Velier Chelo Clairin Ansyen Sajous 26 mois 2018

Bottled by Velier, the most prestigious name in collectible rum, this is an aged clairin from the Sajous source in Haiti, distilled on a pot still from fresh sugar-cane juice using the wild, spontaneous fermentation that gives clairin its turbo-charged funk. Agricole in spirit but unable to use the word, it has spent twenty-six months in ex-bourbon oak, an unusual aged twist on a usually unaged style.

The nose is unmistakably Sajous: glue, tar and mint over raw sugarcane, the ester-driven funk that marks high-end Haitian cane rum. The palate brings tropical fruit, more tar and a sweet, allspice-laced warmth, the oak rounding the edges without taming the wildness. Bottled unsweetened at a full-proof 52.9%, it is intense, savoury and idiosyncratic, a rum for drinkers who actively seek out funk and reward in the strange rather than the smooth.