Lamaison&Velier: rums from another world

An enticing range of rums made by passionate people looking for authenticity and the purest expression of the sugar cane. Care is given to all details, from the sugar cane variety, the fermentation, the type of still used and the ageing of the product. All put together produces spirits that shine on their own and arouse the admiration and awe of many followers around the world.

A little bit of history.

It was in 1947 that the Velier company was founded by the Chaix family. From 1953 to 1983, this small traditional company located in the port of Genoa specialized in the import and distribution of wines, champagnes and spirits. In 1983, at the age of 25, Luca Gargano acquired shares in Velier. Under his leadership, the company specializes in the import of exceptional spirits in order to supply the most prestigious Italian establishments. In the early 90s, Luca Gargano heard of a mythical, almost legendary stock of St James rum that would have been distilled at the end of the 19th century. A meeting allowed him to obtain proof of the existence of this stock which was distilled in 1885 and bottled in 1952. In 1991, after lengthy discussions, Luca obtained all of this stock, which it marketed on the Italian market. Since then, its selections of rums have multiplied to give birth to exceptional ranges.

In 2017, Velier joined forces with La Maison du Whisky, in a joint venture called La Maison & Velier.

A new classification of rum.

The ranges of rums associated with Velier are based on a new classification of rum. Luca Gargano felt that the traditional classification either based on color (white, gold/amber and dark) or certain production traditions (Spanish, French or British style) were no longer valid. Spanish style (lighter and smoother), French styles (pronounced, cane juice rums) and British style (rich and high ester) do not properly translate the variety of existing styles.

The French style can be a helpful collective term for talking about rhum agricole produced in Martinique and Guadeloupe. However, it does not accommodate the molasses rums made on these islands or the rums from Haiti. The rums that could be said to be in the Spanish style do have some common features but there is a much greater stylistic divergence compared with French style, especially with regards to the level of sweetness. Finally, to speak about a British style is also inaccurate since it does not show the range of very contrasting styles of rums produced in the islands and countries colonized by the British. Besides, this system does not take into account blends that can use rums from a number of different distilleries and production traditions.

For these reasons, Luca Gargano has introduced a classification based on the liquid that is in the bottle. The raw material used is considered (sugar cane juice, sugar cane syrup, molasses) along with the type of still used, be it pot still or column still. For instance, the term Pure Single Agricole Rum is used for rums made from 100% sugar cane juice and 100% pot still. The term Pure Single Rum applies to rums made from either syrup or molasses and 100% pot still. When a rum is made mixing pot and column still using molasses, the rum is called Single Blended Rum.

Other factors also contribute to the unique character of the Maison&Velier rums: yeasts used, place of ageing and the respect of the final product.

For the Hampden range, the quality of the rums is enshrined in five pillars: use of the purest spring water, the exclusive reliance on natural yeasts to create flavor, 100% pot still to capture the taste, 100% tropical ageing to enhance complexity and the fact that no sugar is added in order to ensure authenticity.

A unique approach to rum.

LaMaison&Velier has different ranges of rums (Caroni, Clairin, Hampden, ….). Velier is the only independent bottler working directly with distilleries in the Caribbean. Even though in some projects rums are produced, Velier is first and foremost a house looking for already produced and aged rums. In that sense, more than an independent bottler, Velier is a dependent bottler since it relies on the best rums made by others, generally using long fermentations and pot stills. Long alcoholic fermentations allow the creation of complex aromas. Pot still is important since it means an artisanal style of rum, where the distiller can express himself.

Ageing is fundamental. Ageing is part of terroir. Tropical ageing is quicker than ageing in Europe, sometimes 3 to 4 times faster. And the angel’s share can be up to 10% in some cases, with an average of around 6% loss. Therefore, when the consumers look at the label, they buy the age, not the liquid itself. 10 years tropical ageing means 30 or 40 years ageing in Scotland for instance. And that is something the consumers are not aware of.

The spirit of many rums comply with the Triple “A” protocol (agriculturists, artisans, artists), a protocol defined by Luca Gargano, first applied to natural wines more than 20 years ago.

