The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Clairin Ansyen Le Rocher 4 Year Old Haitian Rum
Rum

Clairin Ansyen Le Rocher 4 Year Old Haitian Rum

Clairin · Distillerie Le Rocher

96.4 proof4 YearPignon, Haiti
Clairin represents rum at its most elemental — wild yeast, open-air fermentation, sugarcane from the distiller's own fields. Four years of aging rounds the edges without filing them smooth. This is a rum that tastes like a specific place and a specific set of hands, which is increasingly rare in spirits.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

Grassy, vegetal agricole character leads, followed by tropical mango and overripe banana. An earthy, almost mushroomy quality lurks beneath the fruit, alongside subtle vanilla from the barrel aging. A fleeting citrus brightness emerges with time.

Palate

Vibrant and texturally complex, with sugarcane juice freshness meeting toasty oak and gentle toffee sweetness. Tropical fruits — guava, pineapple — dance across the mid-palate, while an earthy, mineral undertow keeps the rum grounded. The mouthfeel is oily and substantial for its age.

Finish

Medium-long with lingering sugarcane grass, a hint of smoke, and a dry earthiness that recalls the Haitian terroir.

Specifications
Base Ingredient
Fresh sugarcane juice
Distillation
Single distillation in a copper pot still
Country
Pignon, Haiti
Serve & Pair

Cocktail Suggestion

Ti' Punch Ansyen — 2 oz Clairin Ansyen Le Rocher · 0.5 oz fresh lime juice · 0.5 oz cane syrup · Build in a rocks glass, stir briefly, add one large ice cube.

Food Pairing

Haitian fried pork shoulder served with fiery pickled cabbage and scotch bonnet relish stands up to the rum's intensity while echoing its tropical fruit and earthy complexity.

The Story

Distilled by Michel Sajous at his family's Distillerie Le Rocher in the Haitian highlands, this clairin is made from estate-grown sugarcane, wild-fermented, and aged in ex-American oak barrels.

Train These Aromas
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