Pot Still Agricole v. Clairin: Saint James Coeur de Chauffe and Clairin Sonson 2018 review

Don't get too excited, Sonson still isn't out in the US yet, but I was able to wrangle a sample from Europe (by way of North Carolina; thanks Tan) for this early review. If you've been keeping up with the nerdier side of rum news, you may know that Sonson is the newest addition to Velier's "Spirit of Haiti" portfolio, this time coming from Cabaret in the Ouest department just northwest of Port-au-Prince. On paper at least, it can seem more similar to clairins we already know than it actually is: it uses the same cane varietal as Vaval (   • Clairin Vaval (Distillery Arawaks) 2017 re...  ), except unlike Vaval the juice is rendered into syrup prior to fermentation - and that in turn sounds like Le Rocher (   • Clairin Le Rocher (Distillery Le Rocher) 2...  ), except unlike Le Rocher it isn't using any dunder in the wash. It's therefore kind of its own thing... which is what we all go to clairin for anyhow, isn't it?

But contrast is still useful in order to talk about a spirit as distinctive as this. The most obvious choice as a contrast with Sonson would be, well, other clairins, and I do indeed plan to get them all together at some point in another video (since, if I'm honest, a two-ounce sample isn't enough to do full justice to something like Sonson and I'm going to have to go back to it anyhow). But this time around I figured a worthy sparring partner would be a unique product I mentioned in the very first clairin video I made (on Milot:    • Intro to Clairins and Clairin Milot (from ...  ). Haiti, after all, doesn't have a monopoly on pot-distilled cane juice: Saint James on Martinique (among others) also makes such stuff, and they've now moved their previously distillery-only bottling out onto the market. Technically the Coeur de Chauffe isn't a Martinican rhum proper, since the ancient pair of pot stills used to make it falls outside of AOC regulations. Who cares, though? This "rhum de pays" is stonking strong, pretty cheap, and a great contrast for our clairin.

So here we go! Stats:

Saint James Coeur de Chauffe Rhum Blanc Agricole (Martinique; double distilled in traditional alambic; 60% ABV), 86/100
Clairin Sonson 2018 (Cabaret, Haiti; master distiller Kalil Saoud; wild-fermented Madam Meuze cane syrup, pot-distilled; 53.2% ABV), 89?/100

The Sonson, as expected, is a bomb of green and savory flavors, one that is relieved (surprisingly) by a delightfully sweet palate. (The question mark is there so that I can weasel my score a little once I get a full bottle.) And while the little Saint James may not be a great alternative to clairin, it does turn out to be an excellent challenge to the various Capovilla-related projects out there: Rhum Rhum and Providence might start looking to step up their game.