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Distilia Savanna The Virtues Charity by Rob Bauer 2008
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Nearly everyone lands high on this one, though a couple of Savanna regulars found it strays too far from the distillery's usual profile. What's in the glass: ripe mango and papaya, spice, tobacco, and firm oak tannins at a big 68.3%. Several tasters say it's unrecognizable blind — more like an old armagnac than an agricole. It needs air and time; one reviewer calls it a "monster rum."
The community says- Ripe tropical fruit
- Very long finish
- Layered, opens with air
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Yes, if you're after bold, mature, oaky rums for sipping neat.
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The look inside the bottle
How does Distilia Savanna The Virtues Charity by Rob Bauer 2008 taste?
From community reviews · summarized with AI
Intense, woody agricole for slow sipping Loved by most, with an average near 92. Concentrated, spicy and woody with tropical fruit and a very long finish. A few Savanna purists felt it drifts from the house style.
Aroma profileExperienced drinkers who want a bold, concentrated cask-strength agricole to sip slowly
Beginners and anyone wanting a light, easy everyday pour
Style & occasion: Mature & oakyTropical & funkySipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
Relative to this rum's strongest aroma family
23 of 53 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Which glass for which rum? The community guide ›
What does the community say?
53 community reviews
Rating scale & review checks
On RumX, 7 means “Good” and 8 means “Very good”.
See the full rating guideHow ratings are made and how we check them ›The website shows a selection of written reviews. The distribution also includes ratings without text. All published reviews are available in the RumX app.
35 selected written reviews
The distribution above includes all 53 ratings, including those without text.
Review by DomM
Most helpful positive review
Rich and intense on the nose. Lots of fermented tropical fruits and some solvent notes. Notes from the cask with a wonderfully balanced woodiness. Again funky and rich on the palate. Solvent notes and complex fruits.
Review by Happy Oner
Most helpful mixed review
Classic sweet gum but better
Review by Skyfly
Right from the moment you open it, you can tell this isn’t your usual Agricole. Instead of just the cane and vegetal notes dominating, you get all sorts of tropical fruits and spices that make it really complex! On the palate, there are (citrus) fruits and again some light spice aromas. In the super long finish, you get a hint of wood for the first time. The alcohol is integrated to perfection! I’m honestly not an Agricole fan, but this one is truly something special!
Review by Gunnar Böhme "Bauerngaumen" 🤓
Small Savanna cross-tasting with instant impressions, so just a quick note today (sacrilege, I know): Well, it definitely ranks at the top. Full-bodied, dense, simply without any "flaws," superb. Absolutely unidentifiable blind, neither Savanna nor cane juice. Update 2026-07-11: Small high-end cross-tasting where RX25324 and RX20991 swap ranking spots, otherwise my previous scores are confirmed: RX25324 93 points RX20991 91 points RX24528 90 points RX20222 89 points RX20538 87 points
Review by Timo Groeger
And then to finish this Pentecost weekend, the great Savanna from Rob Bauer. Strawberry is also noticeable here, but it is also very spicy and woody, tropical fruits are also present. Top rum.
Review by Mirco
As a Savanna fan, I only like it to a limited extent. Too herbal and woody, and the even more extreme Savanna ester fruit is used here very minimally. With a neutral perspective, definitely a very good and complex rum. On the nose, a fermented fruit, solvent, citrus, and a slight floral note, plus a warm wood spice. On the palate, dense with ester, spices, oak, and a bitter edge.
Review by zabo
Today three Savannas in the glass to be able to classify the new RumX bottling. The bottlings from Rob, the Virtues, the Savanna Thunderstruck, and of course RumX #991 took part. Thanks again to Oliver for the sample in advance. As a summary for me, RumX has the best nose. Also taste-wise, it took first place for me. 17 years of tropical aging of a Savanna simply can't be beaten. The Thunderstruck Grand Arome can't keep up. Rob's Virtues secured second place for me.
