Reunion Island is an incredibly small island off the east coast of Madagascar, and if you head four hours southwest from the island, you'd find yourself in Johannesburg, South Africa. While the island has a deep French influence - technically a French department - given that it lies off the coast of South Africa's Cape of Good Hope, it's not a place you'd typically associate with rum-making. And yet, the island has a long history of sugar production, which became the focus of the French government in the late 1800's when they could no longer rely on Haiti and Mauritius for sugar. At one point, the island would house close to 200 sugar factories, but today, there are only three.

Savanna's Origins in Reunion Island

The Savanna estate itself can be traced all the way back to the 17th century, in Saint-Paul, west of Reunion Island, with much of the vicinity being of rather historical buildouts and natural features. The first property would change hands several times, up until the first instance of a distillery was finally built on the site in the 1870's, with the company Domaine de Savanna dating its founding to 1876. Nevertheless, it was ultimately when a stockbroker and businessman named Anatole Hugot who took over the business in 1916, that Savanna's real rum forays began.

His son, Emile Hugot, was a chemist who had trained in several sugar factories prior to returning to Reunion in the 1920's. Emile would make it his priority to ensure consistent supply of energy to the sugar factories on the island, also helping to modernise the distilleries and enhancing its operations. And while his mission was interrupted by WWII, he would later return help restructure the island's sugar reliant economy and thought it best to consolidate the various sugar estates - they would become the Bourbon Sugar Company.

Bois Rouge.

The Bourbon Sugar Company would actively move away from sugar processing and into areas like shipping and retail - all of which to say, producing rum was the last thing on their minds, even though Emile remained a major figure in sugar and rum producing from the late 1940's through to the 1970's. Savanna's rum making was largely an afterthought then, and it would change locations several times (most notably moving to Bois-Rouge in Saint-Andre, to be closer to the Bois-Rouge sugar factory as a result of the closure of its own sugar factory) up until it was sold to a Reunion-based company known as Groupe Quartier Francais, which was in turn acquired in 2010 by a French conglomerate, Tereos.

A Turnaround To Save Savanna

Despite not being a major focus for its parent, Savanna continued to improve its infrastructure, with the first ageing cellar being built in 1964 - and later expanded three-fold in the late 1990's to become the largest on the island, and then acquiring a more modern facility to produce its light rums. It primarily focused on selling bulk rums then and wasn't particularly successful commercially. All that changed when in the late 1990's, Thierry Grondin and Laurent Broc, the Head of R&D and the distillery's manager at the time respectively, began studying the production of Grand Arome rums.

Thierry Grondin, Head of R&D for Savanna.

Grand Arome rums have existed between Martinique and Reunion Island for centuries, with the former forgoing the high-ester style to focus on producing sugarcane juice based rhum agricoles. By 2003, Grondin and Broc would help the distillery launch its own brand, moving away from a sole focus on selling commoditised bulk rums. They believed that in order for the distillery to thrive, it needed to catch upon the premiumisation trend and move higher up the market.

Savanna Likely Produces The Widest Range Of Rums In The World

Before we delve deeper, it's important to point out that Savanna itself is incredibly unique in a world of rum producers - it is able to produce everything from sugarcane juice rums (agricultural rums) to molasses rums (traditional rums), and is able to do so using an assortment of distillation stills from a Savalle column still to an Alembic pot still. Now add another layer of various cask finishes including Port, Moscatel, Calvados, Sherry and Armagnac - the possibilities are quite likely the widest of any distillery.

Yet, the distillery does offer up a simpler classification guide to its rums:

• “Intense” - Traditional (molasses) rums, column distilled,
• “Creol" - Agricultural (sugarcane juice) rums, column distilled,
• “Lontan” - Grand Arome rums, traditional (molasses) rums, column distilled,
• "HERR" - High Ester Rum Reunion, traditional (molasses) rum, pot distilled,
• “Metis” - Blend of traditional (molasses) rums and agricultural (juice) rums.

These come in various cask finishes, vintages, ages, and in pure single rum blends or single casks.

