Velier Casimir & Vaval & Sajous & Le Rocher Clairin Communal Blend des Quatres Communes

Velier's Clairin Communal blends rum from four Haitian distilleries, Casimir, Vaval, Sajous and Le Rocher, the village producers Luca Gargano helped bring to wider attention. Clairin is Haiti's rawest cane spirit, made from fresh cane juice with spontaneous wild-yeast fermentation, heirloom cane and no additives, agricole in spirit even though the legal term sits elsewhere. It is bottled by Velier in keeping with the house line on transparency and unadulterated rum.

Blending the communes rounds off the wilder edges of any single village, so this drinks as a characterful but gentle white: vegetal and grassy with fresh sugarcane and citrus, floral and lightly funky, finishing on pepper, more cane and a touch of pear. The pot-still distillation and wild ferment keep it lively and savoury rather than sweet. At 43% it is approachable for the style, a fine introduction to clairin and a natural base for a Ti' Punch or a daiquiri.