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Swell de Spirits Savanna HERRLINE (Selected by Swell de Spirits) HERR 2009
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Overripe pineapple, strawberry chewing gum and briny green olives pile out of the glass — the Savanna HERR signature, dialed up and wild. Eight years in ex-cognac casks sanded off the sharpest edges without taming the fruit; the 60.8% sits well-integrated, and the finish runs on and on. A few call it too sour or over-hyped, but almost everyone here rates it a clear favorite.
The community says- Explosive tropical fruit
- Long ester finish
- Alcohol well integrated
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The look inside the bottle
How does Swell de Spirits Savanna HERRLINE (Selected by Swell de Spirits) HERR 2009 taste?
Aggregated from 123 community reviews.
Wild, fruity high-ester Savanna at its best Widely rated one of the best HERR expressions — an intense fruit-and-ester bomb most drinkers adore. A handful find it too acidic or feel the price outstrips the pour.
Aroma profileSavanna HERR fans and high-ester funk lovers
newcomers or anyone put off by sour, artificial-fruit notes
Style & occasion: Tropical & funkySipping neatCocktails & mixing
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
64 of 123 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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Community voices
What does the community say?
123 community reviews
48 selected write-ups on this page, all of them in the RumX app
Top 3% of Reunion rumsTop 4% at Savanna
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Ranges include their upper bound: “7–8” means above 7 up to and including 8. See the full rating guide
Positive from 8.0 · Mixed 6.0–7.9 · Critical below 6.0
Review by Oliver
It is clear from the first whiff: we are dealing with a HERR. Wild, overripe pineapple and mango, strawberries and olives. Wow! On the palate, there's a pleasant crispness. Overripe strawberries, apricots and mangoes again. The tropical 8 years in a cognac barrel round it off successfully. Outstanding release!
Review by DomM
Little Savanna GA & HERR cross tasting: On the nose the SdS starts off more towards spices (turmeric) and herbal notes (menthol) while the other contestants have more accentuated fruity notes right from the start. Over (a rather long) time, the SdS gravitates towards the Edition Blanc, while the latter one is more balanced. The SdS retains this little extra accent towards spices. On the palate the fruits clearly take over. Again not as well balanced as the Edition Blanc but with a bit more fruity notes and intensity almost as good in my book. HERRLINE No1 vs. No2: the crown goes to No1. While both noses are very nice No2 lacks intensity on the palate. The additional balance it brings is just not convincing enough to compensate for the lack of HERR power which No1 delivers.
Review by Gunnar Böhme "Bauerngaumen" 🤓
partielle Nachverkostung Savanna Masterclass 2024: Nase: Ester (aber weder Jamaica noch Südafrika) Gaumen: weiterhin Ester und ja, etwas Erdbeere Abgang: mittellang Alkohol sehr gut eingebunden. Fazit: Darf ich schreiben, dass mich der Rum nicht überzeugt? Ja, ich darf. Ich finde, der Kaiser hat keine Kleider an - und das muss auch gesagt werden. Mir geht der Rum zu sehr in die säuerliche Richtung. Da gefällt mir aus der Erinnerung der GA 2007 von Rum Nation besser. Und bumm: Den parallel verkosteten Savanna aus Fass #991 würde ich sogar mit 10 Punkten höher bewerten als den HERRLINE. Update 2025-07-22: Ich muss Abbitte leisten. Die bisher von mir vergebenen 82 Punkte sind an sich ja nicht schlecht - aber 87 Punkte sind besser. Und so viel würde ich dem Rum bei der heutigen Verkostung auch geben. Trotz oder gerade wegen der ultraharten Konkurrenz, zu der er fast aufschließen kann: (CdI - Bottled for Germany) RX308, (Paris Blanc) RX20222, (Japan Tribute 1) RX219 und als unangefochtene Krönung ein letzter Schluck aus dem sagenumwobenen Fass #991. Update 2026-07-11: Kleines High-End-Crosstasting, bei dem RX25324 und RX20991 die Bewertungsplätze tauschen, ansonsten wird meine bisherige Punktzahl bestätigt: RX25324 93 Punkte RX20991 91 Punkte RX24528 90 Punkte RX20222 89 Punkte RX20538 87 Punkte
Review by Mirco
Sensational Savanna, which clearly bears the typical Herr signature, as known from the previous bottlings. Even though it just falls short of the outstanding 2006 LMDW and the 2009 Herr Blanc, it remains an exceptional rum. Complaining at a high level – this release is simply great and definitely belongs in every collection.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Incredibly cool and quite typical HERR Grand Arome nose of strawberry, olive brine, tropical fruits and some candied sour currant. Aromatically, the sour currant and some kiwi prevail, along with light vinegar notes, some salty olive brine and then quite a lot of tannins and a nice bitter-sweet spiciness in the finish, reminiscent of grilled caramelized pineapple with molasses or almost pineapple tepatche with cinnamon bark. Here, too, kiwi comes through in terms of this furry, sour-sweet aroma. Really good, complex and delicious!
