Velier Casimir Clairin Vieux Casimir (LMDW) 2016

Clairin is Haiti's wild fermented cane juice rum, agricole in spirit but barred from the word, and this Casimir comes from Velier, the leading name in collectible rum. Where the unaged Casimir bottlings are famously raw, this Vieux Casimir, released with La Maison du Whisky, takes the same pot still spirit and gives it five years in ex bourbon, bottled as a single unsweetened cask at 47.5%.

The barrel rounds the clairin's edges without erasing its identity. The nose offers fresh fruit, light grass, hay and young wood, the palate keeps a clear streak of green olive alongside earthy and tropical fruit notes, and the finish stays woody and charred with that olive signature. It reads more like an aged agricole VSOP than a feral white, more relaxed yet still distinct. A good bridge for drinkers curious about clairin character but wanting something gentler and barrel rounded.