WELCOME TO THE CURRENT RUM OF THE MONTH

Rum Tribe… this month we’re doing something we’ve never done before — and it’s all thanks to the Philippines absolutely blowing the doors off Rumolution 2026.

Two bottles. Two completely different personalities. One shared origin story. And together, they were the runaway smash hits of both Sydney and Brisbane — selling out before some festival‑goers even made it through the gates.

“Hotel Lobby Rum is a spirit with real depth… featured alongside Ube Cream in a release timed for Father’s Day – a pairing that shows exactly what this rum is capable of.” and from Ube: “It delivers on all senses… nutty aromas, an earthy texture, and a smooth taste of vanilla.”

🌴 THE PHILIPPINES HAS ENTERED THE CHAT — AND IT’S COME IN SWINGING

This month’s Rum of the Month isn’t just a release… it’s a double feature, a two‑for‑one cultural flex, and a celebration of the wild diversity coming out of the Filipino rum scene.

Hotel Lobby ‘Pearl White’

A three‑year ex‑bourbon stunner filtered through six feet of coconut‑shell charcoal — a white rum that tastes like a dark rum, bursting with mango, banana, pineapple and silky vanilla. It’s clean, tropical, medal‑winning, and crafted by distiller Angelo Jeo Bangcaya in the Philippines.

Ube Cream Liqueur

Bright purple. Rum‑based. Award‑stacked. And the most talked‑about bottle at Rumolution 2026. Made from noble sugarcane spirit blended with ube, coconut and cream, it’s velvety, nutty, tropical, and downright addictive.

🎉 WHY WE’RE PAIRING THEM TOGETHER

Because these two bottles tell the same story — Filipino rum is having a moment, and Rum Tribe members get front‑row seats.

One is crisp, bright and built for tiki cocktails. The other is creamy, vibrant and unlike anything you’ve ever tasted.

Together, they showcase the range, creativity and soul of Filipino distilling — from traditional molasses rum refined through coconut charcoal… to a purple cream liqueur that bartenders call “fun, bright, left‑of‑centre and perfect for tropical cocktails.”

And both were Rumolution 2026 festival favourites, selling out in Sydney and Brisbane.

🛎️ THE RUM TRIBE FIRST‑EVER PHILIPPINE DOUBLE DROP

This is our first foray into Filipino rum — and after Rumolution, we knew we couldn’t choose just one. So we didn’t.

You’re getting the Pearl White that mixes like a dream and the Ube Cream that became a cult favourite overnight.

Two bottles. One country. Endless tropical fun.

Hotel Lobby Rum ‘Pearl White’

Brace yourselves. This month’s rum isn’t just good – it’s a show‑off. Hotel Lobby Rum ‘Pearl White’ has swaggered in from the Philippines, dropped its bags, and immediately started winning medals. And now? It’s yours for the taking.

This is Rum Tribe’s first-ever Filipino rum, and wow… we picked a monster debut. A three‑year ex‑bourbon beauty, polished through coconut‑shell charcoal filtration – removing colour, not character – and delivering a tropical white rum that’s clean, bright, and ridiculously mixable. It’s already scored Gold (95 points!) at the 2025 Melbourne International Spirits Competition and Silver at the 2026 Melbourne Royal Australian International Spirits Awards.

Hotel Lobby Rum ‘Pearl White’ is smooth, tropical, medal‑winning, and absolutely irresistible. It’s not limited – but that doesn’t mean you should wait. Rum Tribe drops have a habit of disappearing fast, and this one is primed to be a crowd favourite.

🌴 Why You Need This Rum in Your Life

• Filipino debut – Our first release from the Philippines, and it’s a knockout.
• Award-winning pedigree – Gold + Silver. Enough said.
• Coconut charcoal magic – Crystal clear, flavour intact.
• Tropical flavour bomb – Mango, banana, pineapple, vanilla, caramel… it’s a holiday in a glass.
• Mixes like a dream – Tiki lovers, this one’s for you.
• Australian distiller – Crafted by Angelo Jeo Bangcaya, bringing Filipino soul to Aussie shelves.

🍍 The Taste That’ll Ruin You for Other White Rums

Bright tropical nose: banana, mango, pineapple. Smooth, silky palate: vanilla, caramel, gentle oak spice. Finish: crisp pineapple with a whisper of coconut.

It’s a white rum that tastes like a dark rum – the best of both worlds. Siegfrid Bacani from 7000 Islands nails it:

“Not only can you see it, but you can also taste it – tropical notes of mango, banana and pineapple… whilst leaving all the good bits of vanilla, caramel and spice character.”

🛎️ Check In Before It Checks Out

Hotel Lobby Rum ‘Pearl White’ is smooth, tropical, medal‑winning, and absolutely irresistible. It’s not limited – but that doesn’t mean you should wait. Rum Tribe drops have a habit of disappearing fast, and this one is primed to be a crowd favourite.

