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B-21 Top Recommendation
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"Hard to come by, easy to love, these Spirit of Haiti Clairins are a rum geek's hot ticket. The singular character and compelling purity never miss." - Andrew Kitz, B-21 Spirits Buyer
Just landed in stock, the one-of-a-kind expressions from Spirit of Haiti are some of the most authentic offerings in the white rum category. An organization of five grower-distillers representing the best of Haitian rum heritage, Spirit of Haiti is the reference point for a style of rum that doesn't get the attention it should, but they're nonetheless highly sought after in rum circles. Of course, the political/security conditions in Haiti typically lead to supply chain inconsistency, so we're always wondering when the next ship will come in. Lucky for us, it just pulled up.
The spirits are artisanal to the bone - all distilled on a wood-fired, copper pot still from fresh cane juice and/or pure cane syrup fermented entirely with ambient yeasts. The flagship Clairin Communal bottling is a blend of four SoH estates - Sajous, Vaval, Casimir, and Le Rocher, and if you want the quintessential character of this singular spirit, this is your go-to. Each producer contributed a finished product to the blend, so it truly does convey something of every piece of the Clairin puzzle.
The single-estate bottlings, on the other hand, are each distinct expressions that could only come from their respective estates and distillers. Michel Sajous' Distillerie Chelo is one of Haiti's best-run operations, based in the Northern village of Saint-Michel-de-l’Attalaye, long considered Clairin's "grand cru" for its mountain plateau terroir. Sajous uses only the Cristalline cane variety and only fresh juice, so his Clairin Sajous is prized for its highly complex aromatics and high-toned elegance. Bethel Romelus owns Le Rocher in the northern inland village of Pignon, where he uses Cristalline cane syrup and dunder (spent materials added back to the wash) to produce Clairin Le Rocher, a rum of weighty personality and intense expression, quite in contrast to Sajous' fresh-cane style.
Clued-in rum aficionados know the wide stylistic variety and singular character on offer here, which means you can explore the differences to your heart's content. This is one of those rare line-ups where we can honestly say, once you try one, you'll want all three, and our best-in-market pricing makes it an easy decision. |
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Dusty straw yellow color. Attractive, herbal, meaty, peppery, roasted aromas and flavors of meats covered in bbq sauce, raw brown sugar cane almost butterscotch, sautéed bamboo shoots, lemongrass, sweet grass, and watercress with an crisp, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a seamless, charming, medium-long finish that presents notes of under ripe banana and umami, cinnamon sticks, melon rind, almond, marzipan, butterscotch, and sweet molasses and salty lime. A raw and clean expression of terroir with the sweet taste of earth, umami, and grass in the most delicious and interesting way.
98 points, Beverage Testing Institute (Apr 2024)
Bethel Romelus owns Le Rocher in the northern inland village of Pignon, where he uses Cristalline cane syrup and dunder (spent materials added back to the wash) to produce a rum of weighty personality and intensely layered expression. The nose is effusively aromatic and confectionary with crushed strawberry, raspberry, verbena, lemon thyme, shortcake, sherbet, and gingerbread. The character of the dunder comes through in whisps of petrol, balsam wood, dried grass, and cooked cane sugar, before lifting off again with pink flowers and white cake icing. Great structure and grip and medium weight frame a palate of tart red fruit, raspberry leaf, dark currant, briny olive. With aeration, a complex interplay of citrus, apple, and red fruit emerges. It’s difficult to pin down but it just underscores how complex this is at its core. The exceptional balance and definition continue to a finish of lilac and high-toned minerality. This is the kind of distinctive, individual character we look for in top-tier artisanal spirits.
94 points, Andrew Kitz, B-21 Spirits Buyer (Jun 2026)
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