Tanduay reenters the brandy market with Torres Brandy

TANDUAY is banking on the over 90 years of history of the Spanish brandy they’re distributing this year, Torres Brandy.

Torres, founded in 1928, arrives here on a distribution deal with spirits giant Tanduay, which itself is already 172 years old.

“The arrival of Torres in the Philippines marks the coming of two great houses that are united by a shared commitment to excellence and growth. This partnership reflects our vision to offer Filipino consumers world-class spirits,” said Lucio Tan III, president and chief executive officer of Tanduay in a statement.

Its first product in the Philippines, Torres 5 Light, was launched on Jan. 27 in Quezon City. According to Christian Visalli, Torres Spirits global managing director, launches of more premium lines — Torres 10, Torres 10 Double Barrel, Torres 20, and Jaime I — are forthcoming, though through other channels distinct from Torres 5 Light, which will be sold in supermarkets.

“We have chosen the Philippine market because it’s the biggest brandy market in the world,” said Mr. Visalli in an interview with BusinessWorld. An article in The Spirits Business (“Top 10 World’s largest brandy markets,” Amy Hopkins, 2014) places the Philippines at No. 2 with 287.9 million liters. “With Tanduay’s strengths in distribution, we believe we can actually have a successful result here,” said Mr. Visalli.

Bottled at 25% ABV, and crafted from quality grapes and aged using the Solera method in oak barrels, it has a clear-medium-gold appearance with delicate aromas of grape, dried fruits, and vanilla, and a smooth, subtly sweet taste featuring notes of prune, grape, and vanilla, according to a company statement. To us, it was fragrant, fruity, and an easy drink.

Roy Kristoffer Sumang, Tanduay international business development manager, confirmed that several years ago, Tanduay had a brandy brand, called Companero, now defunct. “Who we partnered with is a brand that has that premium-ness to it; there’s no need to create the brand from scratch,” he said. “They already have the storytelling, they have the heritage, the capability — and they have a good brand.”

“We don’t want to compete on that price positioning,” said Mr. Sumang on a similar product from Emperador Inc., Emperador Light, which retails for a little below P200 at 750 ml. Torres will be priced at about P320 to P350. “They’re going into a bit of luxury, but not so much that you’ll spend up to P1,000,” he said of Torres in a mix of English and Filipino.

An article from SGX Group, the Singapore Exchange, (“Emperador Inc. — Philippines’ Largest Global Liquor Company — Debuts on SGX,” 2022), said Emperador Inc. had an “82.3% market share among all local and imported brandies in the Philippines.”

The family behind Torres has been in the alcohol business since the 16^th century, concentrating on vineyards and wine (in the 1870s). Brandy making started with one of its descendants, Juan Torres Casals, in 1928. Speaking about the heritage behind Torres, Mr. Sumang said, “[What is] important for us is authenticity. We want to have that kind of storytelling to make people believe that we have a good brand that we want to bank on.” — Joseph L. Garcia