Savanna Art of Rhum by Vast 2015

This Savanna comes from Reunion in the Indian Ocean, a distillery unusual for making cane juice, traditional molasses and high ester Grand Arome rum side by side. Honesty matters with the label: although it carries an agricole tag, this is a molasses based blend, distilled on a Savalle column rather than a cane juice spirit, so it should be read as a characterful traditional rum rather than a true agricole.

It was distilled in 2015, aged eight years in ex-bourbon oak and bottled without added sugar at 52%. The profile keeps Savanna's slightly offbeat signature: a fresh, fruity, floral nose with spice, then green apple, herbs, menthol and a licorice tinged, faintly medicinal edge over gentle wood, finishing vegetal and spicy. The unsweetened build keeps it lively and dry, the kind of mid proof, quietly quirky rum that rewards an unhurried evening and tends to appeal to agricole drinkers as much as molasses fans.