Description

• This newest Clairin release is from producer Romulus Bethel’s distillery, which is located in Pignon, in the northern arrondissement of Saint-Raphael. Romulus is a religious man, and therefore chose the name Le Rocher from a verse of the Gospel of Matthew, “The foolish man builds his house on the sand, while the wise man builds it on the rock". Le Rocher distillery is built on rock, for those wondering which category Bethel falls into. The rum made in Pignon is distinct in style, with high esters, similar to some of the funkier Jamaican rums.  Produced in 2017 in pot stills, Pignon doesn’t have their own sugar cane fields, so they use cane syrup rather than a fresh press juice, but source their cane from the same region as the Sajous distillery, which is just an hour’s drive away. Higher proof, but not unbalanced at 47.2%, the nose is intense vanilla, but the palate is funky and surprisingly smoky. Expect some light mesquite notes and hints of those bright yellow butterscotch candies of your childhood.