The real vs fake: Savanna Dry drinkers dilemma
MBABANE – Consumers of Savanna Dry premium cider were left confused over the immergence of the brand’s clone with lesser alcohol percentage and suspicious features.
The suspicious version of the famous cider is sold in some liquor outlets in Mbabane and it could not be ascertained if it was available in other towns.
The 0.5 per cent short from the original six per cent alcohol volume on cider bottle is the most glaring difference. Savanna Dry cider is a very popular brand, especially among females, and is consumed by a majority of ladies in the country. It is presumed that about three quarters of females who go out on a weekend either consume Savanna Dry or wine. A customer who bought the cider from one of the outlets in the capital city said she first noticed the taste which was not the usual light bite, semi-sweet, tart and slightly aromatic taste.
Upon realising the different taste, she then checked the bottle and found out that it was a different drink from her usual cider.
The retailer apparently learnt from the customer that the cider was not the same as the usual Savanna.
“It was a very scary moment, and I was fortunate because I know the taste of my drink and therefore it was easy for me to learn that I was drinking a fake. I wondered what would happen to those who drank the fake beverage for the whole night. I alerted the retailer and they promised to change the wholesaler,” she said.
The Times SUNDAY made further enquiries and after buying the two different Savanna Dry drinks we then made comparisons. It was discovered that though the one could not be declared as a fake one, it had a lesser alcohol volume and was lighter in its concentration colour.
DISCOVERED
Other features which proved glaring were the Portuguese language on one bottle, while the other had its information written in English. We further discovered that the writings on the two bottles came in two different colours including the savanna tree.
The other bottle was written in black while the other was written in the original green savanna colour.
An expert was engage at one of the distillers in the country and he concluded that one of the two bottles was an original, while the other was a clone.
He said the six per cent alcohol volume was the original, while the 5.5 per cent bottle was a duty free import. The expert said he suspect that the duty free import came through the Mozambican border due to the Portuguese language and the fact that there was a duty free facility there.
“It is an unfortunate tale but I can conclude that that 5.5 per cent cider was from Mozambique and was probably brought into the country without paying tax as a duty free item. The features are clearly Mozambican and the colours are definitely not the same,” he said. When whether there was any danger in consuming the 5.5 per cent cider, the expert, speaking on a condition of anonymity, said people react different to different alcoholic beverages and it was important for anyone who might have a reaction to see a doctor.
“It clear that the cider was brought into the country on purpose but I cannot say for a fact that there are negative health effects of drinking such but one can mention that anyone with a reaction should see the doctor immediently,” he added. The expert, after tasting the two ciders, discovered that a stronger fermentation of flavours emerge from the 5.5 per cent bottle while from the 6 percent bottled has acidic undertones and becomes more dry.
INTRODUCED
Savanna Dry is a South African cider introduced by the Distell Group Limited in May 1996 and is sold in over 60 countries.
It is South Africa’s leading cider export and the third-largest cider brand in the world. According to the manufacturing company’s website, Savanna Dry is produced from crushed apples grown in the Elgin Valley of the Western Cape, and is described as a clear, refreshing and dry tasting cider.
The production of the cider takes place in the apple cider plant in Paarl. The overall production process is typically two weeks in length and during this period; the product is run through a micro-filtration process where it is triple filtered and double chilled. Savanna is available in four variations; Savanna Dry, Savanna Light and the recently added Savanna Blackbeard and Savanna Loco. Savanna Loco has a tequila flavour. Savanna Dry is the first cider produced by Savanna and contains an alcohol level of six per cent Savanna Light was launched in May 2000 and contains an alcohol level of three per cent.
The smell of the cider is a medium-light sour apple smell which is slightly acidic and bitter. The apples are evident in its taste and become more tart and bitter in the aftertaste.
Local distributors of Savanna Dry, Distell in Matsapha, were visited in an attempt to show them the two ciders and get their opinion on it proved futile as the manager was not available for a comment. Other wholesalers were also visited to check whether they have the 5.5 percent bottles or not and none of them had it and they could not comment on where the bottle was possible sold.
Chairman of the Liquor Licensing Board Mndeni Vilane, was called on his Eswatini Mobile number and he was unfortunately not available. The intention was for Vilane to shed light on whether the 5.5 percent Savanna Dry was legitimately sold in the country or not.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), alcohol consumption is a causal factor in more than 200 disease and injury conditions. In the world, an estimated three million deaths were from the harmful use of alcohol every year.