Rum Nook: Assessment 98 – Clairin Sajous (Batch #1)

In late November 2014 I went to my very first rum tasting /
Grasp class.

The host was none apart from Luca Gargano of Velier fame.

That evening we tried 10 totally different Velier merchandise from
Demerara leviathans, to Caroni beast and Rhum Rhum unicorns. After which there was
one thing fully totally different.

3 Clairins. The Sajous, Casimir and Vaval.

And as time handed it felt like that the Clairins had been what Mr. Gargano was most captivated with. He spent virtually all the allotted time speaking loopy passionately about these unaged wonders fra Haiti.

Haiti might be greatest know for its sole industrial rum
producer: Barbancourt.

Few folks know that Haiti has greater than 500 small producers
of Clairin as properly. Clairin is similar to rum, as it’s a distilled from
fermented sugar cane juice.

The tip merchandise are sometimes bottled straight from the nonetheless
and solely bought domestically. Usually you’d simply drop by your native micro distillery
and high off your favorite plastic jug.

Clairin is a completely natural and pure product. No tampering
of any variety. Even the yeast might be wild.

And it’s bottled at something from 30% to 60% ABV.

I ended up going dwelling from this marvelous night with only one bottle: The Clairin Sajous. The Sajous appeared like the higher alternative on the time just because I favored it higher than the opposite two.

The Demeraras, Caronis and Rhum Rhums had been all very, superb and at that time I already had a number of in my assortment. However these mystical, unaged creatuers had been those which caught my consideration probably the most on that evening.

So, the Sajous had been bottled at 53,5% ABV and as all Clairins
made on a pot nonetheless. The Sajous is double distilled by distiller Michel Sajous
within the small village of Saint Michel de L’Attalaye in central Haiti. Bottled
straight from the nonetheless, this has by no means identified a cask.

It’s an all pure, natural, karma fortifying, zero 12 months
previous ”eau de vie”.

IT is available in a really tall and slender bottle, which is hidden
away inside a equally slender card board field. The field is fantastically embellished
with a portray from a well-known Haitian artist.

Aside from the identify and sort of product, nothing is described
on the field.

On the bottle nevertheless, we discover a label holding all related
details about the liquid inside.

And talking in regards to the liquid, we’re coping with a crystal
clear drink. It’s as a lot a white rhum as they arrive.

I haven’t been slapped within the face a lot. However the Sajous did
what it may to tough me up a bit.

Large, insanely fruity cane juice leapt at me from the
glass together with a scary crew of brine and wax, with an natural edge which I
have by no means encountered earlier than.

It’s fairly clear and probably not that troublesome to
take aside.

But it surely feels balanced, adventurous, enjoyable and intensely clear.

It noses like nothing I’ve ever smelled earlier than.

I’m just a little bit in love with it already, but in addition just a little
scared how this wild, pure beast will deal with me when unleashed.

It enters with an excellent funky, heavy profile and looks like
it sticks to your total mouth in a cut up second.

Nevertheless because the preliminary flavours of cane juice and brine
begins to chill off, you realise that’s doesn’t stick in any respect.

The following wave of flavours include wax, plasticine and
contemporary paint. Not sometimes very nice flavours, however for some purpose they match
in.

Ending all of it off is a layer of contemporary leather-based, inexperienced
asparagus, and salty liquorice.

Tremendous nice regardless of the excessive proof and funky flavours.

Not so long as I’d have anticipated, however nonetheless lengthy sufficient
to maintain me occupied for a couple of minutes.

It exits with loads of warmth and it doesn’t thoughts taking its
time to dial it down.

The funky fruity cane juice, salty liquorice and leather-based
makes up the rearguard and follows you all the way in which to the bus cease.

And if you’re prepared to go away and the lave flavour has
light away, your palate is clear sufficient to eat from (!).

Ranking and closing
ideas

That is nice stuff. Funky, flavourfull, fruity, freaky,
unbelievable, frivolous, feisty and flaming fireball.

I’m tremendous stunned that an unaged white rhum may ship
such and intense and nice expertise. I anticipated one thing tough, unpolished,
discomforting and hostile.

But it surely wasn’t not within the least doable manner. It did begin
out by slapping me, however simply to set issues straight from the start. That is
not an off-the-cuff drink! Oh no sir. Not even shut.

In keeping with Mr. Gargano the Sajous is so pure and so clear,
that irrespective of how a lot you drink of it and the way drunk it will get you, you’ll not
expertise a hangover.

I’m not going to check that principle immediately. For now, I’ll take
his phrase for it.

Because of its pungency it’s a little onerous to like, and even
although I hate the time period, it could be an acquired style for some folks.  Water does nothing good for it, because it mutes
the flavours with out bringing one other dimension to the spirit.

It lacks finesse, depth and variety to succeed in the highest of
the charts. However what are you really allowed to anticipate from an unaged pot
nonetheless drink?

So far as I’m involved, that is my favorite white rum and
rhum up to now.

www.velier.it
http://www.thespiritofhaiti.com/ (sadly solely obtainable in italian and french)

Word

I’m no mixologist, however I can think about that this is able to be extremely superior
in cocktails as properly.

Moreover we at the moment are as much as batch 3 so far as I do know, so it appears that evidently the Clairins are right here to remain.