In the middle of the Indian Ocean, just east of Madagascar and the African continent, lies the island of Reunion, and a certain distillery that has of late garnered quite a following from the rum faithful - Savanna Rhum. And just for an evening, some of Savanna’s finest rums were introduced to us through a tasting hosted by Rum Cartel, Intercontinental Hotel Singapore and Sam Pitarch, Commercial and Marketing Director of Savanna, while Atsushi Nakayama from Bar Lamp Ginza poured us some delicious daiquiris and ti punches using Savanna’s unaged Lontan Grand Arome 57.5.

The lineup for the evening was pretty impeccable, consisting of:

Le Must Batch 22.5,
• 45% abv
• Blend of Traditional and Grand Arome rums aged for up to 9 years.

Art of Rum by Yan Le Gall
• 54% abv,
• 2,500 bottles
• Blend of two very old Traditional rums, and an eight year old Agricole, all aged in ex-cognac casks

L’Absolu 2023
• 55.5% abv
• 2,700 bottles
• Blend of Traditional and Grand Arome rums aged between 10 - 17 years

The Very Rare Casks No.2
• 57% abv
• 300 bottles
• Grand Arome Single Cask 537
• Distilled in 2001 by Master Distiller Johnny Landais
• Aged 17 years in ex-cognac casks

L’Absolu 2024
• 58% abv
• Blend of four Traditional rums aged between 14 - 16 years, and an 8-year-old HERR
• Aged in ex-cognac and muscat wine casks

Edition Blanc Paris
• 59.4% abv
• 385 bottles
• HERR Single Cask 215
• Rested in steel tanks for six years
• Aged for nine years in ex-cognac casks beginning from 2015

While its beginnings can be traced back to the early 19th century, Savanna as we know of it today largely began from 1992 with its move from Saint Paul on the west coast of Reunion, to the Bois Rouge estate in Saint Andre, though it was really only in 2003 that they diversified from its focus on bulk rum, and began bottling rums under its own brand.

Today, Savanna’s rum production can be divided into three categories - Traditional (molasses); Agricole (sugarcane juice, which accounts for less than 10% of Savanna’s production); and Lontan, which can be further divided into two subcategories - Grand Arome (column still), and the High Ester Reunion Rum (HERR; pot still). Its raw materials are sourced solely from the island itself, as prescribed by Réunion’s Geographical Indication (GI), and mainly uses ex-cognac French oak casks for its aging of its rums.

On to some of my favourite rums of the evening, the Very Rare Cask No.2, which was coincidentally a world premiere as it has yet to be released in any other market in the world, was magnificent. The intensity of flavours, the richness and fullness of the rum, it was a rum that really brought to fore some of the best elements a higher ester rum could provide. More often than not, higher ester rums tend to lose that bit of texture, becoming a little sharp for my liking. But this rum was just right, and coupled with the fact that the nose and palate displayed very different characteristics, the nose brimming with juicy, sweet cantaloupe, while the palate was a tad drier, with good complexity, red fruits, oak, and just the slightest hints of olives and brine.

It was easy to see why the Edition Blanc Paris HERR has been so highly sought after too, with a definite appeal to the high ester junkies. What really intrigued me was how fresh and vibrant it was, with far greater similarities to its Jamaican cousins than the Grand Aromes. Despite the nine years of tropical aging, it still bore many traits of the new make, like those unique notes of bubble gum, varnish, and the sweetness of ripe pineapples.

And in what might be surprising to some, the Le Must really impressed me too. Quite often core releases are overlooked for their simplicity and general appeal. But in this instance, the Le Must was very well balanced, with the fullness of Traditional rums, treacly, raisins, blended with just the right amount of Grand Arome, adding a splash of fruitiness to the mix. In all, it was an excellent tasting, and a big thank you to all who made this possible.

Your occasional rum addict!

@weixiang_liu