Clairin Vaval Rum
Clairin Vaval Rum is the rawest taste of Haitian terroir you can buy — a 750mL unaged clairin from Distillerie Vaval (Arawaks) in Cavaillon, on Haiti's southern peninsula, bottled per vintage at still strength with no filtration and no additives. Cane cut by machete and carried by mule, wild-fermented with indigenous yeast for about five days, distilled in a one-of-a-kind still built by Fritz "Chelo" Vaval himself — steam-powered by an old locomotive train engine fueled by burning bagasse — it is Haiti's traditional artisanal sugarcane spirit, closer to rhum agricole than to molasses rum. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Style: unaged Haitian clairin — single-terroir, wild-fermented cane juice, unfiltered, additive-free
- Size: 750mL (US bottling; EU markets see 700mL)
- Origin: Distillerie Vaval, Cavaillon, Haiti — family distilling since the 1940s; ~20 hectares of Madame Meuze cane, no chemical fertilizers or pesticides
- Production: machete-cut cane, mule transport, ~5-day wild fermentation, Fritz Vaval's handmade steam-powered still
- ABV: bottled per vintage (no fixed ABV printed on the listing — see metadata)
Haiti's Traditional Cane Spirit
Clairin is to Haiti what mezcal is to Mexico: a rural, small-distillery cane-juice spirit made the way it has always been made. Clairin Vaval is the Cavaillon single-terroir expression of that tradition — indigenous Madame Meuze cane grown naturally, pressed in a small mill, fermented with the yeasts that live on the cane itself, and distilled twice a day in ten-hour runs in a still the master distiller built by hand. Pioneered in the US and EU by Velier, it's the bottle that introduced the world's bartenders to real clairin. Find more rum or explore the brand in the Clairin collection at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
The importer's official notes (quoted from the established description): fresh and balanced. 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 and beachy minerals.
How to Enjoy
Neat at room temperature to taste the full wild-fermentation funk, or the Haitian way — as the soul of a ti' punch with cane syrup and lime. It also brings serious terroir to a daiquiri.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is clairin?
Haiti's traditional artisanal sugarcane spirit — a rural, cane-juice (agricole-style) distillate, closer to rhum agricole than to molasses-based rum.
Why is there no ABV on the label?
Clairin Vaval is bottled per vintage at still strength with no fixed ABV — it varies by harvest, which is part of the single-terroir character.
How is Clairin Vaval made?
Cane is cut by machete, carried by mule, pressed in a small mill, wild-fermented about five days with no additives, and distilled in a handmade steam-powered still built by Fritz Vaval.
The untamed spirit of southern Haiti — pick up Clairin Vaval at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.