Angel's Share Intro and Credit
Tiki Lovers White Rum
Tiki Lovers White Rum is a unique blend of rums from Jamaica and Trinidad. The company acquired unaged pot still rums from Jamaica’s Worthy Park and Clarendon Distillers Limited (producers of Monymusk). From Trinidad, it uses unaged and five year old column still rum from Trinidad Distillers Limited Distillery (producers of Angostura). Using charcoal filtration, the company strips all color from the product and blends it to 50% ABV.
Tiki Lovers White Rum
Appearance
The standard 750 ml bottle has a black and gold security wrap securing a metal screw top to the bottle. The neck is protected by a square cardboard hangar that showcases the portfolio of rums. The labels provide basic information about the rum and celebrate the craft behind the blending process.
The liquid in the bottle and glass is crystal clear, as was expected after the charcoal filtration. After swirling the rum, a medium band forms, thickens slightly, and reluctantly releases two rounds of legs that creep slowly down the glass. Many of them did not return to the liquid before evaporating along with the band, leaving a ring of beads in their wake.
Nose
The aroma of the rum leads with a nip of alcohol and is immediately followed by notes of cooked bananas, papaya, passionfruit, and grilled pineapple. As the fruit notes settle, notes of cane grass, minerals, and funky Jamaican pot still notes linger before fading.
Palate
On the palate, the rich fruit flavors of the aroma lead the way, taking the high notes, while the earthier, funkier notes form the foundation of the flavor profile. The rich cooked fruit of grilled pineapple, and baked banana pudding is interesting, as the papaya, passionfruit, and a zing of lemon zest mingle and enhance the fruit profile of the spirit. The foundation provides funky notes of the intermingling of grassy sugar cane, bitter molasses, mushrooms, and charred coconut, rounded out by oak tannins that linger for a medium finish.
Review
Many years ago, while attending a rum festival in Miami, Florida, I had the opportunity to try the Tiki Lovers line of rums and remember enjoying the cocktails made with the spirits more than anything else. Understanding that the minds behind the product line are Stephan Berg and Alexander Hauck, the creators of The Bitter Truth line of cocktail bitters and liqueurs, this rum is by design ideal for using in cocktails, especially tropical drinks. One of my mentors taught me years ago, that for classic Tiki, and tropical cocktails, you want a product that is rough and tumble, flavorful, and versatile to use behind the bar. This rum ticks all of those boxes and is at a great price point for home bars or professional use. I am personally happy to see this product line in the U.S. market and will add it to my repertoire of cocktail rums for when we entertain friends at our home bar.
