Review: Rare Rums – Savanna 2007-2019 Grand Arome (Nat 87)   (92.5/100)
Aged 10 Years – Casks 436 (Rum Nation)
a review by Chip Dykstra (AKA Arctic Wolf)
Posted on April 30, 2020

Rare Rums is the special selection of Rum Nation. These are particular special limited edition releases of very few numerated bottles. Savanna 2007-2019 Grand Arome was distilled from molasses in 2007 on the Island of Réunion, at the Savanna Distillery. the spirit was matured on site for 10 years, and then was shipped to Europe where it rested in steel tanks in Europe until 2019. Grand Arôme refers to the fragrant nature of the spirit which is due to the long and slow fermentation of the molasses at the Savanna Distillery.

According to the Rum Nation Rare Rums Website the rum offers:

“Very intense and organic at the nose: not only oak, but an ebullient kaleidoscope of ripe fruits, wood polish and “funkiness”. At the palate it is tannic, with peppery and herbal notes, but also a touch of cinnamon, propolis and green apples for a very quizzical and fruity twist”

In The Bottle 5/5

I love the bottle presentation that Rum Nation has chosen for their Rare Rum selection. Both the bottle and the canister look sharp. I especially like the glass closure which elevates the presentation of the rum brand. The label contains all of the relevant information regarding the brand including the wine finish the the cask numbers the bottle was drawn from.

Everything about the presentation makes you feel like this bottling is special.

In The Glass  9.5/10

Colour: Just past Copper/ heading to bronze

Legs: Extremely stubborn leglets that take ages to form and refuse to fall

Initial Aroma: Nice melding of vanilla/oak spice/butterscotch and herbal grass

Decanted Aroma: Firm butterscotch scents mingling with baking spice (cinnamon and vanilla/cloves) banana and citrus (lemon and orange) zest. Building oak spice and ginger, as well as almond. Melded into this is an herbal quality with menthol, wisps of licorice and cinnamon, bits of something floral and hints of resin-like camphor and tar. A backbone of oak spice provides support for the scents and smells.

Empty Glass: Deep notes of dark brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.  Yumm!

In the Mouth  55/60

Initial Taste: Heated with alcohol and wood spice both strengthened by the concentrated high-proof rum. Sweet butterscotch with cinnamon, camphor and resin, toffee . Hints of tar and iodine, and building vanilla with almond.

2nd Taste: Pot still funk with orange peel, anise and heated cinnamon and clove. The sweetness has become more noticeable and along with ta cooling sensation of herbal menthol provides a measure of balance for the obvious cask strength threat.

Ice Added:  Much better as the melting ice brings about a much better balance of flavour versus heat. Very Enjoyable!.

In The Throat  13.5/15

Finish: Heated finish with lots of alcohol and spice. The light coolness of menthol doesn’t quite cover over the intensity of the cask strength alcohol. Butterscotch, eucalyptus, vanilla and baking spices (cinnamon and cloves) all compete for attention in the finish which if you take too large of a sip can sear the throat.

A Dollop of ice brings harmony through the finish.

The Afterburn 9.5/10

I enjoyed my battle with this cask strength monster which brings a bevy of alcohol heat alongside the tremendous flavour. Adding a dollop of ice or water is a prerequisite to this enjoyment.  My final score is 92.5/100 placing this rum firmly in the sipping realm, albeit with that nice dollop of ice.

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You may (loosely) interpret the scores as follows.

0-25     A spirit with a rating this low would actually kill you.
26-49   Depending upon your fortitude you might actually survive this.
50 -59  You are safe to drink this…but you shouldn’t.
60-69   Substandard swill which you may offer to people you do not want to see again.
70-74    Now we have a fair mixing rum or whisky.  Accept this but make sure it is mixed into a cocktail.
75-79    You may begin to serve this to friends, again probably still cocktail territory.
80-84    We begin to enjoy this spirit neat or on the rocks. (I will still primarily mix cocktails)
85-89    Excellent for sipping or for mixing!
90-94    Definitely a primary sipping spirit, in fact you may want to hoard this for yourself.
95-97.5 The Cream of the Crop
98+       I haven’t met this bottle yet…but I want to.

Very loosely we may put my scores into terms that you may be familiar with on a Gold, Silver, and  Bronze medal  scale as follows:

70 – 79.5    Bronze Medal (Recommended only as a mixer)
80 – 89.5     Silver Medal (Recommended for sipping and or a high quality mixer)
90 – 95         Gold Medal (Highly recommended for sipping