Overview
Brand: Clairin - The Spirit of Haïti, Clairin Ansyen series
Origin: Distillerie Faubert Casimir, Baraderes, Nippes, Haiti
Still: Pot
Age: 3 years, 5 months
Finish: ex-Cognac
ABV: 52.7%
Most of the clairin that I have reviewed– and likely that people will find on store shelves– have been unaged and a pure representation of this cherished spirit. As a follow-up to their core range, in 2015 The Spirit of Haiti started aging clairin from a number of their producers in a small warehouse they built in Port-au-Prince; they call this series Clairin Ansyen, or "old clairin" in Haitian Creole.
Casks that were selected include, but are not limited to: Caroni, Hampden Estate, Worthy Park, Bielle, Lustau, and Buffalo Trace; this illustrates a wide range of rum, sherry, and whiskey casks as the project's starting point.
This Clairin Ansyen Casimir was produced in a pot still from a sugarcane juice base by Faubert Casimir, at his distillery in the south of Haiti. After distillation, the clairin spent 3 years and 5 months in an ex-Cognac cask, before being bottled at 52.7% ABV.
This sample was provided to me by /u/LIFOanAccountant, a fellow rum reviewer on /r/rum and at MaltRunners.com.
Appearance
Orange-gold, low viscosity
Nose
Grapefruit juice, grilled pineapple, rotting blueberries, warm honeycomb, yellow bell pepper, green grapes, vanilla
Palate
Cooked green grapes, honey, vanilla, pineapple with Tajin, starfruit, banana peel
Finish
Long, warm, fruity; vanilla, hot honey, green grapes, yellow bell pepper, hint of licorice
Rating: 7/10
Summary
After enjoying a number of different clairin, it's no surprise that Clairin Ansyen Casimir is another hit. While I have not yet had the unaged version, this lightly-aged expression certainly stands on its own, with a complimentary cask finish to amplify the experience.
I recognize a lot of notes I enjoyed from Papalin Haiti like grapes, cinnamon, and licorice, while leaning a little further into the vegetal side of clairins with bell pepper that's found throughout sipping. There's also a presence of pineapple, both grilled and dusted with spicy Tajin seasoning, and a sweet-and-spicy hot honey note on the finish.
All around a delicious dram that's all-too-easy to sip at this proof point. The cognac cask is a little overpowering (compared to what I know about other unaged clairin), but not quite to the point of it drowning out the base funkiness.