‘White Rum’ is made by filtering dark rum through activated Charcoal. In the case of the Hotel Lobby ‘Pearl White’ – this charcoal is made using a prolific Philippines resource – coconut husk! The  Hotel Lobby White Pearl is 3yo molasses-based, column distilled rum matured in ex-bourbon casks, and then charcoal filtered through 6 feet of charcoal coconut shells to remove any colours and smooth out the flavour profile. Bottled at 37.5% abv, this rum is perfect for sipping over ice – or in your favourite tiki cocktail! Personally – I think it’s going to rock @ThatRumChick’s Daquiri world!

Ube Cream Liqueur

🔥 IT’S A PURPLE PEOPLE PLEASER! 🔥

Ube Cream Liqueur – The Rumolution Smash Hit Is BACK!

Tribe… brace yourselves. This month’s release isn’t just special – it’s chaotic good, wildly fun, and absolutely unlike anything you’ve ever poured into a glass. We’re talking bright purple, award‑stacked, festival-famous, rum‑based magic that sold out instantly at Rumolution 2026.

Yes. It’s Ube Cream Liqueur – and if you miss it this time, you’ll be hearing about it from every other member who didn’t.

Ube Cream Liqueur is possibly the most striking and ‘left field’ rum product I’ve come across so far.  Based on rum made from Nobel Sugar Cane juice (so an ‘Agricole style’ base) – this is blended with Ube (a type of purple sweet potato), coconut (from Mindanao) plus some cream (and almost certainly some sugar in there as well – it’s a liqueur after all!). The resulting bright purple liqueur is an absolutely delicious concoction by itself over ice, or mixed in a cocktail (such as an Ube Pina Colada)!

Ube Cream Liqueur Ube pronounced ‘Oo-Bae’, is a rum based liqueur distilled by a couple of Queenslanders Brendan Green & Tyson Branz (formerly of Capricorn Rum) now living in tropical islands of the Philippines. Ube was crowned World’s Best Cream Liqueur in 2022. At 17% ABV, don’t let the low alcohol content of this strikingly purple potion fool you, as it delivers on all senses with nutty aromas, an earthy texture,and asmooth taste of vanilla.

💜 WHAT MAKES THIS DROP UNMISSABLE?

• World’s Best Cream Liqueur (2022) – not a small flex.
• Platinum, Gold, Double Gold – it collects medals like Pokémon.
• Rumolution 2026 surprise smash hit – the bottle everyone chased.
• Made from rum – yes, this purple beauty is rum‑based.
• Created by Aussies in the Philippines – Brendan & Tyson, legends.
• Tastes like tropical celebration – vanilla, coconut, earthy sweetness, pure joy.

Every bottle is a party. Every pour is a story. Every sip is a “wait… WHAT is this and why is it so good?”

💥 THE FLAVOUR EXPERIENCE

Ube (pronounced Oo‑Bae) is a naturally purple sweet potato – but forget everything you know about potatoes. This is velvety, nutty, vanilla‑kissed, coconut‑creamy, and dangerously moreish.

“Nutty earthy aromas of vanilla and toasted coconut…” “Velvety mouth feel… subtly sweet… leaving you wanting more…”

It’s dessert. It’s rum. It’s tropical nostalgia. It’s a vibe.

🍹 HOW TO DRINK IT

• Over ice – silky, sweet, and stupidly good.
• Ube Piña Colada – the festival favourite.
• Ube Espresso Martini – trust us.
• Straight from the fridge – no judgement.

This is the bottle that bartenders call “fun, bright, left‑of‑centre and perfect for tropical cocktails.” (cocktail ideas)

🔥 FINAL WORD FROM THE DISTILLER

“Ube carries memories of celebration, family and togetherness… that is the spirit we wanted to bring to the world.”

And now it’s coming straight to your doorstep, Rum Tribe.

💜 DON’T MISS OUT – SERIOUSLY

This is the kind of release members talk about for years. The kind that disappears fast. The kind that makes you wish you’d grabbed two.

If you want it – get it now. If you don’t… someone else will.

Our Tasting Notes:

💜 HOTEL LOBBY RUM

Nose: Tropical, bright and fresh are three words that instantly come to mind nosing this rum. Lots of sweet tropical fruit notes -fresh banana, lychee, guava and coconut to name a few I get. I’m sure more will spring to mind next time. All this with a big serve of vanillary Crème Brulé thrown in.

Palate: Sweet and just slightly warming on the palate with more lovely coconut notes, more vanilla plus a kaleidoscope of ‘jube-y’ flavours that pop and swirl.

Finish: Not real change in the flavour dynamic in the finish. A slight custard-y note on the alongside the all the notes aforementioned in the palate. The coconut really ‘pops’ again for a moment at the tail end of the finish too!

Whilst this isn’t the most complex or sophisticated rum I’ve tasted – it really is a bloody pleasant sipper. It’s not challenging, or funky or ‘left field’, but it’s sweet and fruity (without being overly sweet), light and tasty and certainly has some ‘X-factor’ there that does make it compelling on its own. But I feel its real strength is going to be a white rum for cocktails. With so much tropical fruit in its flavour profile – it’s going to fit right into your next cocktail!

