Romdeluxe Savanna Collectors Series No. 7 Grand Arôme 2013

Bottled by Danish house RomDeluxe, this is a single cask Savanna Grand Arome from Reunion, distilled in 2013 and matured for eight years. Savanna runs three quite different rum families, and the Grand Arome is its high ester, long fermentation molasses style rather than a cane juice agricole, so expect aroma and intensity rather than a grassy white. This particular barrel leans smoother and more wine accented than the wildest examples of the marque.

Distilled on Savanna's Savalle column from molasses and aged in ex-bourbon wood, it pours honey, honeycomb and dried fruit on the nose, then turns spicy and barrel driven with a clear vinous edge across the palate. The finish runs to roasted coffee, oak and pepper. Bottled unsweetened at cask strength, it reads as a rounded, wine tinged Savanna for drinkers who want depth without a full estery onslaught.