Review by mto75
At first, the barrel influence is already quite noticeable on the nose. With more time, ripe tropical and dried fruits join in (mango, papaya, fig…), also a bit of citrus freshness, and behind that the intense vanilla bean (which I found in many GA/Herr). On the palate, even more barrel, toasty, very full-bodied due to the high ABV, but not sharp or scratchy at all. Towards the finish, rather bitter with lots of tannin. Very long finish. Reminds me a bit of the cask #991 (intended for RX), just everything is a bit more concentrated and intense.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
#6161 31.12.2025 Relaxing with some rums preparing for the New Year dinner and celebrations. Nose Fresh, light wood, light berries, citrus, olive, light mint, herbs, faint caramel, apple. Palate Oily, fresh, light wood, anise, fruity, apple, light citrus, light caramel, light earthy, faint mineral. Finish Long and warm, oily, fresh, anise, light earthy, light mint, berries. Empty glass Strawberry, licorice, light chocolate, light olive, mint.
Review by Johannes
Quite woody already, but still some fruitiness present. Very special, very demanding, not for casual sipping. Very long, intense finish.
Review by cigares
Great Savanna tasting with Artur. A very beautiful nose, rich, ample, and refined. Lots of flavors and complexity, vegetal, sour apple, nice sweetness, citrus, a rooty or even earthy side. Nice lively alcohol on the first sip, then the aromas rise and fill everything with citrus (grapefruit), baked apple, vegetal notes, and all the aromas from the nose. The finish is just as beautiful with a nice vegetal bitterness and medicinal herbs.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
2008 Savanna Traditionelle by Rob Bauer. An incredibly intense and concentrated nose. Fermented, overripe mango, slightly fermented smoky tobacco, sandalwood incense sticks and lacquer, as well as tropical fruits. On the palate, it almost briefly reminds me of a Grand Arome: green apple, overripe strawberry, and menthol. At the same time, there are again the incense sticks and tobacco notes, as well as fresh sugarcane and intense wood aromas with crisp tannins and a slight acidity in the finish. If it weren't for the smoky note, the rating might be higher, but unfortunately, this really irritates me. I'll give it another chance at a different time. Still, high quality!
Review by ArminK
A very harmonious rum, but it should sit in the glass for a good 10 minutes. All kinds of tropical fruits with a slight woody note. At first, I thought it wouldn’t reach a 9. But once it’s in the mouth, everything explodes, and the 68.3% ABV helps without being intrusive. I even avoided brushing my teeth in the evening, and sure enough, it was still noticeable in the morning. Anyone who can should give it a try.
Review by Schnubbii
Already on the nose you are greeted by lots of wood and at the same time lots of fruit. On the palate then also pronounced tannins and wood notes, a bit bitter, but embedded in a nice fruitiness. Very untypical both for a Savanna and a Rhum Agricole. Very long finish with lots of tannins, going towards Tictac Wintergreen. Really a very special rum that requires a lot of time and attention.
Review by TheJackDrop
If the initial nose is rather dry, the first wafts surprisingly lean towards olive and green banana. An agricole whose cane has given way to aromas that oscillate between bagasse, ripe fruits, and milk chocolate. Aeration brings more indulgent notes, chocolaty, poached pear in syrup. On the palate, the attack is warm, straightforward, a tangy tip seizes your tongue, punctuated by notes of apple, tannins, which don’t seem to fade but gradually give way to notes of tobacco, light walnut, and licorice. In the finish, a veil of fresh fruits, an oxidative & tangy note, as well as the typical polished wood of Savanna remain, returning in successive waves, relentlessly. A rum for eternity? Maybe. It’s disorienting as it differs so much from the agricole profiles of Martinique, the Savalle column seems to show its full capabilities, and this ethereal finish haunts you for hours. EDIT: new tasting even more enjoyable, and a big article available on the blog!
Review by Jarek
The sample from HebVirtues Savanna is the occasion for a little high-end Savanna cross-tasting with Thunderstruck and RumX. Sweet, spicy, and fruity nose. Less varnish and glue than the Thunderstruck, less fruit than RumX. By the nose, RumX ahead of Virtues ahead of Thunderstruck. On the palate also woody, spicy, sweet, with restrained fruity notes. Alcohol quite dominant, but not surprising at 68%. In the finish, very slight strawberry notes, which are much stronger in the two Grand Arome. On the palate and overall, the order remains: RumX, Virtues, and somewhat trailing Thunderstruck.
