Clairin Le Rocher

In my opinion better than the Sajous only because it’s a bit more familiar. Notes diesel which are somehow fantastic. One of my favorite rums available today.

Ultimately I bought this off the back of the recommendations on here, and I wasn't disappointed.
Drunk neat, it's intense in it's phenolic tar-i-ness. Reminds me of Ardbeg. Mixed 2 parts rum to one part soda, in a mojito, the flavour really opened up, as if everything else in there gave it space to show itself. Bit of revelation. So interesting, so rich and complex. Takes mojitos to another level.

What a nose. Vegetable stock, sugar cane juice, dried leaves, smoke, melon, pandan leaves, wood. The palate is even more novel: beef jerky, lime and pepper roast chicken, mushrooms, even a bit of herbal minerality. Wet stone. The finish is long and delicious. I am absolutely blown away.

Aroma is light wit some floral tones. Taste is stronger but very smoky and the rest remindes me tequilla :-( Not my favorite style of rum.

All I have to say is yummmm. I love every single Clairin so much.

Best as a sipper, but works fine on a ti punch. I got a pleasant and ever present strawberry yoghurt character both on the nose and on the palate with some vegetable notes and a light mezcal-like smoke .

A smoky almost chipotle flavor. For a white, the after burn is not what I would have expected. Much less. The mix is not quite as good straight. For what it's worth, I have it as a 5.5.

Truly funky in the best way. A killer daiquiri and stellar ti punch.

In a single sitting, I tried three Clairin brought to us by Velier. Like the others (Clairin Sajous and Clairin Vaval) it's a mix of Jamaican and Martinique/agricole styles. Clairin might not be to everyone's taste, but I'd urge every rum nerd to at least try a glass if they have the opportunity. (The reasonable price point should help.)

Of the three, I found this the most delightful. The cane sweetness was most intense, there was a hint of saline and mineral, but little of the grassiness that usually turns me off agricoles. It's estery, but bright, less banana/plantain than strawberry or maybe passionfruit.

Oh, and while you can call all these clairin "the mezcal of rhum" because of the little-regulated primitive rural production methods, this one also earns the title because of a smoky punch that hits you on the first whiff (and sip). Not sure what that's from, but it slowly fades into the background over time to let the more subtle flavors come through. Drinking this straight at full strength, I felt less burn than expected, so I didn't bother trying to add anything.

Smells/tastes like a blend of a grassy Rhum Agricole and a smokey Mezcal! Super fun to drink and share!