A couple of months ago I wrote a review of a rum brand from Belize that some found controversial and sparked a few conversations – Big Titty Rum being the brand in question. Following this, Basil DeStefano, one of the owners of the Tiburon Rum Company, send me a message telling me he wants to send me a bottle of his own rum that is also made in Belize. I promptly accepted as I noticed Tiburon doesn’t seem to be available in the UK, so it made me curious.
Tiburon rum is owned by the American company, Shark Bait, and is made at Travellers Distillery in Belize – fun fact, Tiburon stands for “shark” in Spanish, hence their branding. The front of the bottle describes this as being an overproof white rum, but at 46% ABV that’s a bit of an overstatement. That being said, I’m glad it’s has an alcohol content higher than the standard 40% ABV.
Something I find cool is the fact that they donate one Belize dollar per bottle sold to Oceana, a non-profit organisation that works to protect marine life and habitats from fishing gear, overfishing, and more. Their science and policy-based approaches have worked to influence campaigns and conserve the ocean’s wildlife and reefs in Belize.
Tiburon also has an 8 year old rum in their range, but for now let’s focus on their unaged offering.
Tiburon White Tip is molasses based, column still distilled and bottled at 46% ABV without any additives (according to them).
On the nose it smells crisp and moreish. Coconut cream, fresh printer ink, agave syrup and biscuits. Caramel popcorn, vanilla and milk. It has a bit of desserty profile. White chocolate, white cardboard and cappuccino. A sprinkle of white pepper too.
On the palate it’s still desserty, but without any actual sugary sweetness. Raffaello pralines, vanilla, toffee and cappuccino. White chocolate milk, white pepper and some grapefruit zest. The smell and taste are pretty consistent. Biscuits, dill and a hint of cloves. The finish is short to medium with coconut and cacao nibs.
Not bad! It’s not the most outstanding white rum out there, but it’s pretty good. Fairly light, yet flavoursome and balanced with coconut and white chocolate notes at its forefront. The extra ABV really helps it with the intensity and mouthfeel as well. I’m finding myself enjoying this as a refreshing sipper.
It seems like Tiburon White Tip is popularly used to create various in-house infusions, similar with the French arranges, just without the rhum agricole element – and I can see it working. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any retailers in the UK selling this so I’ll score the price based on how much is sold in the US for which is $25.
Tiburon White Tip:
Flavour/taste: 49/70
Value for money: 15/15
Transparency/purity: 15/15
Overall: 85/100
Cheers!