Review by Jakob
Starts with tropical fruits of mango, papaya, and passion fruit, leading to oxidized lime, before gripping wood and spice notes emerge. On the palate, a hint of residual sweetness from caramelized citrus fruits, along with roasted-bitter cask influences. Savannas, away from the high ester style, are almost always a guarantee of high-level enjoyment - which this rum proves once again.
Review by Righrum
Amazing. Charity is not only one of the best rums I've ever tried, but I think this is the kind of spirit that goes beyond categories. Blindly, on the nose I'd say this is an armagnac rather than a rum, or a really old calvados to some extent. But then comes the palate to show the real nature of this spirit. The nose is full of spices agrumes and wood, but I found also some red fruits and camphor that goes along with herbal and citrusy notes. The palate is a surprise, you expect it woody and astringent, instead you are welcome by fruitiness (agrumes and dried fruits) and vanilla sweetness. The woodyness and a bit of astringency are coming just at the end. I repeat myself, this is a great rum, and consider that I do not even like Savanna Agricoles on the average.
Review by Alex Kunath
Bottlekilldram! Intense, extremely complex Savanna with plenty of wood on the nose and tongue, needs its time in the glass. Not a rum for everyone or every day. I like it!
Review by linsen davy
I will write my review but got to taste it at distilia with piotr , its heaven sweetness of fruit but wit a uppercut , amazing stuff , will review more later Review : Imagine a tropical fruit basket on steroids that decided to spend fifteen years meditating in a posh French Cognac cask. That is the Savanna 2008 "Charity" in a nutshell. With an ABV of 68.3%, this isn't exactly a drink for the faint-hearted; your eyebrows will likely hit the ceiling the moment you take a sniff. You’ll get a blast of mango and papaya so ripe they’re practically trying to hike out of the bottle themselves, followed by a hint of leather and menthol (just to keep things "fresh"). The moment you take a sip, your palate is greeted by an oily, full-bodied structure that tastes like a blend of luxury tobacco, tonka beans, and oak. It’s like drinking an entire tropical jungle while lounging in a leather armchair with a high-end cigar. The finish lasts so long that you’ll probably still feel like you're on holiday the next morning, with a final wave of dry cacao saying goodbye. In short: it’s a rum that gives you a friendly smack in the face before treating you to a five-course gourmet dinner served with a bazooka 😅
Review by Gil Firth
You said Rob bower you said it all. This guy continues picking amazing casks again and again. This is a monster rum. Very powerful. Not really the biggest savanna hipe person... It is a good distillery and this is an excellent rum. Glad people here founded many layers in it. But for me it is very good rum but lacks some complexity and very very. This is my thoughts from a 15 ml sample a friend gave me.
Review by Muzafer Babbaro Muric
explosion is the right word for this one. very tropical, fruity with citrus notes. you also have the classic grassiness but just the right amount. you have a wood and spiciness that covers the whole taste. very long elegant aftertaste. i love this one!
Review by rs-spirits.de
For me, so far the best rum of my life.
Review by Buddudharma
Unusual Savanna. Compared to the RumX bottling, the strawberry here only plays in the background, Wick blue is not present at all. Instead, a slightly citrus note, embedded in spices and wood. Alcohol integration is okay, but in terms of consistency and oiliness, it falls short. High quality, but not a profile for which I would need a bottle at this price.
Review by davided_goffin
Wow. Really wow. The nose already promises a lot, but what really sticks on the tongue and palate is crazy. Incredibly beautiful tobacco-honey finish, a real spice bomb. Rum at the highest level.
Review by Schleepie
Spicy, sometimes peppery. A unique Agricole that does not hide its origin. Despite a strong 68.3% vol., very drinkable but definitely for the experienced palate. Especially in the finish the typical Savanna style comes through, but on a completely different basis. Fruity-herbal, a rare delight.
Review by Wextra
I've had quite a bit of Savanna in the glass before, but here everything just fits perfectly and the nuances can even be taken to new dimensions with the addition of a few drops of water! A glass can easily keep you company for an hour, great on the nose, explosive on the palate, and a mega long finish!
