Clairin Sajous Rhum Blanc

Smell: Very strong, sharp green plant notes, spirit-forward, smell of new tires, with an underlying scent like mezcal. It also has aromas of damp forest floor, citrus fruit that is overripe and decaying, pickle juice, fresh-cut sugarcane, and sea salt. As it sits, it becomes sweeter and waxier, especially with a bit of water, though water can also bring out a paper-like note. An impressive aroma. Taste: The initial taste is sweet and less intense than the smell might suggest. It starts with sweet, herbal flavors, again reminiscent of mezcal, and that honeyed-asparagus taste sometimes found in mezcal. But just when you think you've figured it out, it's replaced by a wave of sharp, intense alcohol and bittersweet herbs that hit the palate forcefully. You'll taste tarragon, sage, rosemary, arugula, pickles, ginger, white pepper, green banana, rotting mango, and unripe papaya. This intensity eventually fades, replaced by another wave featuring the distinct flavors of white sugar and green grass from sugarcane juice. Water greatly softens the taste by reducing the alcohol's presence and enhancing the underlying sweetness. Finish: Lingering. All the flavors from the palate combine and slowly fade, leaving behind a subtle salty grassiness with a hint of star anise. This spirit falls between rhum agricole blanc and white dog, with a mezcal influence. The way this spirit evolves is remarkable, making other drinks where you thought you detected development seem insignificant. My alcohol delivery arrived today, just in time for the weekend (hooray!), and it includes several interesting sugar-based bottles, this being one of the most captivating. It's essentially Haitian agricole blanc, made from hand-picked, un-hybridized sugarcane grown on the 30-hectare Sajous estate, crushed in a donkey-powered open-air pit, wild-fermented, and distilled on-site in a small direct-fire pot still. It's an organic product with no added ingredients, and its production methods and environment are very similar to those of mezcal. I'm curious how much of the mezcal character I perceive comes from the wild fermentation. It would be interesting to chemically analyze the congeners of both spirits, as the main difference (besides the raw ingredient, naturally) is that the cane isn't cooked before crushing, unlike agave hearts. This is about as close to homemade rum as you can get. In fact, most clairin is literally homemade alcohol produced on small, unregulated family stills. It's usually a single distillation, and you have to trust that the distiller was careful with their cuts, as a bad cut could result in high methanol content. So, don't rush off to Haiti seeking the ultimate micro-distillery clairin experience – many people have tragically died or lost their sight from drinking the genuine homemade versions. The only clairin I've seen available for purchase here is a range marketed by Velier (including this one). The distillers they work with are well-respected, and the spirit is undoubtedly thoroughly checked by Velier before being sold. (I've encountered some vague and conflicting reports suggesting that the Velier-contracted distillers perform a second distillation in a small column still to "purify" and refine the cut, but I cannot confirm this). Fascinating sipped neat or on ice, but I haven't tried it in cocktails or mixed drinks yet. It could be quite adaptable, but I doubt you could simply swap it for white rum, as their flavor profiles are vastly different. However, be advised that this is not a spirit for beginners. If you're not a fan of rhum agricole, you should definitely avoid this. “Excellent”: 88/100 (4.5 stars) By the way, the classification calls this "silver rum." No, it absolutely is not, and that misleading description needs to be changed.

The nose starts with a mix of guava, sunscreen lotion, moderate hogo funk and rubber tire mulch then sweet florals, wet clay soil and freshly cut grass followed by overripe mango, banana purée and strawberry syrup that transitions to ginger root and fried yucca with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium and creamy mouthfeel starting with a mix of guava, sunscreen lotion, black pepper, moderate hogo funk and burnt rubber before a moderate bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to sweet florals, wet clay soil and freshly cut grass followed by passion fruit, green banana and strawberry yogurt that transitions to ginger root, anise and fried yucca with medium ethanol burn. The finish is long with caramelized bananas, passion fruit, moderate hogo funk, burnt rubber, toasted coconut, anise and fried yucca. This is a wild ride of a spirit that is not for the faint of heart as the flavors are bold and intense that quickly varies between sweet, sour, salty, and bitter starting with a captivating nose where those flavors mingle together in a complex and perfect balance that carries over to the palate but the flavors are overwhelmed by a moderate spice bitter spice that throws off the balance before fading and finishing long with that strange mix of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter working harmoniously together. At a price of around $50, this is a spirit I’d recommend for anyone to try as it might not be enjoyed by everyone but is certainly a complex and interesting experience that no one will likely forget. Thanks a friend for the generous sample as I doubt I ever would have tried this otherwise.

It's interesting how our Western palates primarily recognize spirits from Western cultures. We're familiar with wine, whiskey, beer... yet there's an entire range of spirits yet to be explored (at least for those of us in Western cultures). Consider, for instance, baijiu (which outsells any other spirit), sake, or this... clairin. No, it's not rum. It's as distinct from rum as Scotch whisky is from bourbon. This was a gift from my niece, who recently finished surgical training in Haiti. This is the pricier, Western-market version of their local spirit, distilled by small, back-alley distillers. The local version costs about $1.50 per bottle. However, this one is nearly 50 times that price... intended more for the US market. Apparently, in Haiti, the local version is considered a working-class drink and is traditionally used in voodoo ceremonies. It's distilled from sugarcane, but that's where any resemblance to rum ends. This is more grassy, herbal, and earthy. I detect no sweetness whatsoever. Enjoying this with a single ice cube on a warm day reveals flavors of minerals, grassy earth, and refreshing lemon. It's truly one of a kind. I fully understand that I received the Westernized, diluted version as an introduction, but it now makes me question what a purely local version would taste like. I can't help but wonder if the local-only version would be similar to that local-only mezcal I tried in Oaxaca—possessing flavors and complexity not found in mainstream, on-shelf mezcal. (Included for the June tasting, a gift from a 25-year-old surgical resident's rotation in Haiti)

Perfectly clear in appearance. Lively scents of banana, banana blossom, poblano, tall grass, jicama, jalapeno, key lime, and green apple abound. Smooth and thick on the palate, with abundant grass, green apple, durian, vanilla, cilantro, freshly squeezed sugar cane juice, and cane syrup. The conclusion is packed with white sugar, apple, jalapeno, and licorice. I've never encountered a spirit that expressed such a strong sense of place before. This is truly a gateway to central Haiti. I wish more spirits captured this much local character. A genuine treasure.

Sampled this at a friend's place. Quite good. While clairin receives high praise in New York, it's considered cheap, illegal liquor in the Dominican Republic, where I have many relatives. Nose: Grass, Sugar, Licorice, Banana, Pineapple, Citrus, Dark Chocolate, Palate: Banana, Coconut, Grass, Pepper, Vanilla Finish: Grass, Guava, Sugarcane, Licorice, Caramel Pure additive-free high-proof unaged rums can resemble mezcal if desired.

The aroma offers notes of banana taffy, overripe mango and papaya, orange zest, charred sage, black tea, and a whisper of clove. The texture is full and warming. The taste includes mango, watermelon, pineapple nectar, sage, ground ginger, black tea, a burnt cinnamon stick, and white pepper. The finish is lengthy and warming, with tropical fruit leading to a peppery end.