Insider Spotlight
The Philippine rum maker is leveraging both as it accelerates distribution across key international markets, positioning its premium variants for stronger shelf visibility and consumer recall.
That strategy recently gained third-party validation at the PR%F Awards 2025, where Tanduay Overproof and Tanduay Reserve Rum 10 Years secured top recognitions in both tasting and design categories.
The wins underscore the brand’s effort to align craftsmanship with commercial appeal.
“Detail is important when it comes to taste and design, and we at Tanduay have always paid close attention to the products we release. We want it to be the best, and to have the same quality wherever it is being distributed anywhere in the world,” Roy Kristoffer Sumang, Tanduay international business development manager, said in a press statement.
Why it matters
Global spirits growth is increasingly premium-led, with buyers from hotels, airlines, restaurants and liquor chains favoring products that combine strong sensory profiles with standout packaging.
Recognition from panels composed of real-world decision-makers strengthens Tanduay’s pitch to distributors abroad.
At the competition, Tanduay Overproof earned a Gold Medal with a score of 93 in the Tasting Competition and a Double Gold in the Design Competition.
Tanduay Reserve Rum 10 Years received a Silver Medal with a score of 89 in tasting and a Gold in design.
“It is a great honor to receive recognition from a competition designed to reflect real-world buying decisions, where products are evaluated by experts who have a say on what customers would want,” Sumang said.
By the numbers
Tanduay Overproof blends pot and column still dark rums aged in ex-bourbon oak barrels, delivering caramel, cherry and vanilla notes with a medium-long finish.
Meanwhile, the 10-Year Reserve offers tropical dried fruits, toasted oak, and butterscotch layered into a smooth, rounded body designed for sipping neat or in cocktails.
The big picture
Backed by the Lucio Tan Group since 1988 and named World’s No. 1 Rum by Drinks International in 2017—a title it has held for eight consecutive years—Tanduay is using its awards momentum to further showcase Philippine-made spirits on the world stage. —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
