CLAIRIN 2022 Vaval, 53.3% ABV

There are over 500 small distilleries in the countryside of Haiti and the diversity of production of local spirit, called Clairin – or Kleren – varies widely with an incredible variety of Clairin styles.

Clairin Vaval is produced in the coastal village of Cavaillon in the southeast of Haiti.

Distillery Arawaks was built after the second war by father, Danois Vaval in the southern village of Cavaillon. Today Fritz has 20 hectares of the sugarcane variety called Madame Meuze, grown naturally without the addition of chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The cane is cut by machete and transported by mule to be pressed in a small mill. Wild fermentation lasts around 5 days without adding water or artificial substances. The distillate is made in a unique pot still that is very different from any other because Fritz built it himself. His still is unusual in that it is powered by steam, produced by a steam engine of an old locomotive train, powered fueled by burning bagasse. Two distillations are done per day, each lasting around 10 hours and coming off the still at 45%to 55% ABV.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Heady and pulpy. Olive, brine, fresh papaya, mango, wet slate.

Palate: Smooth and flavorful. Green banana, anise,
salt air, raw root vegetable, ripe plums.

Finish: Wide and gentle. Rich coastal air, beachy minerals.

Key Information

Serving Suggestions
First things first, be comfortable, relaxed and free from distractions. Pour a healthy amount (15-25ml) into a nosing glass (e.g., glencairn) and let it sit for a while. We recommend a minute of resting in the glass for every year in the cask. Otherwise, let it settle down for 5-10 minutes at least.

Help yourself to a 'warm up dram' in the meantime - something simple to open up the palate. When ready, start nosing the spirit, followed by sipping it (noting how it arrives on your palate and its development), and finally the finish. Take your time to get to know the spirit, noting its expression, character, depth, complexity and flavours. These can all change with adding drops of water so play around to find different sides of the spirit and identity a personal sweet spot for yourself!

We find this enjoyable on the rocks as well, and our personal sweet spot is a cube of ice with 25ml of the spirit in a glencairn!

But always remember, the best way to drink it is the way you like it!