Velier Arawaks Clairin Vaval Cavaillon 2018

This Vaval Cavaillon is a Haitian clairin from the Arawaks distillery, bottled by Velier, the Genoa house that did most to bring clairin to the wider world. Clairin is made from fresh pressed sugarcane with wild, spontaneous fermentation and heirloom cane, agricole in spirit but unable to use the protected word, and this expression is unaged, showing the spirit raw and white.

The nose is floral and grassy with anise and sugarcane, while the palate turns grassy and salty with anise and a litchi note, the finish carrying grass, prunes, dried figs and floral tones. It drinks funky and distinctive, a touch schnappy in the way unaged clairins can be, briny and herbal with plenty to unpick for those new to the style. Bottled at a robust cask strength 49.3% and unsweetened, it is a raw, terroir driven Haitian cane spirit, intriguing and a little unbalanced, best met with curiosity and ideally built into a Ti Punch to frame its wild character.