Tanduay's beginnings may be traced back to Elias Menchatorre's distillery in Hagonoy, Bulacan. Valentin Teus e Yrisarry purchased the distillery in 1856 and incorporated it into Ynchausti y Compania, a renowned Philippine multi-national company run by the Ynchausti family. Ynchausti y Compania opted to claim its establishment date (1854) as the distillery's establishment date, despite the fact that the Hagonoy distillery was already in business at the purchase. After six years, the first Tanduay distillery was built in Isla de Tanduay, which borders Manila's Quiapo and San Miguel sectors. As a result, the Ynchausti family emblem may still be visible on any bottle of Tanduay to this day.
There has been no information on the brand names manufactured by these two refineries, so it is safe to imply that all alcoholic beverages of the time were marketed without trade names or unique labels and were alluded to by their common names: "aguardiente" (the Spanish word for firewater), "tubâ" (palm wine), and "ron" (Spanish term for rum). Nevertheless, the distillery's first documents merely refer to its rum as "ron de destillera de Hagonoy y Tanduay" (meaning, "rum from the distillery of Hagonoy and Tanduay").
Official website: tanduay.com
The Manila distillery took over manufacturing by the 1900s. By the 1930s, the rum it supplied had been called Tanduay Rhum, and its bottling had been altered from the 10 gallons dama Juana container to small-sized glass bottles.
When Manuel de Ynchausti decided to exit key assets of Ynchausti y Compania in 1934 and 1935, Elizalde & Company, a new company formed by the grandchildren of Joaquin Marcelino Elizalde e Yrisarry (one of the initial minority affiliates of Ynchausti y Compania), purchased some of the significant business assets of Ynchausti & Compania, including the Tanduay distillery became a profitable operation under the leadership of the Elizalde group, manufacturing premium rum and other distilled spirits for both local and global markets under the corporate identity Tanduay Distillery, Inc.
On May 18, 1988, Lucio Tan's firm, Twin Ace Holdings Corporation, purchased the Tanduay brand and associated assets from Elizalde & Company, Inc. The new administration initiated a facility refurbishment and development program that nearly doubled the distillery's output volume. Twin Ace Holdings altered its identity to Tanduay Distillers, Inc. on July 30, 1999. Tanduay Distillers, Inc. also makes gin, vodka, brandy, whiskey, and rum.
Tanduay's coat of arms has been on the labels of Tanduay-branded commodities since Tanduay Distillery, Inc.'s inception (predecessor of the present company, Tanduay Distillers, Inc.). It has two escutcheons (shields). The left shield is modeled on the escutcheon of the Tanduay distillery's original proprietors, the Ynchausti family.
Tanduay's oldest distillery, situated on Calle Tanduay (now J. Nepomuceno Street) in Quiapo, Manila, served as the company's primary manufacturing site until it was deactivated in April 2013. Tanduay Distillers, Inc. confirmed the relocation of manufacturing to a bigger plant in Cabuyao, Laguna, suitable for producing 100,000 cases on average every day. The first distillery had a capacity of 30,000 cases per day. Parts of the historic distillery will be transformed into a museum showcasing Tanduay's tradition and legacy. If necessary, the distillery could be reactivated in the future to function as a backup manufacturing plant.
The Tanduay distillery was named from its initial site on Isla de Tanduay, a triangular portion of Manila surrounded by the esteros (estuaries) of San Miguel and San Sebastian. "Tanduay" is derived from the Tagalog name for "peninsula," which also means "low-lying terrain." The whole region, including neighboring Quiapo, was routinely inundated during the rainy season. Tanguay in Cebuano indicated a site where tuba (palm wine) is purchased and sold.
Tanduay became the first Philippine business to sign a significant sponsorship agreement with a National Basketball Association team and arena in March 2017.
Tanduay inked a two-year agreement with the Golden State Warriors in October 2017, appointing Tanduay as the featured sponsor of certain Warriors games, such as the Warriors' Filipino Heritage Night on October 29, 2017.
Tanduay struck a three-year partnership arrangement with the Milwaukee Bucks on January 22, 2021, making Tanduay the Bucks' signature rum. Tanduay signed a deal with the Phoenix Suns in April 2021.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the company began manufacturing Ethyl Alcohol alongside Absolut Distillers, Inc. for hospitals to deal with the alcohol scarcity in medical centers.
Tanduay's rich and colorful tradition is reflected in this rum. This extra unique blend's aging procedure shows a luscious tint of mahogany with tastes of coconut, banana, pepper, and nut oil. An excellent tropical rum that goes well in punches and Piña colada. 40% alcohol by volume, Tanduay's Master Blender created this delicious blend of aged rum with the perfect amount of sweetness and fragrance. This 55-proof blend has a strong, smooth flavor with slight woody overtones, is full-bodied, and has a sweet texture on the finish.
Tanduay 1854 rum was made in 2004 to commemorate the manufacturer's 150th anniversary. 1854 is a 15-year-aged rum mix that is packaged at 80 proof (40% abv).
Tanduay 1854 is packaged in a nice, slim bottle with a pristine blue and silver label declaring its ingredients to be "Premium Aged" 15 years. A sip of 1854 has an intoxicating scent. The strong fragrances of fruits — pineapple, banana, and citrus – will be the first to catch your attention.
The rum's thin, oily texture is presented to your tongue immediately. The entrance is mildly sweet and has similar banana and pineapple flavors as the nose and is followed by a subtle flavor of roasted sugar and vanilla. A straw taste rides on the pinnacle of the vanilla before concluding with a peppery vanilla taste with a tinge of banana. Unfortunately, the lingering taste has a slightly chemical flavor, deviating from the remaining experience.
