A rustic outdoor scene featuring sugarcane processing tools on a weathered wooden table, with a background of a stone building, palm trees, and mountains, under a partly cloudy sky.

HAITI – CANE & CLAIRIN

The Raw Spirit of Haiti

Haiti showcases what the ethos of French-style Rhum Agricole can be if you are not limited by the stringent French regulation. Distillers are able to use a plethora of cane varieties, fermentation and distillation styles to express their terroir.

From artisanal funk to the fresh and refined, Haiti offers what many enthusiasts find lacking in traditional Cane juice rum produced under French AOC rules.

Clairin Communal

Haiti | Clairin Blend | 43% ABV

Clairin is the cruder, ancestral version of raw cane juice spirit, with all the seasonality and inconsistency that brings. Funkier than its more refined cousins, the rawness of cane and culture is foremost. This particular version achieves unusual balance by blending Clairins from four different communities.

Nose: Sugar cane, lemongrass, green olive and fresh herbal notes.
Palate: Salty, mineral and oily with subtle smokiness and vibrant cane character.
Finish: Olive brine, spun sugar and lingering mineral notes.

A vivid, rustic expression that captures the raw identity of traditional Haitian Clairin.

Barbancourt Haitian Proof

Haiti | French / Cane Juice | 55% ABV

One of the great contributions of Master Blender Jean-Marc Ewald during his tenure at Barbancourt was the reimagining of their white Rum. Still made 100% from their traditional blue cane variety “Madame Mueuse”, the batches are selected to blend at a now much higher strength of 55% ABV.

Nose: Funky, grassy fresh cane, bright citrus, olive, licorice and herbs.
Palate: Rich grassy cane and briny mineral characters with lively heat and pepper.
Finish: Long, vibrant and peppery with lingering cane sweetness, herbs and mineral notes.

A bold and energetic introduction to Haiti’s fresh cane character.

Vieux Sajous 5 Year 2020

Haiti | Clairin | 59.5% ABV

Aged Clairin remains rare, and this bottling shows how Haiti’s traditional cane spirit develops complexity while retaining its unmistakable sense of place.

Nose: Olive brine, fresh cane and herbs.
Palate: Oily, savoury and earthy with concentrated cane character.
Finish: Olive, cane juice and lingering mineral notes.

A rare aged Clairin that adds depth while preserving the wild soul of the spirit.

How to Enjoy this Flight

Begin with Clairin Communal to experience the traditional, rustic character of Haitian Clairin in its most approachable form. Move to Barbancourt Haitian Proof, where fresh cane juice becomes brighter, stronger, and more peppery. Finish with Vieux Sajous 5 Year 2020, where aging adds weight, savoury depth, and complexity without losing the spirit’s raw cane identity. As you taste, notice how Haiti’s cane spirits move beyond familiar rum profiles into something more earthy, mineral, herbal, and unmistakably alive.