Savanna - The Very Rare Casks - 3rd Release Traditionnel HES 2007 - 64,9%
Photo taken somewhere in Stuttgart
In the rum world of aficionados, Savanna from the island of La Reunion is a must if you are into characterful, endemic rums.
Savanna produces rums of various qualities, from unaged cocktail rum to small batch versions, collaborations with artists, and rare single casks. In addition to traditional molasses production, they also produce rhum agricoles, albeit in extremely small quantities. Today, I present to you one of the rare molasses single casks, No. 50. From Sam Pitarch of Savanna I’ve learned that this is the only cask with the HES mark. This rum had the same fermentation like the famous HERR mark, but was distilled in the Savalle Column still. Calling this rare might be quite understated. I very much love the transparency on the front label by the way.
Nose
Tropical Langhe?! It's fascinating and at the same time odd, but I'm smelling tar and roses, a bit like I know it from old, very good Barolos. But that's just one nuance among many. Distilled sour mangoes and papayas alternate with lychees and sour fruits. You feel Jamaica, but you're somewhere else entirely.
High ester at Savanna always means a very unique, totally fascinating world. Terroir, but not in terms of the soil, but rather the fermentation. The longer it sits in the glass, the more flowers join in, patchouli, lilies, and violets. A rather wild, exotic, absolutely seductive mix. It is reminiscent of a mystical Asian scene from Kar-wei, the love room from In the Mood for Love. And indeed, with this synesthetic experience, exotic herbs also shine like little candles out of the fog. With some drops of water bison grass and strong woodruff are rising from the primordial soup. What fabulous, highly complex bouquet!
Palate
Pure concentration. A whole basket of exotic herbs! Cooling mint and camphor, Mediterranean aniseed, and dried strawberries. It seems that strawberries are Savanna's leitmotif.
The distillate is carried by fermented, thick mango juice, which attempts to balance the spicy notes with a great and juicy sweetness. This balancing act is achieved by a hair's breadth. One more year and the wood would have won the arm wrestling match. The result is a highly flavorful border crosser.
With each sip, the character changes, like a chameleon. Read a book or listen to a record while sipping, it’s worth exploring for an hour or two. Given the high abv I’ve added some water to it. Now it’s even becoming slightly ashy and smoky. It’s not a chameleon but an octopus!
Finish
An incredibly long fever dream that leaves behind a dry, almost artificial taste of dried flowers and asphalt. Never put this one at the beginng of a tasting round as it will dominate the whole lineup.
Rating
A Savanna like a big bang of flavours that lingers long on the palate and feel like a visit to an exotic country. What I particularly like is the purity, as I don't think it has been finished in a barrel. When it comes to Savanna, the world (rightly) tends to focus on HERR, but this versatile distillery also offers real masterpieces beyond the extreme esters. Definitely one of my favorite bottlings from 2025.
92/100
Find my review also on RumX.
