Review #927; Rum #286: Clairin Ansyen Vaval 39 month ex-sherry cask (Kate Perry Selection)

Clairin Ansyen Vaval 39 Month Sherry cask.

This cane juice rum comes to us from the Island of Haiti from the famed Clairins that are being produced there. This Vaval was aged for 39 months in an ex-sherry cask in the warehouse LM&V has on the island before being bottled at cask strength with no additives. This particular cask was selected by Kate Perry of LM&V for a nationwide release in 2020.

ABV: 50%

Nose: Heavy fruit notes, Raisin, Raspberry, a bit of olive, brine, Sulphur, faint bell pepper

Palate: Medium oily mouthfeel, a bit of Sulphur, raisin, Raspberry, Olive, brine

Finish: Medium length finish, Sulphur, raisin, vinegar, olive, brine, tart raspberry

Rating: 6/10

This is a very good, very weird aged Clairin. The cask here dominates hard, it covers up a bunch of that unaged Clairin goodness. But, the resulting heavy dark fruits, Sulphur, weird brine, olives, and slight minerality make for a very nice rum to sip on as the temperature drops close to freezing outside. A very good selection in my book, though if you are looking for a more distillate driven aged Clairin I would point to some different cask types.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect