned. Don’t even try yo compare this to Cruzan. I had to wonder if the distillery and Bahama cut a deal to dispose of a reject batch.

    • Reply
      Derrick Schommer
      January 28, 2010 at 10:00 am

      I’ve never experienced that issue, nor have the few parties I’ve been to or hosted where I used White Sands in the mojito’s.

  • Reply
    Charles Herrera
    March 8, 2010 at 6:45 pm

    I like this rum a lot for a Cuba Libré. It shines without overpowering the fresh squeezed lime. Brings a wonderful lightness to the cola.

    • Reply
      Derrick Schommer
      March 10, 2010 at 10:58 am

      Yeah, there isn’t too much potency in any direction, pretty clean finish.

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