Its ability to produce such a wide array is thanks in no small part to the Bois-Rouge sugar factory that it sits close to that supplies the distillery with both fresh cane juice and molasses, which in turn are harvested off the island's steep terrains, with 60-70% of the cane being cut by hand by small-scale farmers in the area.

The Legendary Grand Arome

Now, going back to what Savanna is most known for (and what is of most interest to the rum community) - the Grand Arome rums. As mentioned, the revival of the Grand Arome style was an effort to distinguish Savanna from purely being a bulk rum supplier - it's probably what is most unique about Savanna and keeps the rum community interested.

The Grand Arome style is typically mentioned interchangeably with being high ester, however, there seems to be a slight nuance to this. "Grand Arome" refers to a broad style of higher ester rums (legally defined by French legislation as being a molasses rum with a minimum non-alcohol content of 800 g/hlap, including 500 g/hlap in esters), however, the distillery appears to distinguish between Lontan and the HERR marque (High Ester Rum Reunion) - in an interview with Grondin, he mentions that the ester count is but a threshold that must be met to quality as Grand Arome, but that for the distillery the two are different.

"What’s the difference with high ester?

Some people say that a grand arôme is high ester. If we base it solely on the ester content, we could consider it as such, but qualitatively there are big differences, at least with us. High is much richer in esters, both qualitatively and sometimes quantitatively.

The bacterial consortium is different in the high ester, an additional bacterium will intervene and be responsible for the production of ester precursors. After that, I can’t go into the manufacturing secrets." 

- Grondin in an interview with Rumporter.

That is to say - both the Lontan and HERR are Grand Aromes by way of surpassing the French legal definition, however, the Lontan focuses of aromas, whilst the HERR focuses on taste. Both are nevertheless produced on the basis of adding vinasse (leftover residue from previous distillation) to the fermentation mixture (in a closed environment where the precise bacteria desired is added intentionally, as opposed to spontaneous or "wild" fermentation) to trigger a competition with the yeast from the emergence of the added culture, as well as extended fermentation times for more esters to be produced.

The HERR differs from the Lontan in at least three major ways:

• Longer Fermentation Time for HERR,
• Exposed to a different set of bacteria culture,
• HERR is pot distilled instead of column distilled.

A Study of Savanna Rums with The Rum Cartel

It’s clear, then, that Savanna is one of the most intriguing rum producers out there with a diverse range of offerings. What better way to appreciate such exceptional craftsmanship than through an exclusive tasting hosted by none other than The Rum Cartel?

Helmed by Frederic Langlois, The Rum Cartel is a private club based in Singapore renowned for curating rum experiences that showcase some of the rarest, most sought-after bottlings in existence. We've known Frederic for a while now – not only is he a genuine friend, but an indispensable figure within the global rum circuit who could bring together rum lovers with prominent producers. 

This time The Rum Cartel had arranged for a selection of limited edition and soon-to-be-released for 2025 Savanna Rums to be showcased, that highlight Savanna’s prowess across different marques and base sugars, be they molasses or sugarcane juice. We got to taste some exclusive artist-inspired labels such as the Savanna One Rum by 'Oneshoz', the visually striking Savanna Artist Edition 'Art of Rum' by REPY, the latest annual limited edition Savanna L’Absolu blend, two remarkable expressions from the sought-after Savanna HERRLINE series made from uniquely aromatic high ester Reunion rums, the distinguished 14-year-old The Very Rare Casks single cask rum, and finally the formidable Savanna Lontan Straight 74.9° Grand Arome rum.

For those curious to discover more about Frederic and the exclusive experiences offered by The Rum Cartel, you can find further details following their socials.

For now, let's get stuck into these rums.

Rum Review: Savanna One Rum (Oneshoz), 51% ABV

Our evening began with the Savanna One Rum by Oneshoz 2025. This limited-edition release is a traditional molasses-based rum of Savanna's Th1 marque that falls under Savanna’s “Intense” range. This was matured in ex-Cognac casks and the cask itself was specially selected by the distillery’s own staff, making it a staff selection.

The bottling itself is a collaboration with Oneshoz, the moniker of Simon Teroy, an expressive street artist from Réunion Island. 

Tasting Notes

Colour: Bright gold.

