WEBVTT 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - So when you think of rum, you'll always think 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 of pirates or beach. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Rum always have that connotation or that reputation. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 We want to push the needle further. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 You know how people enjoy single malt? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It has that sipping culture— that's what we hope 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to build for rum. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 With Luisita Rum, we want to show the consumer 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that it can be enjoyed as a sipper as well, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 not just in cocktails but as a sipper. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - Hi! I'm John Go. I work with an importing 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and distribution company called Grand Cru. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So our purpose is to make more niche 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and boutique brands available locally. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I think Filipinos drink so much rum 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 because it's a very accessible spirit. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Like, we're a tropical country. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It's easy for sugarcane to grow in a tropical country. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 We have Tanduay which is, I think, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 one of the biggest rum producers in the world. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So the different brands of rum you can find here 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 in the Philippines are Clairin, Flor de Caña, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Doorly's, Tanduay, and of course, Luisita Rum. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 For me, what makes a good rum is it has to have texture 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and flavor. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - In Tarlic City, Philippines, the first and only 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 single estate rum in the country has been crafted 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 from soil to bottles since 2016. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Inspired by a deep fascination with wine, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 father and son duo, Nando and Paco, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 have been meticulously creating Luisita Rum with the vision 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 of producing a premium, farm-centric wine of the tropics. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - They know what it's all about. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - I believe so. Yeah. We have explained. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Cheers, pop. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Wow. The ----- stuff is really good. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - Oh, wow. It's really good. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - Yeah. I haven't tried this one in a while 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but it's delicious. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Of course, the bird. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - This is the bird I was telling them. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - Philippine hawk-eagle. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - Yeah. 2136. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - What's important with the brand is that we really stick 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to the core value. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So we're trying to make a spirit that you can really 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 be proud of, something that's done 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 in the classic, traditional way of making 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 a world-class spirit, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and there are certain things you cannot compromise on 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and you have to stick to that. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - The three most popular ways to make rum 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 is the Spanish style, the English style, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and the French style. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The most familiar style we have here is Spanish style. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Luisita is different from other rums made 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 in the Philippines because, one, they're single estate, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 so all of the molasses they use all come from the sugarcane 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 in their land which gives them more quality control 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 with the raw material and also gives a higher chance 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to expressing terroir. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So it's essentially grass to glass. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - Luisita actually was founded in 1881—the estate. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It was founded, at that time, the Philippines, our country, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 was a colony of Spain. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So it was put up by a company called Tabacalera. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So Tabacalera was involved at that time, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 they were the biggest tobacco traders in the world. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So the original plan of that company 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 was to plant tobacco here in Luisita, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but they found that the climate was not suitable 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 for tobacco farming. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So around... some time in the early, well, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 the third of the century, early 1900s, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 they shifted to, okay, let's start planting sugarcane. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So in 1927, our family, we had no stake here in Luisita. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 My paternal great grandfather, actually he and his siblings, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 they had a sugar mill further up north 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 called Paniqui Sugar Mill. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So it closed down already some time in the 90s, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and they actually had a rum at that time. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And this rum was being sold and really prevalent 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 in the market after the war. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Looking at the history as I started, like, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 asking stories from relatives and looking at history books, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I slowly realized that rum making 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 is actually, not in our blood, but we've been doing it 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 for a long time without us even knowing. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So here we have what we call a sandy loam. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Actually, they called it Luisita soil, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 they gave it its own designation. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And this kind of soil, it's easily workable, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 high in organic matter. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 When you have good soil, everything else follows. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So the philosophy is always just focus 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 on the ground. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So with sugarcane farming, and any farming really, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 you have to be very observant, take care of the soil, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and that is actually 99% of the battle. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 ***- Yung pagtatanim namin, yearly nagiimprove yan eh, di lang nagtatanim kami ng tubo pati yung soil inaalagaan namin yan. Kailangan may crop rotation or kaya maglagay ka ng organic matter para yung fertility babalik, dahil naging acidic na yung lupa. Kung di maganda yung lupa mo, pangit din yung production mo dahil di lalaki yung sugarcane. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - Once you take care of the soil, the process 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 is setup seed beds, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 so these would be nurseries where we grow specific varieties 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that we pinpoint to specific soil type. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Sugarcane is actually not grown from seed 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but we propagate it from the stalk itself. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 There are eye buds in the sugarcane plant, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 so sugarcane is actually a grass, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 you plant it, and then it grows from these eye buds. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Come harvest time, we cut it by hand 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 in the first plant, and then we also use 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 mechanical harvesters now. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 ***- Kaya nga ang ginawa nila, lahat ng nauna dun, ikakarga nila tapos mamaya iaatras nila yung truck nila para yung mga nakakalat pa dun, ilalagay lahat dito sa truck, ikakarga lahat. Halimbawa kakargahin yan hanggang 10-15 or 19 tons, ayan. Pero yung nakakarga nila ngayon wala pa sa 19 tons yan. Magtatabas sila ulit. Pagkatapos magloading yan, dadalhin na sa central. Pagkatapos pupunta na sa ticket booth at for milling na nila yun. - Ang unang nameet ko si boss Paco nung nagtanim tayo sa bahay kubo, naghahakot ka pa eh, nagfefeeders ka pa, tapos yung malalaking bato inaalis mo pa sa bahay kubo. Diba nandun ka rin? - Oo nagtabas din. - Nagtabas din ako. Kaya alam na alam ko yung trabahong yan. - Dinatnan ko sa may Hacienda Bantug, nagtabas kayo dun sir kasama si Boss Juan. Umakyat sila ditong ganun. - 47 trucks. - Oo yun. - 2015. - Naexperience niya rin tong ginagawa ng mga ito. Hinakot niya, sa ladder umakyat ganun. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - Actually, I wanted to be a lawyer. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 ***So growing up, grade school pa lang, my father is a lawyer so I was like, okay, I want to be a lawyer. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And I tried it out, spent three months 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 in his law firm in his little cubicle... 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And I'll be honest, I didn't have fun. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So I talked to him and I said, "Okay. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I don't think this is for me." 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 He sent me here. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 "Okay. Try it out in Tarlac." 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I thought I was going to be a farm manager right away, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 you know? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Like, okay. Top position, here we go. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And apparently, my first job was to cut sugarcane. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I don't know if it was planned, that maybe he wanted me 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to have the hardest job so that I'd go back and say, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 "Okay. I'll be a lawyer." 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Maybe it backfired. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Probably did. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I fell in love with it and I still really remember that. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So I look back on that now. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 At that time, it didn't make sense to me. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It's a difficult job. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But now that I look back on it, it gives me confidence 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 in myself that, okay, I really love this, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 'cause I wouldn't have done that, I wouldn't have... 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and I'd do it again. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And it reminds me that I'm passionate about it. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 When I cut that cane in 2014, 2015, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I didn't go home, I never left this place. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So I've been here for 10 years now. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Almost 11, actually. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So here in Luisita in Central Luzon, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 we actually have the biggest fleet 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 of mechanical harvesters and we're really pushing 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to mechanize the industry, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 at least for sugarcane which is what we're involved in. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The reason being so that the labor now can transfer 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to jobs that cannot be mechanized. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So it's really bringing them to where the human touch 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 is required. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Once that cane is harvested, it's now sent here to the mill 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and it's dumped. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So we have a special technology, we lift the truck up 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and the special technology is called gravity. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The cane falls down from the truck. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 ***-Ito pala yung tinatawag naming mill processing ng kung paano iayos yung truck namin para bago idump sa mill. Bale ginagawa po is dalawang area yan, para di madelay yung pagpoprocess yung pagtutumba ng truck, pagkayari ng isa, yung isa naman, para yung pagdudump ng truck tuloy tuloy, walang delay. Bale pantay na siya, di tulad ng unang dumping, magulo yung pagkakadump niya. Pero pag dumaan na siya ng equalizer, magiging pantay na, magiging ayos na. Tapos pagkayari nun, dadaan ng mill, dun na pipigain yung mga chips na galing sa crushing tapos yung juice niya ilalabas niya, pipigain na doon. Yang mga truck na yan nanggagaling ng iba't ibang lugar, may Victoria, may Nueva Ecija, meron din sa Pangasinan, meron din sa Gerona. May iba't Ibang lugar din pong pinanggagalingan. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - So once that cane is dumped, it goes through a series of, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 they call it a Unigrator. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 To keep it simple, it's a lot of cane knives crushing it. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Inside the mill, you can just imagine 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 it's a sugarcane juicer but in a large scale. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The cane is really now squeezed, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 we extract as much juice as we can, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and that juice now gets sent to the boiling house. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It's heated up, we evaporate as much water 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 as we can, really to concentrate the sugar content 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 in the sugarcane juice. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But inside the mill, that cane juice now goes 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to the boiling house and whatever's left over, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 'cause 78% of that sugarcane stalk 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 is actually fiber, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and that fiber is now really crushed 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and we send that now to the boiler. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And in the boiler, it's burnt and that generates steam, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that steam is now sent to our turbine generators 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to generate power. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So everything you need for sugarcane factories 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and the sugar industry is almost, there I say, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 carbon neutral because the energy required 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to process the sugarcane and the sugar is also in the plant. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So that part is... 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I'm always amazed by that. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 We call it bagasse—that fiber. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It's now burnt, and then, of course, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 people now think, "Oh, you're throwing pollutants 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 into the atmosphere." 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So what we did, again, going back to taking care 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 of the soil is we put a, they call it a scrubber, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 so it's just water jets that shoot into the chute, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 the chimney, and now all the particulates fall 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to the ground and it's called mill ash 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 which is very high in potassium and other trace elements— 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 molybdenum, all of that good stuff. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 That mill ash now we apply it back into the field. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So again, it's a closed loop system. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So that's what happens with the fiber. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The juice, which is now in the boiling house, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 once it hits the clarity that's needed, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 the bricks that's required, we send that now 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to the evaporators where more water is evaporated. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 ***- This is the pan floor station. So ito yung evaporation station, so dito inaalis yung tubig. We concentrate the juice from 30 brix to 65 brix. So after boiling sa taas, after 24 hours of curing time, ito na yung C sugar. Sineseparate ito ng ating continuous centrifugal basket. Ito yung ating C sugar, and then yung molasses naman nito is the final molasses. This is the final molasses na naextract dito sa boiling house, and then ito yung isesend sa distillery for fermentation to product the alcohol. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - So molasses, locally we call it "pulot." 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It's all the sugars that can no longer be crystallized. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 ***- Dito namin pinapalaki yung mga grano na galing ng tres papunta rito sa pan number 4 and number 5. Dito namin tinitignan yung laki ng grano, yung kwan ng kulay niya, at hanggang sa mayari dun 5 glass. So pag ginanito namin dito, pag wala siyang sumama sa glass, malinis na siya. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - Okay. So the final step or the second check that we have 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 for the molasses quality would be in the quality 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 of our raw sugar or our brown sugar. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So by flavor, by taste, I can tell if it's too sweet, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 my molasses quality is not that good. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 If there's a little bit of bitterness, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 a little bit of molasses flavor, sugarcane flavor, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 then it's great for distillation. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So right now, this sugar, when you taste it, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 based on the taste alone... 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 No, not yet. It's not just like alcohol 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but it's not overly sweet, so you don't want it 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to be too sweet. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 That means that there's still enough sugar in the molasses 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that when we ferment it, we're going to be able 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to hit the desired flavor profile for our rum distillate. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So the sugar is now sent to the warehouse for repacking 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and you know, to supply the sugar in the market. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But the important part here when we got into making 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 the rum distillate is the aroma that you smell 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 when you taste the unaged rum before it hits the barrel. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 This is what we look for, this smell, this aroma, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 this brown sugar, almost like a crème brûlée 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 kind of essence. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And then, that's what tell us, okay, this distillate 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 is good for rum. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Yeah. This reaches the supermarket, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and then some of it we send to become white sugar, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 depending on the market. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But this is our contribution to Philippine agriculture. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 We focused on fermentation because in fermentation, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that is where alcohol and flavors are made. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 ***- Dito po sa lugar na to, dito po namin pinaparami yung yeast. So from lab yeast which is around 12 liters lang, macoconvert siya into large scale na yeast around 22,000 liters. So dito sa small cultivator may laman siyang worth. Yung worth, yun po ay combination ng molasses which is the byproduct of sugar. So dito po samin napupunta yung molasses. Worth, combination siya ng molasses, water, chlorine and other nutrients for yeast. So bale ina-aerate lang siya para dumami pa. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - So after this fermentation, we got to distillation. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So the yeast, the little animals which are friends, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 they consume the residual sugars in the molasses 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and turn that into what we know as alcohol, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but in our case, rum distillate. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So rum distillate is rum that has not seen 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 the inside of a barrel. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It doesn't have an age yet, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but there's already flavor there. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Once fermentation is done, we send it to this 98-year-old. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It was put up in 1926/1927. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Distillery. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So it's a twin column distillation process 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 designed specifically for rum, or for spirits. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The inside of that is all copper. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 We have about 70 copper plates and bubble caps. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I don't want to get too technical. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But basically, to make good rum distillate, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 you want the inside of your column still to be copper. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Here you'll see, we call it column no. 3. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So it's our oldest column. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So whatever was in fermentation gets fed first 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 into the beer still. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And then from the beer still, it goes to the rectifying column. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So the rectifying column is where we get... 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 we now collect our unaged rum— 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 so the rum distillate. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 In simple terms, the way I like to view it, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I'm playing hide-and-seek to find the flavor. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So if you will notice, there are a lot of tapping points. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So we put a tapping point in each part 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 of the rectifying column. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So as we go on, every hour we're tasting, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and we find where the good alcohol is. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So it's hide-and-seek. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So sometimes we might get it here, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 sometimes we might get it here, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 most times we get it here. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So again, it's a sensory experience. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 You smell it. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And to make the decision, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 it's just like food, if it tastes good, collect, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 if you don't like how it tastes, divert it. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 After distillation, it's coming off the still 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 at 95% or even 93% alcohol, that's not... 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 you can drink it but actually, no, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 you cannot drink it, do not drink it. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So that's already rum distillate. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 That's already considered rum. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 What you do now, what we do is we get that 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and we now send that to our blending facility 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 where we slowly drop the proof or the alcohol percent 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to about 62-65% ABV or alcohol by volume. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And once that's done, once you hit the target ABV, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that's what we now put into the barrel. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 At least as far as aging is concerned in the bodega, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 we find here in Luisita that it should, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 given the climate, it takes about two years 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to reach the profile that we are looking for. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Now, our oldest batch is eight years already actually. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So once it's in that barrel, the rum distillate 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 is interacting with the wood, all of that lignin layers 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and you really just let time do its thing, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 let nature do its thing, and all of these chemical compounds, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 alcohol, esters, congeners, they now form inside the barrel 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and the taste develops even further. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 ***- Yes. Malaking factor yung pagaage ng rum. Dito kasi sa Philippines mainit ang climate natin so mas mabilis mag-age yung ine-age nating alcohol compared sa abroad na medyo malamig yung area nila so matagal yung aging nila kaya inaabot ng 10-15 years. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - One good thing that came out of the pandemic 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 is all the barrels that you see here, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 we tasted it and we scored it. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 We scored it on a rating of one to five. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So this is called the barrel thief, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but this is the real barrel thief. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 (chuckles) 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So this is our way of testing the barrel 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and rum that is inside. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So we make it a point to taste at least... 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 maximum 30 barrels in one day, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and then we score it one to five based on flavor, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 aroma, and then style. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So style would be how close it is to the flavor 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 or the profile of Luisita Rum that we are looking for. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - How old is that? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - So this one would be... 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 This is about five years. Yeah. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So you guys asked a while ago what is my favorite way 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 of drinking Luisita Rum, it's like this, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 straight from the barrel, neat. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So this is 65%. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - So Bar By is an architectural firm by day, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and then a cocktail bar at night. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So after working, you can drink. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 ***Nagsimula ako as a guest dito sa bar, and then ayun nakakainuman ko sila and then dun na nagsimula, oh sige work na tayo ganun. Ganun lang naman. I think a lot of things happen kapag umiinom at nagsheshare ng stories so baka ganun, that's what happened. - For our menu, it's a fun twist of the signature classic, and we also do bespoke creations. And dito sa Bar By gumagamit kami ng calamansi liqueur or dalandan. And yung latest namin is Intramuros chocolate liqueur. And also yun Luisita Rum and other local rums. - We use a lot of local spirits and liquor. One of the local spirits that we use are Luisita Rum. In fact, two of our bartenders nakapunta na sa farm nila and then they get to see the process of doing it. They know their drinks. - We offer our local ingredients, local produce na local liquors, mga liqueurs na kayang lumaban dun sa international brands. So yung gagawin ko ngayon is River Valley. So it's a clarified cocktail. So gumagamit kami ng milk punch. So most of the rums kasi nanggaling sa mga tropical countries, so ayun Barbados, mga Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago. Ang sugarcane kasi... Sugar is a basic necessity sa Philippines so masasabi natin na we have the raw materials to make rum. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - With Luisita Rum, we always want to keep 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that sense of place. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So we're not going to release a product 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that we feel is... will not be worthy 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 of the name Luisita Rum. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It has to be something we're proud of. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 People always ask me that, and it's sort of a crossroad, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 "Are you going to go mass market?" 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 "Are you going to go full production?" 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 "You want to be in every shelf of the world?" 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Of course, a part of you will say yes, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but if I do that and I lose the quality, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that's not the dream for Luisita Rum 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 because like I said, we want to show the world 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that we're capable of producing a really world-class 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 premium spirit that just tastes really good 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and it hits that quality that we're looking for. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - I'm still kicking. Senior citizen. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I'm super senior. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 ***Dahil dito ko lumaki, dito ko pinanganak, hanggang ngayon nandito parin ako sa sugarcane business. Nagtatrabaho parin ako dito kaya I'm proud napagaral ko mga anak ko dahil dito lang. Sana magtagal yan. At yung mga bata sa amin, tinuturuan namin yan para pag wala na kami, sila ang susunod na magtatrabaho dito. Yan ang pangarap ko. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - Napatapos ko yung mga anak ko. Napatapos ko lahat dito sa hacienda. Basta masaya ka sa trabaho mo, okay lang. Ito okay din nagtatrabaho ako kahit 62 years old na ako, nandito parin ako. - Nakikita ko yung pinaghirapan ko sa market na iniinom ng mga tao at tuwang tuwa sa iniinom nila. Kasi inumpisahan namin tong project ng mga Cojuanco nung maliit pa. Eh ngayon lumalago eh, lumalaki kaya I'm very proud na naachieve namin ito. Ang pangarap ko sa project na to, Luisita Rum, ay sana lalo pang lalago at magciclick lahat ng projects na ginagawa namin, marenown sa buong mundo di lang sa Pilipinas. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - So the potential for Filipino rum worldwide 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 is good because in other parts of the world, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 rum is becoming more popular. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Historically, most of the rum come from the Caribbean, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but with the rising trend of rum, other parts of the world, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 mostly Asia, they're making more rum. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I think Luisita is a good indicator that the Philippines 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 can have more craft rum brands in the future. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 ***- Nakakatuwa when I hear that they're like, wow, we're not just planting sugarcane anymore, we're planting rum. It's nice to hear because now you're value adding, of course, and it uplifts the community, it helps them. Make the most of it and the dream is that the brand really outlives me. The driving factor really there would be to create something that, you know, 100 years from now, 200 years from now, it's still there, Luisita Rum is still there.