💜 UBE CREAM LIQUEUR

Rather hard to describe this one. The first impression is the colour! The bottle isn’t lying – this stuff looks like purple paint! It’s the most vibrantly coloured alcoholic product I’ve ever laid eyes on! The flavour is very vanillery – but there’s just something there  I can’t put my finger on (Ube I guess! J). Theres nutty – pistachio I think – notes in there as well. As well as white chocolate and some floral notes  It’s sweet and creamy with an almost identical mouthfeel and sweetness as Kahlúa – only with that ube-vanilla rather than Kahlua’s coffee notes.

This is a totally ‘left field’ product and well worth trying! It’s definitely a unique flavour. Pull this out after dinner and the colour alone will have  your dinner guests forming a queue to try it. It was sold out at Brisbane and Sydney Rumolution this year – and for good reason. It’s a spectacular drink on it’s own, and who doesn’t want to play around making some purple cocktails! Be warned though – adding to much acidic ingredients (eg lime or lemon) to an ube-based cocktail can cause the cream to curdle.

After a solid field test on the weekend, I can highly recommend whipping up a few ‘Ube Coladas’ and/or some Purple Russians! Oh. So. Good!

Ube Colada

• 30 ml Ube Cream Liqueur
• 45 ml Hotel Lobby ‘Pearl White’ rum
• 30 ml coconut milk
• 60 ml pineapple juice
• 20 ml sugar syrup

Shake, strain and build; garnish with pineapple.

Purple Russian uses:

• 60 ml Ube Cream Liqueur
• 20 ml vodka
• 20 ml coffee liqueur
• 15 ml fresh milk

Garnish glass with a chocolate-sauce rim.

From Hotel Lobby Rum

“Hotel Lobby Rum is a spirit with real depth, distilled and blended in the Philippines, aged three years, with character that holds up whether you’re drinking it neat or mixing it into a cocktail. Our coconut charcoal filtration is precision, not reduction: it removes colour, not character, so that depth carries all the way through. The result is a White Rum that’s unmistakably Filipino in origin, mixes cleanly into anything, and still gives you something to notice when you slow down and taste it neat. This month, it’s featured alongside Ube Cream in a release timed for Father’s Day – a pairing that shows exactly what this rum is capable of.”

• Aroma & Nose: Imparts bright tropical notes of fresh banana, ripe mango, and sweet pineapple.
• Palate & Finish: Delivers vanilla, caramel, and gentle oak spice from the barrel interaction, rounded out by a smooth texture, subtle coconut presence, and a crisp pineapple finish.

~ Angelo Jeo Bangcaya, Hotel Lobby Rum Distiller

Ube Cream Liqueur Distillation & Rum Profile

Palate & Finish: Velvety mouth feel, subtly sweet that is ‘moorish’ in flavour leaving you wanting more, giving way to a warm bite of sugar cane spirit

Distillation Process: Noble Sugar Cane from the Island of Negros is fractured and the juice is distilled into cane spirit. The rum distillate is then blended with Ube from the Island of Bohol (a naturally purple root vegetable, that is a close cousin to New Zealand’s kumara or sweet potato), coconuts from Mindanao and cream.

Aroma & Nose: Nutty earthy aromas of vanilla and toasted coconut

“Ube is more than a Filipino flavour. As an Aussie living in the Philippines, I’ve come to understand that it carries memories of celebration, family and togetherness. Ube is part of the moments when Filipinos gather and share good times – that is the spirit we wanted to bring to the world.”

~ Tyson Branz, Destileria Barako Distiller

Testimonials

Hotel Lobby Rum

“A great alternative white rum with a profile ideal for tropical drinks. Had neat displays an aromatic nose with fresh coconut and exotic fruits – fresh mango and pineapple along with a creamy banana. Palate is balanced with lots of sweet coconut showing, which lasts into the finish and will make it ideal for tropical/tiki drinks. Designed for mixing but drinks well on its own.”

~ The Drinks Trade

“A white rum that tastes like a dark rum, what more could you ask for? Best of both worlds of rum, as the charcoal mellowing through Philippine coconut shells, distils this molasses dark rum into a pearly white rum. Not only can you see it, you can taste it – tropical notes of mango, banana and pineapple from the coconut filtration makes you feel like your in the islands. Whilst leaving all the goods bits of vanilla, caramel and spice character you would expect from it’s time in bourbon barrel.”

~ Siegfrid Bacani, 7000 Islands

Ube Cream Liqueur

“It’s just fun. It’s bright purple, it’s a cream liqueur, it’s sweet [and] it’s an interesting, left of centre flavour that a lot of people haven’t had before. We use it in a piña colada. It just works really well in that rum-style tropical cocktail.”

~ Jason Williams, Beverage Director, House Made Hospitality

The closest description I’ve found that resonates with our Aussie brothers and sisters is that it’s a very earthy, subtly sweet kind of vanilla. Ube is not one-dimensional in taste: it actually has ube, coconut and it’s base is distilled from cane spirit, that also happens to be a cream based rum liqueur – and it’s this complexity of multiple layers is what gives it Ube Cream Liqueur it’s recognition in terms of it’s tastes and versatility when mixing drinks.”

~ Siegfrid Bacani, 7000 Islands