MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Five Tanduay products recently received high marks from the International Taste Institute, a world leader in the evaluation and certification of consumer food and beverages.
Based in Brussels, Belgium, it has evaluated more than 18,000 food and drink products from around the world since its founding in 2005. Its jury is composed of more than 200 renowned chefs and sommeliers from 15 European culinary and sommelier associations, and Michelin-starred institutions.
Tanduay Asian Rum Gold, Tanduay Asian Rum Silver, Tanduay Double Rum, Tanduay Boracay Cappuccino Flavored Rum, and Tanduay Boracay Coconut Flavored Rum were among the 2,218 food and drinks from around the world that they awarded with the 2021 Superior Taste Award, a certification granted to products that meet or exceed a tasting score of 70%.
How the Products Are Evaluated
The jury’s focus is 100% on taste. Products that scored above 70% are then granted stars. Three stars go to “exceptional products” that score above 90%. “Remarkable products” that receive a score between 80% to 90% are granted two stars, while “notable products” with a score of 70% to 80% get one star.
Tanduay Asian Rum Gold was granted three stars. Tanduay Asian Rum Silver, Tanduay Double Rum, and Tanduay Boracay Cappuccino Flavored Rum all received two stars. Tanduay Boracay Coconut Flavored Rum was granted one star.
Tanduay Asian Rum Gold and Tanduay Asian Rum Silver also received the Crystal Award, which is granted to products that have been awarded three stars for three years in a row.
All the products underwent an objective sensory evaluation from the jury, who follows a rigorous blind tasting methodology. To avoid scoring biases, product samples remain anonymous. Apart from scoring the product performance, the jury also provides comments and suggestions for further product improvement and food pairing.
“The overall quality of products submitted in 2021 has been exceptionally high. We are delighted to witness that the industry is increasingly developing healthier products while keeping a strong focus on taste,” said Alan Coxon, President of the International Taste Institute chef jury.
Coxon is the British Ambassador for Food and Drink, a multi-awarded chef, BBC TV chef presenter, and cookbook author.
World-Class Philippine-made Products
“Receiving the stamp of approval from chefs and sommeliers from around the globe is a testament to our team’s hard work and dedication in coming up with a truly world-class product. This also goes to show that Philippine-made products are in the same league as other world-renowned brands,” Tanduay President and COO Lucio Tan III said.
Tan added that Tanduay doing well in a contest that focused on taste only goes to show that its rums’ distinct flavors are appreciated by international customers.
“While most of our loyal customers are from the Philippines, we are also slowly making inroads into the rum markets of other countries,” Tan further said.
As of this writing, Tanduay products are available in the U.S. states of Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, and the territory of Guam. It is also available in China, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Germany. They are now likewise available in the Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg) area after Tanduay signed a partnership with Alcobrands, one of the region’s biggest wines and spirits distributors.