Review by Leo Krüper
Another classic, breathtaking HERR. Great bottling. Very balanced and round despite its wildness. Therefore for me just worse than the Japoniani. In direct comparison to the Savanna Blanc, it is much wilder and more brute. A top rum, but I like other HERRS better.
Review by cigares
Savanna high ester tasting. A warm, fruity nose where the olive fights with the strawberry, strange as it may seem. Red fruits and a hint of ferment, spice and herbs complete the picture. The palate becomes more powerful, with all the aromas present and persistent, creating a long finish of esters and cedar wood. A complex rum that you clearly want to taste again and again. Tasted again and again, it seems less interesting. It has to be said that this time it's in direct comparison with some very fine Savannas.
Review by zabo
Edit: Savanna Masterclass by RumX on 27.09.2024 Thank you for the opportunity to taste these great rums side by side. Now there have been a few more changes for some. Savanna is more complex than expected. Kirsch Cruise Berlin 2024 So here it is, the oh-so-hard-to-get Savanna, which is far too expensive on the secondary market here. In the end, it's quite "nice", but in my opinion a little overrated in the ratings.
Review by Timo Groeger
Post-tasting Masterclass Savanna high Ester. Now the two highlights, the HERRLINE is truly impressive. Great nose, esters and tropical fruit, but also sweet for me. Also esters and tropical fruits on the palate, but the barrel also comes to the fore. Really great savanna.
Review by Vincent D
Subtle nose. More than I expected. But you can still recognize the Savanna framework. A very fine HERR, where pineapple takes the lead. Medicinal notes. A sensation of coffee, olive. On the palate, no doubt, you find all the markers of a HERR, just mellowed by a few years in cask that give this rum a lot of elegance. It's superb. Very expressive, complex, long on the palate! A real success. Many thanks @oliver for the sample Edit: superb. Magnificent complexity. Explosion of fruits. Awesome.
Review by Thunderbird
Savanna Masterclass High Ester: Almost identical to HERR Blanc Paris... but a little wilder, more impetuous and direct. The aromas come across with full force and press their stamp firmly into the palate... making the finish beautifully long and intense... first class. If I had to choose between the Blanc Paris and this one... I'd go for the HERRline, despite the elegance of the Blanc Paris
Review by SaibotZtar
How I was looking forward to this bottling... I was not disappointed. Wonderfully fruity ester-heavy red fruits, pineapple a real bomb of smell and taste simply delicious and intense. Just my cup of tea. Very very cool in a daiquiri!
Review by Tschusikowsky
Very complex and very unique profile. Full-bodied for sure. Apricot, mango chutney, a bit of perfume, roasted barley, fruity-berry with cask influence. Alcohol is not noticeable. The overripeness is there but not "loud" at all, rather very pleasantly present. The finish lasts insanely long.
Review by Serge
Savanna High Ester Masterclass: The Herrline delivers as you would expect. Fruits (red) without end with wood, olive and some menthol. Very nice. You can argue about the price, but it's delicious. Also more typical (in my eyes) than the Blanc Paris.
Review by Galli33
WoW! Really a great bottling😍 Estery, lovely, fruity, gummi bears, red fruits, delicious, full bodied, yummy yumm yumm😎🥃 The alcohol is integrated perfectly. Unfortunately, you can‘t find it anymore under 400€ 😭
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
#4946 27.09.2024 Tasting with representatives from Savanna while streaming to the RumX community. Nose Fresh, balanced, light wood, light mint, olive, light banana, floral, strawberries, light plum, ester. Palate Medium intense, fresh, oily, ester, light floral, light mint, olive, light berries, light anise, medium dry, complex. Finish Long and warm, oily, balanced, complex, light wood, faint roasted, light olive, faint mint, medium dry, faint prunes.
