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Aaron Aw with Bonifacio Rum bottles

Jeeves De Veyra

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1761038885550aaron aw with bonifacio rum bottles.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Aaron Aw with Bonifacio Rum bottles. Jeeves de Veyra"/>Aaron Aw with Bonifacio Rum bottles. Jeeves de VeyraDestileria Limtuaco, the country’s oldest distillery, pays tribute to its founder Don Bonifacio Limtuaco with the launch of Bonifacio Rum — its first-ever line of pure pot still rums.</div>The 147 year-old multi-awarded distillery is the oldest one in the country. It got its humble start back in 1852 where Don Bonifacio distilled Chinese medicinal wine on the streets of Binondo. That legacy is alive and well in the newly released bottles of Bonifacio Rum.The pot still rum has always been part of Destileria Limtuaco’s blends, mixed in small quantities with its column still rums such as Palawan White, Old Captain, and Very Old Captain. This marks the first time it has been bottled on its own.Aaron Aw, the sixth-generation master distiller of Destilieria Limtuaco, introduced Bonifacio Rum at Three Dots atop Greenhills Mall to a group of media and bartenders. He admitted that they were apprehensive at first of releasing the rum on its own. &quot;You want people to know that you make rum like this in the Philippines,” a visiting rum expert told Aw, which then got them to decide to pursue bottling the rum.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1761039019892SUPPLIED - label.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The handsome label tells the story of the rum. Handout"/>The handsome label tells the story of the rum. HandoutFrom Don Bonifacio’s portrait to the sugarcane and the galleon from Destileria Limtuaco’s coat of arms, the label artfully weaves together the story of the rum’s origins. The bottle is classy and would make a great addition to any collector’s liquor cabinet.</div>This is the first rum of this style that’s made locally. Bonifacio Rum is made with molasses transported overland from a sugar-rich region of Luzon to the distillery in Guiguinto, Bulacan. Here, the molasses is fermented with yeast, twice distilled into a rum that’s roughly 65 to 69% alcohol by volume (ABV), and then diluted down to 55%.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1761039060714SUPPLIED - Destilieria Limtuaco&#x27;s Pot Still in Bulacan.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The distillery in Guiguinto, Bulacan. Handout"/>The distillery in Guiguinto, Bulacan. HandoutIf you get a chance to do a tasting, I’d advise to start with the signature Bonifacio Philippine Pure Pot Still White Rum. With no aging at all, this is a punchy sip with vegetal notes that reminded me of a rum agricole or a Clairins that gives way to sweet sugar cane, banana and honey. It certainly has personality that goes beyond just sweet and sugar, with some funk thrown in to keep it interesting. Because of that high alcohol content, this makes a great base for citrusy bright drinks like a daiquiris or mixed with lemon soda.</div>Follow this up with the more approachable Bonifacio Philippine Pot Still Blend Legacy Rum expression that’s made with their aged column-still rum and a bit of the pot-still white rum. There is still a pleasant hit of alcohol with the sugary-caramel sweetness with a slight hint of raisins. With that much friendlier 43% ABV, this makes for a refreshing neat drink. Of the three, I really wanted a sip of the 46% ABV Bonifacio Philippine Pure Pot Still Aged Rum. This is the base white rum aged from 2 to 5 years in ex-bourbon barrels. On a closer look, this was amber and not as dark as what I would have expected. Aw said that the reason for this was that the barrels were not re-charred and were filled with rum as soon as they got them. It’s whisky on first sniff but think of those sugarcane notes from the base white rum with vanilla, smoke, wood, and spice on the palate. As with whisky, this is best sipped neat or on the rocks, although I’d want to try a whisky- or bourbon-based cocktail like an old fashioned or a whisky sour made with this.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1761039136874tasting set.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Bonifacio Rum tasting set. Jeeves de Veyra"/>Bonifacio Rum tasting set. Jeeves de VeyraAw said that the first bottles are allocated to bars so that bartenders and mixologists can play with the rum for experimentation and develop bespoke cocktails.
Limited quantities will be available to the public via Destileria Limtuaco’s e-commerce platform at www.liquorexpress.ph soon. </div>The SRPs of the rum are as follows: Bonifacio Philippine Pot Still Blend Legacy Rum (P990), Bonifacio Philippine Pure Pot Still White Rum (P1,089), and Bonifacio Philippine Pure Pot Still Aged Rum (P2,189).

The country’s oldest distillery looks back on its 147-year legacy with Bonifacio Rum, a new line of pure pot still rums honoring founder Don Bonifacio Limtuaco and the enduring Filipino art of rum-making.

The country’s oldest distillery looks back on its 147-year legacy with Bonifacio Rum, a new line of pure pot still rums honoring founder Don Bonifacio Limtuaco and the enduring Filipino art of rum-making.

Destileria Limtuaco honors founder with Bonifacio Rum launch

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Destileria Limtuaco honors founder with Bonifacio Rum launch

Jeeves De Veyra

Published October 22, 2025 06:00 PM PHT

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