Review by Nikolaj_Galva
I've tried quite a few Savannas, but this one somehow stands out and doesn't fit the usual profile at all. Extremely high in esters, but not like the Grand Aromes ones. Clearly more vegetal, darker. Intensely concentrated. I don't know how to describe it, but it's a really fascinating Agricole that I wouldn't even put in the Martinique category. Like a mystery movie, but brilliant. And brutal! Totally worth letting it breathe, something new always comes out of the glass. Also with a drop of water. Definitely not for beginners or everyday drinking, but I don't think that's what this bottling is about. Even the empty glass still smells after hours. Thanks for the sample, Rob.
Review by David Scharsach
I had the chance to try this drop blind and was speechless because of the intense fruit notes and the following explosion on the palate! Exactly my profile, and with its eternally long finish, the drop lingers for a long time. Absolute hammer Savanna rum!
Review by RUMster 🥃
Again an absolute bomb. So far the Distilla releases of the series have never disappointed me.
Review by Rbus82
Had the huge privilege of tasting this baby with good friend. Sharing is caring right? 🙂not only is the bottle absolutely gorgeous, but the liquid inside is just perfect. Great experience ! Savanna’s signature profile really shines here with tropical fruits, soft sweetness, and those layers of spice and subtle funk. Truly a characterful rum and an absolute pleasure to sip.
Review by Cedric_
Very interesting Savanna with a pronounced licorice note in the nose and palate for me. Otherwise quite spicy, the fruit is surprisingly subtle for me. However, you can notice its alcohol content a bit, which prevents a top rating. Still recommended.
Review by Johannes Eisner
Impressive just because of the basics: Agricole with 15 years of barrel aging and decent ABV. Great combo of solid barrel aromas and preserved freshness. The fruit fights a bit with the wood, but that’s exactly what makes it so exciting. Not a rum for casual sipping, very very nice thing. Hats off Rob!
Review by nimrod rosenblatt
Beautiful, long-aged agricole. Heavy on the wood without losing its identity, while keeping elegance and drinkability well below its strength.
Review by Pavel Spacek
Full palette, lightly sharp... IMHO pretty similar to Vagabond Savanna
This selection contains no written reviews in this rating range.
Expert reviews
3 critics scored it, averaging 9.1/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum.
Expert review by Zucker und Zeste
Read full review ›The Charity takes on a great legacy, after all it follows the much-noticed “The Sins” series. That alone sets expectations high. Expectations that this bottling effortlessly meets. The Agricole brings a remarkably high alcohol content, which surprisingly is hardly noticeable upfront. Instead, it presents itself balanced, dense and surprisingly accessible. In the aroma, it shows impressive depth: warm, ripe fruit notes combine with a clearly pronounced but harmoniously integrated wood note, as one would expect from a distillate of this age but unfortunately not always find. Nothing feels forced; rather, a multi-layered, almost meditative overall picture unfolds. For me, this Agricole is demanding, challenging in the best sense, but never overwhelming. It demands attention and above all time. If you give it that in the glass, it opens up layer by layer. Those who taste it too quickly risk missing the full potential of this exceptionally noble drop.
Expert review by Rhummer
Read full review ›What a bomb! Blind, I would never say Savanna! Nose of a super structured and complex rum... very far from the classic aged agricoles (which I prefer white). The palate fully confirms the nose with the strength felt in the right way without being exaggerated (even though it actually is 😝). Very long finish that pushes salivation and to drink again. To be tasted with veeeery calm. Not for everyone...
Expert review by Le Blog À Roger
Read full review ›
Distilia Savanna The Virtues Charity by Rob Bauer 2008 at live auctions
A bid is not a final price: the house sets the buyer's premium, shipping and any customs duty.
All live auctions ›Community shelf
30 bottles logged by 23 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
13% opened, 3 emptied.
What did the community pay for Distilia Savanna The Virtues Charity by Rob Bauer 2008?
Community paid 309–335 €.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 320 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ ›
30 purchased · 53 tasted · 80 wishlist · as of
Details about Distilia Savanna The Virtues Charity by Rob Bauer 2008
A Column Still Rum from Reunion, bottled by Distilia, at 68,3%.
About the Savanna distillery
The Savanna distillery is located in Reunion. Rums from Savanna have been reviewed 8,701 times with an average of 8.3/10.
To Savanna ›Read on in the RumX Guide
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