Review by LukaŽiga
9:On the nose, the first impression we get is estery with overripe tropical and red fruits like strawberry, pineapple, pear.It feels that fruits, especially red, might even be rotten a bit.The molasses is vegetal with an olive, the wood is roasted. On aeration, sweetness is strong with creamy candied fruits, caramel, sweet spices, there is licorice and at last strong sense of sweet white wine notes. 8,8:On the palate, the attack is estery with sweet tropical and red fruits, overripe, with kiwi, especially strawberries might be a bit rotten.There is olive, sweet spices with clove, cinnamon, vanilla.Very round, balanced, with a bit dry wood, tannic.Then it comes to a bit unpleasant moment with pungent alkali notes, but is quickly neutralized with sweet and syrupy candied fruits. After some rest, we might think, that we taste orchard fruit compote with clove, cinnamon, tasty.Some melon, red pepper notes, menthol, might appear also with the complexity of this rum. 8,9:The finish is long, with dry, spicy and roasted wood, the molasses is fresh, a bit waxy, vegetal and earthy/mineral.Sometimes we might think of a fruit tooth paste as fruits are still overripe, later bathing in sweet honey with citrus, kiwi, melon and currants.Juicy, balanced...
Review by mto75
5 yrs steel tank / 8 yrs ex-cognac
Review by Johannes
EXCELLENT!
Review by Boletus
The fruitiness of the HERR is enriched by the barrel influence in an absolutely fitting and wonderful way. Great aroma cinema! Savanna Masterclass online tasting on 27.09.2024, many thanks to the RumX team.
Review by Lot-NAS
That’s a tough one. I really like the HERR profile and I was really looking forward to this one. But my expectations where a bit higher, to be honest. The nose starts off with the funky HERR profile, a low of kiwi, olives, brine, overripe pineapple, a bit of wood and hints of fennelseeds. Great! On the palate it is basically the same only with fruits being a bit overripe (pineapple and kiwi plus a few blackcurrants). But the wood of a bit too much for my liking adding an unbalanced complexity with too much tannins. The finish is long warm and a bit more balanced. Some orange peels and bits of green pepper are a nice addition. Still the wood feels a bit too much for my liking. Nevertheless, a great drop but expectations have been even greater.
Review by Pavel Spacek
Amazing! Full taste of tropical fruits that stays long in your mouth. Amazing! One of few rums that exceed 9/10 points in my strict rating :) like a pure bonbon (Bompary) Rumy z destilerie Savanna jsou jedny z mych nejoblibenejsich. Doporucuji kazdemu vyzkouset zejmena vuce esterove kousky jako je Grand arome nebo HERR. Tolik ovoce v nekolika malo kapkach tekutiny jste dlouho necitili
Review by Basti
Tasted in direct comparison with the Blanc Paris. Here I perceive a bit more glue and spices. The Blanc is a bit fresher/fruitier and maybe also a bit more intense. On the palate with Herrline lots of tropical fruits, chewing gum, berries and spices. One of the best Savanna I've had in the glass so far. The price, however, kept me from buying a bottle.
Review by Filip Šikula
Wonderful! When you open the bottle, you can tell even on the other side of the very large room that a bottle of HERR savanna has been opened. The wonderful fruity and very intense nose invites you to taste it. Without much coaxing, I find that the taste is not far behind the smell!
Review by Master P
A warm, fruity nose where the olive fights with the strawberry, as strange as that may sound. Red fruits and a slightly fermented, spicy and vegetal note complete the picture. The mouth gets stronger and all aromas are present, persist and create a long finish with esters and cedarwood. A complex rum that you definitely want to try again and again.
Review by Beach-and-Rum 🏖️🌴
Today I was able to catch up on the Savanna tasting, since unfortunately I couldn't make it yesterday. The Herrline is quite a strong Savanna for me, just ahead of the Savanna Paris RX20222. Both are very complex and have plenty of power. But the big surprise, cask #991, I personally like best. A bit thicker on the mouth, more dark notes, awesome balance. I need a bottle of that :D
Review by Jarek
Franconian Tasting Gang - 23.11.2024: Ohh… I love the aged HERRs from the Savanna house. This one did not disappoint my expectations either. Fruit candies with strawberry, cherry, currant. Notes of chewing gum. Plus just the right amount of wood and spice. Alcohol perfectly integrated. Mega! Addendum: Small, private Savanna Coss tasting 2025-07-10: First impression confirmed again.
