Savanna Unshared Cask for Germany

 Not an easy sipper. Nice cognac and kumquat at first, but quite pungent and bitter towards the end. Sample was more than enough, don't need a bottle of it.

 Very nice and fruity on the nose. Rather lively than overly mature with dried fruits alongside influence from the ex-cognac cask. Lacks a bit of intensity and complexity on the palate for a higher rating, however.

 #5053 30.11.2024 Tasting at Whisky Watcher tasting in Odense. Nose Fresh, medium intense, lightly sweet, light glue, light caramel, dried fruit, light wood. Palate Light oily, light wood, fruits, light honey, dried fruit, light cherry, light caramel, light berries. Finish Medium to long, fresh, light oily, wood, light apricot, raisin, light honey, light apple. The empty glass has nice cherries, caramel, vanilla and a touch of tea.

 Thanks to Jarek, the donor who freshly opened the bottle during the sample exchange. Wasn't expecting anything great. But really delicious. On offer for just 111€ at Cognac Paradies and not tied to a bundle for once.

 When I have the bottle yesterday it tasted like pure Cognac with strange herbal notes. I left some at the glass and put a lid on it and it has changed a lot. It is way smoother and feels more balanced. Just to make sure I poured a second glass and it is like tasting two completely different spirits. And here comes the question which to rate? Assuming you don’t always pour your glass a day ahead I am opting for the third option: A single bottle double glass blend. The nose starts off a bit cognac-ish (obviously), some raisins, caramel and a bit toasted wood, cooked apple, some tea and for further details see above. On the palate it is way more balanced compared with the initial impression. So just to make sure: Take your time! In addition to the nose we find green pepper and the apples tend to be a bit more present. There is also more wood and black pepper. It is sway and spice, nice. The finish warm with a sweetness reminding me of an old Calvados. Yesterday I would have given it a 7.9-8, today it’s a 8.4.

 I'm beginning to wonder if I'm not expecting too much from Savanna - but the old bottlings are too memorable for that. At least it's a seahorse this year, which is a big improvement on the moray eel - now we just need to work on the bottle contents. The nose starts very promisingly - light notes of Herr, strawberry, cognac and other fruits. On the palate, it reminds me of a rather flat and thin Agricole from Isautier/Riviere du Mat and unfortunately disappoints my expectations across the board, as I also find the finish rather short. ( Yes I know, this is a molasses rum, probably what I perceive as Agricole comes from the cognac cask ) Certainly not a bad rum, but for me it's just enough for 8 points with a tendency towards 7.9 Let's see if it still gets better when it's a bit open - as Sebastian writes. ... I've now left the glass covered overnight and somehow I don't taste any great improvement ... but it tastes great in MaiTai and Daiquiri - for that it gets another 0.2 points

 Die Nase gefällt mir ganz gut. Viel Frucht, Gewürze, Honig und Cognac. Am Gaumen dann sehr viel Einfluss vom Cognac Fass und für mich zu stark an Cognac erinnernd. Für meinen Geschmack auch etwas zu bitter und zu dünn.

 Startet mit sehr tiefen Cognac Noten, so deutlich das Ruhezeit gut tut. Langsam kommen Erdbeeren hindurch. Schön geschmeidig an Gaumen. Nicht der intensivste Savanna aber schön gefällig das man gleich den nächsten Schluck nehmen will. Am Gaumen mit leichter Trockenheit aber schöner Frucht und ein wenig süßes. Schöne Abfüllung.

 Very pleasant nose. However, it lacks power and intensity on the palate. Very round and pleasing Savanna.

 Delicious Savanna with a beautiful nose that combines freshness, ripeness and Savanna fruit profile. Besides strawberry, raisin is particularly prominent. But the nose is definitely better than the palate. You can take it with you ... and the label is also quite nice.

 Das müsste, anders als meinem Foto, unshared cask #4 für Deutschland sein und nicht #2. Wenn ich da nichts verwechsle. Und auch der mit Abstand seichteste und cremigste der ganzen ungeteilten deutschen Savanna Fässer. Ein easy Sipper mit gut eingebundenem Alkohol, einer bekannten Erdbeerjoghurtnote und kurzem Abgang.

 Wonderfully fruity and fresh on the nose, with strawberry and baked apple. The palate does not quite deliver what the nose promises, the fruit is not as strong, but there is more spice and wood. Medium-long finish, with the cognac finish striking me the most. I had initially feared that the rum would be too weak for me with less than 50% alcohol, but fortunately that didn't turn out to be the case. I would have rated the nose alone at 8.6. Overall a good 8.5.

 Overall stable traditional savanna with a great nose of strawberry but also caramel, baked apple and roasted almonds. On the palate, a full broadside of cognac, lots of wood, tannins and astringency. Reminiscent of a mature Calvados on the finish. Unfortunately falls off very much on the palate, hence the deductions here. Good but doesn't really pick me up.

 Die Abfüllung für den deutschen Markt ist mit nur 49,8% etwas dünn, aber nicht wässrig. Die Fruchtnoten kommen noch gut durch. Dazu Gewürze und etwas Holz. Im Abgang dann Rosine. Alkohol ist top eingebunden. Es fehlt halt an Tiefe und Intensität. Trotzdem keine schlechte Abfüllung.

 Braucht ein wenig Zeit im Glas, ändert sich dann stark…und zwar zum positiven! Sehr rund…mag ich. Hat sicher wenig mit älteren Abfüllungen gemein und das Cognacfass ist sehr dominant, aber das passt. Nice