Award-Winning rum maker enters the market
There’s a reason why Tanduay, a 166-year-old rum manufacturer in the Philippines, remains at the top of the wines and spirits category worldwide, and now people in Nevada can experience how the World’s Number One Rum* tastes like.
Johnson Brothers, one of the leading wine, spirits, and beer distributors in the U.S., recently partnered with the top Philippine rum manufacturer to bring Tanduay’s wide range of internationally acclaimed rums to Nevada.
“We couldn’t be more excited about our new partnership with Tanduay Rum, the largest Rum brand in the world,” said Yale Johnson, Vice President of Johnson Brothers. “With a global 150-year track record of success, we recognize the tremendous opportunity for this portfolio in the U.S. Additionally, we see great potential with the premium rum category and look forward to leveraging our best in class selling capabilities and customer relationships to help Tanduay Rum flourish in all Johnson Brothers markets.”
Tanduay makes its rums with dedication and craftsmanship, and it all starts with the sugarcane it uses for its products. It sources its sugarcanes from the verdant region of Victorias in the Visayas that has a long tradition of sugarcane farming and one of the Philippines’ sugar capitals.
Sugarcane planting begins as the rainy season is about to start and harvesting is done by the summer of the following year. Once harvested, the sugarcanes would then be cleaned, stripped off their leaves, cut, and refined in Tanduay’s sugar mill to produce the molasses, which is the key ingredient to the company’s fine-tasting rums.
Tanduay uses only first-syrup A-grade molasses, which are extracted from the initial boil of the sugarcanes and is valued for its unique taste. Fermentation—the process that turns the sugars into alcohol—then follows, creating a ferment prime for distillation.
Tanduay has three distillation plants, which are all located in elevated regions. The high elevation of its plants in Negros Occidental, Misamis Oriental, and Laguna, coupled with the Philippines’ humid climate contribute to Tanduay’s distinct flavor and aroma. It is in these distilleries where the molasses is turned into a clear liquid—ethanol.
Tanduay’s skilled blenders would then take over, with the liquids stored in Kentucky bourbon oak barrels for aging. The rum maker uses two aging processes: the single-barrel method and the solera aging process.
In the single-barrel method, the rums mature in individual barrels for a set amount of time. In the solera aging process, the rums are stored in a series of Kentucky bourbon barrels that are never empty, which helps create and sustain the flavors contained there for generations.
Tanduay’s Master Blender would then take over. The guardian of all of Tanduay’s rum formulas, he is the one who checks the rum for consistency and quality Once the Master Blender gives the go signal, the rums are sent for bottling and packaging.
“All Tanduay products are proudly Philippine-made, and it is our honor to bring it to the state of Nevada with the help of Johnson Brothers,” Tanduay Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing Paul Lim said.