Aroma: Bright and rich from start, opening with a perfumed intensity that leans into dark cherries and molasses, anchored by the sticky sweetness of brown sugar and baked apples. Opens up to ripe banana mingling with a distinct hit of hard boiled English cough drops (Hacks candy) and a slightly medicinal liquorice note. There’s just the faintest touch of funk and a whiff of diesel; more a hint than a full-blown presence. There's also some dry, earthy clay-like minerality that added a nice contrast to the brighter herbaceous top notes.

Taste: Bright and clean, with an immediate minty lift. Rich brown sugar, then a streak of spearmint cuts through it and carries through before turning cool and herbaceous. There's a spicy backbone that comes on quickly and persists, with cinnamons, cloves, some cardamom. Reminds me a little of Woods herbals drops, and as I kept trying to pick apart the botanicals in it, I'm certain there’s something eucalyptus-like weaving through.

Finish: Long, with a warm and slightly prickly note. It stays herbaceous and minty, tilting back toward red fruits again, with pomegranates , maybe some dates, and then settles into that familiar Hacks Candy tone with brown sugar lingering at the very end.

My Thoughts

This is fairly straightforward, but rather satisfying in its heft and balance. The structure is clean and well-defined, and the richness is there without feeling overly heavy, with layers of comforting warmth that never gets out of hand. There's a very solid clarity with clear red fruits and brown sugar in the aroma and palate.

Rum Review: Savanna 'Art of Rum' by REPY, 57% ABV

Here's another collaboration with a local artist – this one an abstract graffiti artist going by the street name of REPY. This expression was distilled in 2019 and tropically aged for 4 years in ex-Cognac French oak barrels, before bottling in 2023, and is of the AGA marque – a blend of Reunion Agricole rum (made from sugarcane juice) and Grand Arôme rum (high-ester rums made from molasses). 

Tasting Notes

Colour: Bright gold.

Aroma: Much more rounded than expected, with a thick, dark honey quality that immediately sets the tone, followed closely by oolong tea and dark potpourri notes. Sweet apple juice and brown sugar along with a distinct herbal tone that reminds me of Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa (Chinese herbal cough syrup). As it rests, stewed stone fruits and orange peel begin to reveal, along with layers of sweet vanilla, nutmeg, burnt sugar and molasses. It getting noticeably more vegetal over time, seemingly turning greener in profile.

Taste: Initial notes are richk, tropipcal and indulgent, mostly brown sugar and caramelised pineapple, with the same stewed fruit and orange peel notes carrying through from the nose (that sorta reminds me of a Foursquare rum). Then it gets more intense with a definite chilli pepper sharpness, both in heat and in that green, capsicum-like note—followed by a surge of high-toned esters. It’s intensely aromatic on the palate, leaning again into dark oolong tea and dried longan. Toward the end, a faint touch of soot and even a bit of sweet soy sauce; a slightly savoury umami edge.

Finish: Long, with the chilli peppers and brown sugar lingering, leaving it more vegetal with a bit of pyrazine. There’s a clean European oak bitterness and a dry, tea-like astringency that mirrors what came before.

My Thoughts

This starts off feeling rich and tropical, but very quickly progresses towards some evocative notes of oolong tea, dried fruit, and herbal bitterness that are unexpected but well-integrated. That chilli pepper note becomes more prominent and influences the second half of the experience – though as a chill lover I find the experience rather lively.

Overall, it’s a fascinating example of how Savanna blends French tradition with bold, high-ester rum making. Definitely something that could appeal to tea drinkers or anyone curious about more savoury, more botanicals-evoking rum profiles.

Rum Review: Savanna L'Absolu 2025, 58% ABV

Next up was the Savanna L’Absolu 2025, part of the distillery’s annual limited edition blend series that brings together the two pillars of Savanna’s identity – traditional molasses-based rums and their signature Grand Arôme rums, with an average age of 13 to 14 years.

According to the distillery representative, this 2025 edition will also be featured at the upcoming Whisky Live Paris 2025.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Amber.

