Vaval Clairin 107 Proof (2020) Release

The 2020 release of Vaval Clairin 107 Proof represents Haiti's agricole rum tradition at its most uncompromising: wild-fermented cane juice distilled in tiny batches by Fritz Vaval, who works his two-column pot still setup in the coastal town of Cavaillon with methods that haven't changed in generations. This isn't molasses rum cleaned up for international palates. Clairin is what happens when you let terroir speak without interruption—native sugarcane varieties grown without chemicals, harvested by hand, hauled by donkey or ox cart to ramshackle distilleries where spontaneous fermentation does the heavy lifting. Vaval's operation is almost defiantly traditional. The cane juice ferments with ambient yeasts, producing a funky, aromatic wash that hits the column still and emerges between 45-56% ABV depending on the run. No filtration, no added water beyond what's needed to bring this 2020 bottling to 107 proof. The result is wildly expressive: overripe mango and banana on the nose, dates lurking underneath, then a palate that veers into savory territory with seawater salinity, lime juice brightness, ginger heat, and vanilla sweetness all competing for attention. The finish runs long and dry, pulling in almond and fresh-cut wood notes as it fades. This is drinking rum, not sipping in the precious sense. Pour it over a large cube with a twist of lime, or let it anchor a daiquiri that can handle some personality. It pairs unexpectedly well with ceviche or aguachile—that saline quality bridges straight into citrus-cured fish—or alongside jerk chicken where the ginger and heat find common ground with Scotch bonnet fire. The Clairin project, which brings small Haitian producers like Vaval to international attention, proves that labour-intensive doesn't mean inaccessible. These bottles evolve as they sit in the glass, shifting from fruit-forward to herbaceous to almost grassy. The 2020 vintage captures a moment in time: that year's cane, that season's wild yeast population, Fritz Vaval's hands on the cuts. It's about as close as rum gets to natural wine's philosophy—minimal intervention, maximum expression.