Clairin - The Spirit of Haiti

Spirit of Haiti Clairin Sajous Rum...$37.99 / 750 ml

• 2018 Harvest
• Sugar Cane Variety - Cristalline
• Master Distiller - Michel Sajous
• 56.5% ABV

North of Haiti’s capital; Port-au-Prince, in the Saint Michel de l'Attalaye region, is the Chelo distillery – built by Michel Sajous in the place his family has been since 1960. The small distillery is located in the middle of the plantation and spans 30 hectares, which are planted with different varieties of organic sugar cane. Fresh, herbacious and fruity, this is Clairin at its finest.
56.2% ABV

Spirit of Haiti Clairin Sajous Ansyen Rum...$64.99 / 750 ml

Aged Clairin

Clairin Ansyen Sajous 29 months 

#SA17OL-5 is a single cask selected by Kate Perry, US Market Manager for La Maison & Velier. 

#SA17OL-5 references the 2017 Sajous harvest, barreled on November 30th, 2017 and aged 29 months in ex-Oloroso sherry cask from Lustau Bodegas. It is one of the first expressions of this type and has been bottled straight from the cask at 56,4% abv.

Spirit of Haiti Clairin Vaval Rum...$37.99 / 750 ml

• 2018 Harvest
• Sugar Cane Variety - Madam Meuze
• Master Distiller - Fritz Vaval
• 48.7% ABV

Cavaillon is three hours driving from Port au Prince. After the bridge of the village and the animated small market, a dirt road arrives to the distillery Arawaks of Fritz Vaval. It has been founded after the war by Frits’ s father Danois Vaval and today possess 20 hectares of the variety called Madame Meuze, grown without the additions fertilizers or artificial pesticides. The Cane is transported by donkeys and pressed in a small mill. The fermentation lasts around 3-5 days and is carried out using natural yeasts without adding water or artificial substances. When it leaves the column, the Clairin capacity is between 50° and 55°. It is stored in 200 litre drums then it is sent to Port-au-Prince where it is bottled.

Spirit of Haiti Clairin Vaval Ansyen Rum...$64.99 / 750 ml

Aged Clairin

Clairin Ansyen Vaval 39 months 

#VA17OL-4 is a single cask selected by Kate Perry, US Market Manager for La Maison & Velier. 

#VA17OL-4 references the 2017 Vaval harvest, barreled on January 12th, 2017 and aged 39 months in ex-Oloroso sherry cask from Lustau Bodegas. It is one of the first expressions of this type and has been bottled straight from the cask at 50% abv.

Spirit of Haiti Clairin Casimir Rum...$37.99 / 750 ml

• 2018 Harvest
• Sugar Cane Variety - Hawaii
• Master Distiller - Faubert Casimir
• 51.4% ABV

Barradères is only 25 km as the crow flies from Cavaillon, which is on the national road from Port-au-Prince to Les Cayes, but to get there it takes at least three hours with a good 4-wheel drive vehicle, along a dirt road that climbs the hills covered by tropical forest. Here there is no restaurant, no bar, not even a pharmacy, but there are thirteen distilleries. Faubert Casimir continues the work started by his father Duncan in 1979 and he is considered the best distiller in the area. He cultivates fifty hectares of Hawaii Blanche and Hawaii Rouge cane; these are un-hybridised soft and tiny canes. In this area the distiller add some herbs or vegetable matter to pure cane juice during fermentation, to enhance the aromas. Casimir adds leaves of citronella, cinnamon and, in some batches, ginger.