Aroma: Seemingly more restrained than the previous rums, but it's noticably more luscious and fruit-forward. Opens with soft red fruits, cherries and raspberries, followed by honeyed sweetness and a chewy, rounded character that immediately reminded me of ripe fruit jelly. Everything is clean and polished, with vanilla and a light touch of waxy sweetness lending some weight. There’s a bit of liquorice toward the edges, but it’s subtle. Altogether, the aroma leans very Cognac-like. It's soft, rich and almost vinous.

Taste: Okay – the first sip was surprisingly lively. There’s an initial burst of mint and liquorice that dominates, a flash of fresh chilli pepper that nearly climbs up the nose before quickly easing off. After that rush, the flavours open up to reveal pomegranate, Port wine, and brown sugar, along with softer baking spices of nutmeg, cinnamon. All kept in check by the underlying sweetness and acidity.

Finish: Remarkably long and the most complex of the experience. Once the heat settles down, the flavours get more defined. I'm seeing apple, green peppers, strawberry, red grapes, dates and overripe bananas. As it tapers off, it's dry through the back with oak, vanilla and a slightly tannic black tea character, some liquorice again, and a familiar herbal note of Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa.

My Thoughts

This is rounded and rich, with plenty of immediate heat upfront, though thankfully it pulls back quickly. What stood out to me most was the blend of red fruits and tropical notes sitting comfortably against a backbone of dry, woody European oak. Nosing it, I was genuinely reminded of Martell Cordon Bleu. There’s something distinctly Cognac-like in the way it finishes, and the influence of the Cognac cask is very clear.

The finish was the most impressive of the experience with tons of well-defined fruits and a black tea character.

Rum Review: Savanna HERRLINE Inbound Flight

Moving into deeper territory, we arrived at the Savanna HERRLINE series – a collaboration project between Savanna Distillery and the independent bottler Swell de Spirits. This series is intended to explore the high-octane, aromatic potential of Savanna’s HERR (High Ester Rum Réunion) rums, which are among the distillery's most expressive and intense styles.

The Outbound Flight, the No. 1 in the series, is composed entirely of HERR rhums. By contrast, Inbound Flight, which is the No.2 in the series, is built on the TH1 mark, a blend of HERR and Savanna’s more traditional molasses-based C20 rum, distilled on their stainless steel C20 column still.

Since we were tasting in order of increasing intensity, we started first with the Inbound Flight.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Copper.

Aroma: Opens with sharp and tart red fruits – like cherries, raspberries and sour plums come through first, then quickly give way to brown sugar. There’s a faint but unmistakable layer of funk that reminds me of Hampden, though lighter, spiced, a little prickly and riding over a backdrop of gasoline and fermented character.

There’s a touch of wood glue in there, and at certain points, it veers into a funkiness that feels a lot like baijiu. Not overwhelmingly so, but that character is definitely present.

Taste: Brown sugar carries over clearly, but now it’s joined by an unexpected and quite distinct soy sauce savouriness. The flavour is oddly reminiscent of sauce aroma baijiu (something like Moutai) with that rich plummy, umami, fermented character. Molasses still underpins the structure, and there’s a gritty minerality that feels like slate or crushed stone. The wood glue note from the nose lingers here too, adding to that slightly industrial, fermented edge.

Finish: Long, with more a steady warm heat than a spike. Once that fades, there’s a residual molasses sweetness and a faint plum-like funk, again very reminiscent of the lingering notes in sauce aroma baijiu.

My Thoughts

This is a funky one! What stood out immediately was how distinctly this it echoed sauce aroma baijiu, especially with that fermented soy-savoury edge. It’s unusual for a rum, and probably a little divisive, but I found it intriguing.

Yet compared to the first edition (which will be reviewed below), this feels more reined in. It's more balanced in structure, even if it’s still a bit wild in terms of flavour profile.

Rum Review: Savanna HERRLINE Outbound Flight

Tasting Notes

Colour: Copper.

Aroma: Wow, this doesn’t hold back at all! There’s an immediate hit of overripe fruits with bananas leading the charge – and I mean bruised, borderline fermenting brown bananas. Warm brown sugar rises behind that, but it’s quickly overtaken by funky notes of wood glue, black olives, and a blast of baking spices that smell almost like they’ve been mulled into something sharp. There’s also an edge of aromatic wood.

