Tommy Bahama rums

Tommy Bahama is coming out with a couple of branded rums (to use while you're wearing your $100 shirt and $100 pants from TB!): White Sand and Golden Sun. The website is up http://www.tommybahamarum.com/ but there's not much on it at this point. Will be selling for $30 a bottle in Oregon starting next month.

I'd love to know some first impressions when it comes out. Keep us updated.

They're selling for $23 a bottle in New Hampshire. I saw them both in stock in the Hampton northbound store.

These Rums were debuted at a party in Alameda several weeks ago.

I just happen to be at a local rum joint when the reps swung by after the launch, they gifted a sampler to the bar and a few of we lucky patrons got a taster.

I say lucky, but after the taster I think perhaps those who didn't get a taster were the lucky ones.

The silver has nothing to offer. It comes across as a very young rum with vanilla overtones. Some tasters actually got a feeling of agave. The finish was harsh. I'd say it could be used as a well rum, but at the price you would be better off sticking with something like a Cruzan.

The gold was a bit more interesting. It still feels like a young rum with flavor and coloring added. I don't have any flavor notes beyond that. Of the two, this is the more palette-able in my opinion. I'd be willing to give this one a try in a few different cocktails calling for gold rum.

At the price point, these will not appear in my home anytime soon.

They launched two weeks ago in the Bay Area. I have each of them.

They are terrible. Soft on the palate, but totally lacking in character.

Whoa! Posted at the same time as Tofu!

He's more generous than I am.

Thanks. I hadn't planned on it, but now I know these will not be purchased.

I'll ditto TofuJoe and Martiki, adding that the bottle design itself is super goofy. An overly tall coffin shape with about 3 inches of solid bottom and short neck. The shape alone makes it impossible to put it into any working well, which I believe is purposeful, indicating it's a, ahem, "Top Shelf" rum.

As for a local waterhole, the bottle is too tall to fit on their top shelf, not that it belongs up there anyway.

I have also tried both the silver and the gold, and have to say that Martin's rating as terrible is also very generous. We joked that these looked like giant cologne or aftershave bottles, and tasted about the same as well. After all, these are being marketed as a top shelf rum, but compare to a standard well rum at best. These will not be appearing in my home either.

Well...the website is cool. Thanks for the update and the candid taste-test feedback.

I think the gold was kind of cute.

midnite Dubinsky

Bought a bottle of the golden sun this past weekend at my local Bevmo. Since it's from Barbados, thought I'd put it up against the only other Barbados rum in my collection at this point-- some regular Mount Gay Eclipse, nothing special. The two rums smell and taste very similar. There's a little bit of something like a brown sugar taste, and there's something at the end that I just couldn't put my finger on. I even made my wife try it, and she couldn't figure it out either. At first I thought maybe it was from some wood used for aging, but I find that unlikely, as there's no woody-ness to the smell. Whatever it is, it's intriguing, but definitely not worth the price tag. It's sort of a coat-your-tongue kind of rum--you'll taste it long after the shot's gone. I think it would probably be okay in a cocktail, but it's not on my list of rums for drinking neat. There are other rums in the price range ($30) that I'd much rather have for that.
Given the price, and it's comparable nature to cheaper Mount Gay rum, I'd say stick with the Mount Gay.
I don't think it's awful as I think only Porfidio is deserving of that title. Porfidio doesn't even mix well. My problem with the Tommy Bahama rum is that it's too expensive for something that isn't any better than a standard well rum. Side by side, it just doesn't stand up. I don't hate the stuff, but I certainly won't be buying more of it unless the price drops by about 50%.

Maybe the marketing ploy will flop and they will be in the 50% clearance section of BevMo soon enough for my end of summer bash--A man can dream, no?

My problem with the Tommy Bahama rum is that it's too expensive for something that isn't any better than a standard well rum. Side by side, it just doesn't stand up. I don't hate the stuff, but I certainly won't be buying more of it unless the price drops by about 50%.

Something had to pay for the website, and the bottles, and the probable ad campaign.

I hate it when they spend too much money on the marketing and not on the rum.

Good mixed drinks and liquor reviews at http://www.LiquorandDrink.com.

[ Edited by: DemeraraDrinker 2007-04-01 08:07 ]

On 2007-04-01 08:06, DemeraraDrinker wrote:
I hate it when they spend too much money on the marketing and not on the rum.

Yes, this bothers me about Leblon, too. Though I have a bottle of the Leblon I have yet to try it. They have some some awards but I still feel like 20% of my money goes into their advertising campaign. I wish that I had known it before I bought it.

Don't even talk about Bacardi's marketing costs...

Perhaps Tommy will get some decent money into R. L. Seale's pockets though. I don't mind that. :)

I went to a bar the other night and the Tommy Bahama rums were indeed on the top shelf with the likes of Tanqueray, Disaronno, etc. And all because that's the only place they fit.

Here is So. Cal, the Beverages & More store near me has little airline mini bottles of Tommy Bahama rums, both white and an amber rum. I'm curious. Guess, I'll have to go pick them up.

Small airline-sized bottles are good to try it, but the stuff isn't any better than Mt Gay. There is a little something at the very end that I still can't figure out, but it's not worth all the extra money. Stick with Mt. Gay if you want a Barbados rum.

I saw the "nips" for Tommy Bahama and they were double-sized - larger than 50ml, certainly not 200ml - priced at $5.00.

For $3 I would have bought the bottles, but not for $5. From what everyone is saying there couldn't possibly be $2 worth of rum in one of those bottles.

I thought it was none too HOT; 5.99 for the little bottle and it was not distinctive enough to merit repurchase no matter WHAT the bottle looks like--I thought it seemed like the STORE BRAND rum & I'm sticking with my story--of course I like the Pyrat XO so grain of salt offered

[ Edited by: bb moondog 2007-04-25 14:16 ]

I have a few vintage shirts that I got lucky on finding as well as new collectables. Where is the best place to find an aloha shirt without draining the bank account (TB)or going mental finding them?

Mahalo,

Tikitatt

Must have defected taste buds. Had Tommy Bahama drinks with a number of people this past week. We all raved about it. The White Sand has a crisp clean citrus taste. You can drink it straight up in a Martini glass. The Golden Sun just sipping or float of a premium orange spirit was unbelievable. The price was well worth it. In the club we were at in NYC not one person didn't like it

So nice to meet you, Munsey. Are you from there? Perchance you are employed by Mr. TB? If you'd like, you can make a formal introduction in the New Members thread:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=6&forum=1&hilite=new%20members

On 2007-05-18 13:07, munsey02 wrote:
You can drink it straight up in a Martini glass.

Perhaps you meant to say a cocktail glass?

I tried the TB rum the other day when I found the 50ml bottles for $1.99 at a local haunt of mine. The Gold one was just okay...certainly not something to write home about. I could see that it may be decent in a mixed drink but neat it was not too enjoyable (not much body)...kinda reminded me of heavier Bacardi Gold. For the price there are a TON more choices which are much better buys. The white one I tried on the rocks with just a twist of lime. It was pretty decent...had a nice crisp taste, but again based on the price there are several other much better white rums available (Flor De Cana, Appelton, Barbancourt etc). If they were to retail for about half I could see them being a bit more popular...but for the $30 they are going for there are way too many other rums that offer more flavor........just my .02$

On 2007-05-18 13:07, munsey02 wrote:
...not one person didn't like it

Oh I see, not one person didn't like it, but several didn't.