Clairin 'Le Rocher' Pot Still Rum

Cane variety: Madame Meuze, Canne Blanche and Pete Coca
Raw material: Sugar cane syrup
Location: Northern Haiti, Pignon
Terroir: Inland

The syrup is made from juice that has been boiled in order to preserve it and maintain the distinctive features of the raw material intact. Three different sugar cane varieties are used to produce the syrup, which then undergoes fermentation similar to the tradition of Grand Arôme, where the residual material left in the pot after distillation (often called dunder, backset or stillage) is added back to the fermenting wash.

This addition allows much more intense aromas to develop during fermentation, which are then also revealed in the finished spirit. Le Rocher is characteristic of a heavy richness and an intriguing smokey sweetness. Le Rocher is represented by a painting found on the walls of the famous Hotel Florita in Jacmel, Haiti.

Distillery Le Rocher ("The Rock") is located in the village of Pignon. Owner Romelus Bethel is the brother of a priest and named his distillery after the biblical parable of the wise and the foolish builders: "I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn't fall for it was founded on the rock."

Clairin Le Rocher is produced using syrup made fromthe cane varietal Cristalline in Saint Michel de l'Attalaye. Syrup is brought to the distillery and diluted until the brix level is advantageous for natural fermentation with the natural yeast of the area. During the very long fermenation, dunder from the previous distillation is added to boost the level of flavor intensity.