Comments on: Rum Review: Tommy Bahama White Sands

By: Trip D

Trip D — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 01:03:28 +0000

Really dig this rum, even though it’s a light rum. It’s like drinking liquid sugar. I guess that’s how I judge my whites , harsh and barely palatable (Bacardi silver) and pure sugar… ie… Oronoco, Appleton white and now Tommy bahama. Good job. No wonder, it is from Barbados. I believe that they make the best, no matter what.. White, gold, dark, aged.

By: Matt Browner Hamlin

Matt Browner Hamlin — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:22:49 +0000

I was really surprised by the quality of TB White too. I never would have bought it and was lucky enough to get a sample that really surprised me and blew away my expectations.

By: JJ Westlake

JJ Westlake — Tue, 04 May 2010 22:46:47 +0000

It is a surprisingly good rum saddled with cynical expectations from having a designer label. Their attempt to command a $30+ price kept me from trying it, but thanks to a holiday gift I put it in the rotation. Since then the price has come down considerably (about $18/750ml in my area) and because they are clearancing the 1.75 for only $19.99 – I’ve added both the white and gold in my cabinet. I guess it pays to sip before you skip the label…

By: Sunny&Rummy

Sunny&Rummy — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:07:25 +0000

I finally came into a bottle of Smith and Cross last week as well, and it has exceeded my high expectations!

By: Mistahunter

Mistahunter — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:40:25 +0000

I do like the pot still flavor profile…I just don’t think that Sea Wynde captured it.

Two other pot-still rums that I am really enjoying now are Mount Gilboa (Barbados) and Smith and Cross (Jamaica).

I picked up the Mount Gilboa on vacation in Barbados last year and I am savoring the bottle as much as possible. Matt put me on to Smith and Cross in one of his posts. It is excellent!!!

By: Sunny&Rummy

Sunny&Rummy — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:46:43 +0000

And I see some more Sea Wynde hate in the thread. Those early batches must have been really bad for so many knowledgeable rum folks to dislike the product so intensely. I tried it for the first time this Christmas when I got a bottle in my stocking and I adore it. So much of the great Jamaican pot still flavors running through this I know it’s not the same product so many folks hold in such low regard.

My worry is that once this bottle is gone (sadly soon) it sounds like it will be a total crap shoot as to whether the replacement bottle will be the good stuff or the bad stuff.

By: Sunny&Rummy

Sunny&Rummy — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:42:17 +0000

Yep, another Bacardi 8 fan here. Hard to believe a company that can make something as good as that can put out the rest of the drek they do and not be totally ashamed by it.

By: Matt Robold

Matt Robold — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:04:30 +0000

Colin: Depaz is great in a Mai Tai when mixed with a good Jamaican like Appleton 12.

Mel: Compared to something like Pyrat or Zacapa, TB White is going to seem very mellow, but to my way of thinking that’s what a good white is for: to be subtle and blend into a drink rather than owning it. If you’re a fan of very strongly flavored whites, I think you might really enjoy the agricole blancs or maybe Montanya Platino. Those all tend to be much more hearty and forward.

Mista & JMGII: Totally agree on Bacardi 8. I think that the proponents of good drinking tend to discount Bacardi as not producing anything good, but the Bacardi 8 has a flavor profile that is almost Jamaican or Guyanese – a real difference from the typical Spanish/Puerto Rican style.

By: JMGIII

JMGIII — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 20:52:28 +0000

I must chime in to echo the pleasant surprise that was/is Bacardi 8, and my opinion of Bacardi products, in general, is so low it cannot be measured.

Haven’t tried the TB White Sands, but might give it a whirl, if I can catch it at a price competitive with Cruzan (my go-to white rum).

By: Mistahunter

Mistahunter — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 13:57:05 +0000

White Sands is one of my favorite white rums (along with MG Silver Eclipse).

I like her darker cousin too…

The rum that has surprised me the most for good reasons is Bacardi 8. It is a quality and versatile rum that I enjoy straight and mixed. I don’t expect much from Bacardi products.

The rum that has surprised for the wrong reasons was Sea Wynde…after several attempts to find a use for it…it went down the drain. It doesn’t get clogged anymore…