Review by Tim
Very good rum with a solid load of esters. Candied fruits join subtle wood and caramel. Pineapple and berries, as with all Savannas tonight, play a dominant role on the palate and finish. Definitely also woody.
Review by TheJona'Spirits
👃 First nose very fruity, overripe and esterified. Roasted Victoria pineapple soaked in sugar and flambéed in butter in a pan. Strawberry bubblegum, Tagada strawberry candy, yogurt with chemical strawberry flavor, gooseberries. This impression of entering a candy store. Spicy and vanilla wood, Indian cooking spices and freshly opened Bourbon vanilla pod. Menthol notes, salty green olive, brine. A complex and balanced nose. 😋 Nice intensity and concentration of aromas. The palate seems a bit less complex than the nose. We find the overripe tropical fruits, Asian cuisine candied pineapple, the red fruit side (strawberry, red berries, wild berries), the funky Savanna esters. A side of young barrel tannins balanced by a vegetal freshness on the green olive. Nice overall balance. ⛳ Long, warm, acidic, bitter, dry, spicy, tannic. Typical funk of high ester Savanna. Very ripe pineapple, chili candies, berries, green gooseberries, fermented kiwi. 🏆 Herrline #1 Vs #2 comparison - both have an excellent nose, but the palate and finish of #1 are more balanced, long, and intense. I prefer it to the Japaniani which is a bit too lively. I need a sample of Blanc Paris for the battle ⚔️ This Herrline is an excellent selection by Micka from Swell de Spirits 👌
Review by Christian Rudt
Got to try it a second time in today's masterclass. This time directly compared with Herr Blanc Paris. The Herrline scores especially with its intensity of fruit, a really great selection. Maybe the finish goes a bit too sour to get a 9, but it’s not far off. Still the clear very good second place today.
Review by HenryL
RumX Savanna Masterclass 27.09.24: What a nose! Red, sweet fruit par excellence. This nose continues in the mouth, which is rarely the case. I like it very much, it has everything I love about the HERR, just a little more relaxed and balanced. After Philipp's impressions, I now also have a strong association with white gummy bears.
Review by Tom Buteneers
For me probably (one of) the best Savanna expressions I’ve tasted so far. In the line-up slightly better then the HERR Paris.
Review by Rhum Mirror 🇧🇪
🛑 La Cuvée Herrline – A myth in a bottle When you have the chance to bottle an HERR aged in Cognac casks, you jump on it! A monster of ripe fruits, warm spices, with endless evolution in the glass. 100% tropical and 100% enjoyable. Straight, precise, but ultra intense. A true masterpiece. The little wink with the labels showing a one-way ticket with the porthole to admire the view of Reunion Island, so will there be a return flight with a stopover? Or not...
Review by Manuel
Excellent Savanna, very very close to the Savanna Edition Blanc. The alcohol is perfectly integrated and the esters are discreet. The fruity notes come through very well. Unfortunately very little available and expensive.
Review by TheJackDrop
Lille - Swell Masterclass - notes : The Holy Grail! I thought I was in for a slap in the face, but not at all. The olive is of course present, the cognac comes through well, and so does the varnished wood, in equal measure. There's also a touch of wax and yellow fruit that I really liked, very ripe, and which comes through on the palate. Long finish, but perhaps a little straightforward - if one were to try to find something to fault with it - in an attempt to influence the return vintage...
Review by Skyfly
A little HERRLINE comparison: The power of this rum is unmatched. From the nose to far into the finish, overripe tropical fruits, olives, strawberry, and something candied dominate. Cask aromas are present but very pleasant.
Review by Jan Lu
Savanna Masterclass Herrline SdS Really good bottling. Very rounded thing. Tastes very light yet intense. Many contrasts, very exciting and fun. I'm grateful to be able to try it.
Review by Djehey
One of the stars of the Bordeaux rum festival, with the HSE de confrérie du rhum. We find the markers of Savanna's great aromas, such as olive and harlequin/English candy. But what really sets this bottling apart is the balance and mastery of the aromas. This is the most accomplished HERR I've ever tasted. Perhaps the 5 years (!) of rest in vat have something to do with it...