Taste: Wild from the first sip. It's full of tropical intensity with overripe lychee, plums and pineapple all mashed together in a way that feels fermented but not sour. It's so big on fruitiness but without the savoury, soy-like notes of the No. 2 that it now reminds me of Strong Aroma baijiu with all those fruit esters and punchy intensity. It doesn’t really shift much as it opens, just keeps hammering home with that big, unruly tropical character.

Finish: Finally, the finish is long and layered, with that slight black olive edge from the nose, which morphs into dry wood and eventually settles into soft wood glue.

My Thoughts

This is even funkier and more potent than the Inbound Flight! Everything has been dialled up with more fruitiness, more funkiness. There’s almost no midpoint, however. It's either you’re on board with this kind of dram or you’re not. This one's for those high-octane funk enthusiasts. Personally, I could see myself enjoying this in a dram, though for casual sipping on the daily, I'd love to see this made into a daiquiri too.

Rum Review: Savanna The Very Rare Casks Third Release, 2007, 64.9% ABV

Next in the lineup was the Savanna The Very Rare Casks 2007 Vintage - Third Release, from a rarer series that focuses on long-aged, high-ester rum crafted in a single cask format.

This particular expression is a Traditional HES (High Ester Savalle) rum that was distilled on the Savalle column still, then aged for 14 years in ex-Cognac casks. 

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep amber.

Aroma: Opens sweet, toasted and just a bit buttery, reminiscent of caramel popcorn. Then a mix of red fruits with cranberries and redcurrants mostly, layered over brown sugar and a dense molasses base. As it opened, baked apples started to come through, warm and slightly spiced. There’s a subtle mustiness underneath it all, like old library books or sun-dried clay pots adding an earthy depth. A light layer of vegetal notes also hangs in the background.

Taste: Sweetness of the caramel and brown sugar carries over, but the spice kicks in quickly. There’s a sharp heat that reminded me of bird’s eye chilli seeds, and it builds quickly across the palate. There’s also a faint soy sauce-like savouriness that shows up just before the red fruits return, this time more like pomegranate and dried cherry. The vegetal and herbaceous elements are more pronounced here too: think fresh thyme, coriander stem and even a bit of celery leaf. It’s very layered, though the heat stays dominant.

Finish: Relatively short. There’s a brief note of dry wood and some lingering mustiness, with the red fruits pulling through faintly at the end. 

My Thoughts

I found this one rich, layered and pretty evocative– and I especially loved that caramel popcorn nose. The palate goes quite warm and spicy, though it is incredibly expressive once you get through that curtain of heat. Personally, I would’ve liked a slightly thicker or more viscous texture to round out that heat and tie everything together. As it is, the profile is bold and engaging though try adding a few drops of spring water to open up the fruitiness and round out the spice.

Rum Review: Savanna Lontan Straight 74.9

Finally, we saved for last the potent Savanna Lontan Straight 74.9° unaged Grand Arôme rum. 

Tasting Notes

Colour: Colourless.

Aroma: Intense notes of tropical white fruits, mainly lychees and longans. There's also the soft sweetness of light brown sugar, and a slight hint of something solvent-like, perhaps paint thinner, but it’s subtle. A faint trace of white pepper rounds it off, adding some lift.

Taste: The texture was surprisingly rich and velvety. Bright tropical fruit notes lead strongly again here, especially ripe banana, lychee, pineapple and even a bit of rambutan. There’s a gentle spice that complements rather than dominates, and a creamy element that softens the overall feel.

Finish: Long, clean, and slightly drying. Towards the end, a soft, lingering sweet note reminiscent of cotton candy.

My Thoughts

Honestly, this rum feels dangerous!

Despite the very high ABV and high ester levels, it drinks much easier than you'd expect. Interestingly, tasting this helps clarify that much of the pronounced spice and heat in Savanna’s other bottlings probably comes from the European oak barrels they typically use. There’s certainly a funky fruitiness here, but it’s more subtle and balanced than overwhelming. Overall, straightforward and surprisingly drinkable, even if the labelled alcohol percentage might initially seem intimidating.

@CharsiuCharlie