RHUM CLAIRIN - Artisanal white rum - SONSON 2018 - 53.2%
The Clairins represent the very essence of authentic Haitian rums, a country rich with 532 small traditional distilleries spread across the only Caribbean island that rose against slavery in 1804. Haiti remains today one of the last strongholds of pure artisanal production methods respectful of nature, thanks to its original varieties of non-hybrid sugarcane, cultivated without any pesticides or chemicals, with spontaneous fermentation without added industrial yeasts, and an ancestral unfiltered distillation that preserves all the aromatic richness of the rum.
The sugarcane is grown in agroforestry, associated with other plants such as banana or mango, and left in the ground without mechanical or chemical intervention until harvest, which takes place 18 months after planting. This manual harvest, carried out with a machete, is followed by transporting the canes to the distillery on men's backs or by ox-drawn carts. On site, the canes are crushed between heavy stone rollers to extract the juice, which is collected immediately to ensure optimal quality. Meanwhile, the pressed fibers are dried using traditional methods. To obtain the "Triple A" designation, strict adherence to a rigorous protocol is required: a minimum fermentation of 120 hours, distillation in pot stills (maximum 5 units) where the copper is directly heated by an open flame, and immediate bottling, done exclusively in Haiti, to guarantee total traceability and uncompromising freshness.
Clairin Sonson is a remarkable white rum known as "cane syrup" produced in the village of Cabaret. From the 2018 harvest, it is made from freshly pressed cane juice, subjected to natural fermentation with indigenous yeasts present on the raw material. The master distiller, Stephan Kalil Saoud, applies a discontinuous distillation in a traditional pot still, thus enhancing the unique and powerful expression of the Haitian terroir. This strong rum, with a high strength of 53.2%, is an invitation to discover the authenticity of exceptional artisanal spirits.
