Rum brand highlights premium line for 170th year
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine alcoholic beverage company Tanduay is celebrating its 170th anniversary, highlighting its selection of fine rums.
At a Signature Masterclass held in Oto in Makati's Poblacion area recently, the brand's Research and Development head Janno Gironella pointed out why rum remains popular in the Philippines.
Gironella said that the Philippines is the second largest producer of sugar, a key component to making rum, and that the brand has been surpassing the sales of Bacardi rum since 2019.
To drive further the success of Tanduay this past 170 years, the inaugural Masterclass covered four fine rum variants of the brand — Asian Rum (silver and gold), Double Rum, and Especia Spiced Rum.
The Asian Rum Silver has a clearer, pale-straw yellow color because it was aged in ex-bourbon barrels no more than five years —the longer the aging, the more golden the color of rum — and filtered in carbon filtration, reducing the alcohol's harshness to make drinking smoother.
An intense aroma of mandarin and grapefuits can be observed, but sweetness akin to cream soda and citrus are tasted in each sip that are sweeter than the last.
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Gironella recommended the Asian Rum Silver for mixed cocktails like Cuba Libre and Daquiri.
The Asian Rum Gold has the familiar bright golden amber color and a more traditional aroma, oak (which could be from the barrels) and sweetness akin to honey, caramel, and vanilla.
The vanilla comes through in the sips as does hints of nutmeg. Because it is smoother than the Silver, the Gold can be enjoyed both neat and for mixed drinks.
The Double Rum has a more tropical and beach-like aroma, and in an even smoother body the pineapple taste comes making it ideal for a Piña Colada and other cool beverages.
Compared to the Asian Rum Gold and the Especia Spiced Rum, which aged up seven years in ex-bourbon barrels, the Double Rum is aged 16 years then married in the barrels for two years.
The Especia Spiced Rum has the strongest aroma of the four, almost gingerbread-like because of cinnamon, caramel, and vanilla smells.
A fruity taste joins the cinnamon when sipped, and the extra smooth body makes it good for premium mixing.
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