Review by Jakob
Typical Savanna-HERR high-eastern notes with rich, fully ripe fruit aromas of pineapple and strawberry, plus the obligatory fresh, cool menthol aromas and light floral hints. A recognizable barrel influence, spices and roasted notes on the palate. A spectacle of aromas, just as it should be for mature HERRs.
Review by Michael Ihmels 🇩🇪
Wow what a beast again.. Definitely a real highlight today in the tasting. Already very fruity on the nose. Blackcurrants are clearly recognizable. On the palate then a really nice combination of sweetness and spice.
Review by Maxime Clr 🇫🇷
Masterclass Savanna RCP: a superb release, true to Herr Savanna but with a superb balance that gives it a very good rating. Strawberry, pineapple, banana, olives and esters are part of it.
Review by Schnubbii
On the nose: FRUITS! All the fruits of this world. On the palate it continues like that, rarely have I had a rum in the glass that presses the fruits so much on the taste buds. Hampden naturally comes to mind as a comparison, but the HERRLINE hardly has those notes of fermentation, olives or saltiness. Just fruits turned up to 11. All very elegant, long-lasting and quite complex. The finish is medium-length, again with various fruits. The typical Savanna TicTac Wintergreen note I find here, if at all, only very lightly. But otherwise... it's "just" a very tasty and rounded rum. Honestly, I can't understand the big hype around this bottling (and the crazy prices). The Savanna Blanc Paris with its perfect elegance impressed me a bit more.
Review by Martin Spooner
On the nose clear ester notes with tropical fruits. On the palate quite olive. Clearly the ester is dominant but never too extreme. A very digestible guy with a nice fruity finish with pineapple. Corrected upwards after the night tasting. Awesome stuff.
Review by Martin Švojgr
One of the best HERR Savans I've ever had. Wonderful aroma of candied fruit, sweetness. The taste is dominated by tropical fruits accompanied by strawberries and kiwi all complemented by a creamy taste. Exceptionally well integrated alcohol. I just want this bottle!
Review by Buddudharma
Nice, intense Savanna, if you like this profile, you’re wonderfully served here. To me, these guys always remind me of cheap strawberry chewing gum mixed with Chinese Baijiu, which significantly clouds the rating.
Review by Mentalo
Even better than the very good successor “Swell de Spirits Savanna HERRLINE No. 2”. The first bottling delivers the flavor notes a bit more intensely, with an eternally long finish. HERRlich!!
Review by Cédric C
I tasted this Herrline a few months ago, and I had the chance to dive back into it again. It is still as pleasant, both on the nose and on the palate. In my eyes, it is the most successful rum I have tasted so far. I love Savanna, I love the Herr, for me, it's flawless from start to finish! Speaking of finish, what a finish in the mouth...
Review by kondgab
An exceptionally rare Savanna bottling with vibrant tropical notes of mango and pineapple on the nose, joined by olive and esters. The palate mirrors this, enhanced by a distinct cognac barrel influence.
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Expert reviews
2 critics scored it, averaging 9.2/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum.
Expert review by Rob Bauer
Totally awesome HERR and extremely impressive for its 8 years. What stands out in particular are the stone fruit associations which, alongside the usual tropical fruits (pineapple, mango, etc.), tend to be rather rare in intropically matured rums. Above all apricot. The first sip literally explodes and spreads throughout the mouth. An eternally long finish, even though the cask is not over-present on the palate. High complexity. For me the best Savanna so far, or rather my new reference that replaces the 10yo LMDW.
Expert review by The Dunder Hut
A proper Herr, very good kiwi ester goodnes. Perfect cask aging and very nice presentation. Not overwhelming but in very good balance. Potent and fresh. Makes a very nice old fashioned. I like this a lot.
Community shelf
153 bottles logged by 96 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
11% opened, 6 emptied.
What did the community pay for Swell de Spirits Savanna HERRLINE (Selected by Swell de Spirits) HERR 2009?
Community paid 177–361 €.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 297 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
+5 purchases in the last 3 months.
Added to collections, last 12 months — dark bars are the last 3.
153 purchased · 126 tasted · 101 wishlist · as of
Details about Swell de Spirits Savanna HERRLINE (Selected by Swell de Spirits) HERR 2009
A Column Still Rum from Reunion, bottled by Swell de Spirits, at 60,8%.
About the Savanna distillery
The Savanna distillery is located in Reunion. Rums from Savanna have been reviewed 8,561 times with an average of 8.3/10.
To Savanna →Read on in the RumX Guide
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