A as in Agriculteur (farmer): Those directly responsible for cultivating a vineyard (alternatively a sugar cane field) can establish a satisfactory relationship between man and nature, and obtain ripe, healthy grapes (sugar canes), solely through natural growing methods.

A as in Artisan (craftsman): Small-scale ‘artisanal’ methods provide vital wine-making and oenological techniques (alternatively fermentation and distillation techniques) that do not modify the original structure of the grapes (sugar canes) or the wine (spirit).

A as in Artist: Only the ‘artistic’ awareness of a producer, who is respectful of their work and their ideas, can result in the creation of a fine wine (rums), in which the characteristics of the terroir and the grape variety (sugar cane variety) are given full expression.

Therefore, sugar cane cultivation must be organic and follow traditional growing techniques, without the use of synthetic chemicals (herbicides, fertilizers, fungicides etc.).

A case in point: the white rums form Haiti.

While in all the Caribbean combined there are only 50 operating distilleries, in Haiti alone, there are over 500, home to artisanal production techniques. Yet untouched by industrial Western «modernization», the Clairins rums are still very pure: heritage, non- hybrid varieties of sugar cane, chemical- free agriculture, spontaneous fermentation with wild yeast, distillation and production methods of a time passed.

Clairin is a unique range of rums from Haiti. Both sugar cane juice and sugar cane syrup are used to produce theses rums. No molasses are used in this case. Sugar cane juice is directly obtained after shredding and pressing the stems of the plant to allow the sugar cane juice to flow out. This is the first liquid obtained after crushing the cane. Sugar cane juice is a perishable, unprocessed product. Therefore, the variety of sugar cane and even where it is grown could easily affect the final style of the spirit. Sugar cane juice gives rums distinctive herbaceous, grassy aromas that are very different from the aromas of molasses.

Sugar cane syrup, which is sometimes called sugar cane honey, is the first product created by the sugar refining process. The taste profile of caramel and toffee is generally closer to molasses than sugar cane juice.

Rum tastings notes.

Clairin range. Haiti.

Clairin le Rocher. Sugar cane syrup. 47,2% abv.

Clairin Le Rocher is produced by Romulus Bethel in Pignon from syrup, not pure juice. The syrup is made from sugarcane 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. The other unique feature of Le Rocher is that the syrup undergoes fermentation similar to that of Grand Arôme rums, meaning that the residual material left in the pot after distillation 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.

Spicy, vegetal notes of herbs and roasted bananas, cooked agave and aniseed in the nose. Oily texture with some floral blossom notes, ripe banana paired with sultanas and baked apples. Green leaves and a touch of licorice complete the aromatic spectrum. Finishes on soft spice and sweet banana.

Clairin Casimir. Sugar cane juice. 49,5% abv.

Clairin Casimir is produced on the north side of the southern fork, in the village of Barraderes: the last frontier of coffee, cocoa and Clairin. Barraderes is a small fishing village, quite isolated but with a fairly large population and many small distilleries. Faubert Casimir, an elegant, placid man, lives in a time and place we find difficult to imagine. He produces his Clairin using Hawaii Rouge and Hawaii Blanc cane varieties, relatives of the O’Tahiti cane from Polynesia. His cane is pressed and the pure juice goes through a very long wild fermentation in wooden vats made from local chestnut trees. In the style of Barraderes, Casimir adds local citrus and herbs to his fermenting wash. Clairin Casimir exhibits very intense aromas, from candied fruit to herbs and truffle.

Green sugar cane nose with an earthy, spicy touch and a hint of lime and licorice. Slight creaminess in the palate which nicely wraps the 49,5% abv level. Intense aromas of pine needles, ginger with some medicinal undertones. Long finish, with green leaves fading to sweet, overripe fruit and soft spice.

Clairin Sajous. Sugar cane juice. 56,4% abv.

Clairin Sajous is produced at the distillery of Michel Sajous in the countryside of St- Michel de l’Attalaye, about four hours north of Port-au-Prince. Distillerie Chelo is a small, well-organized facility which exclusively uses the pure cane juice of Cristalline, an old heritage variety of sugarcane. Clairin Sajous is produced with spontaneous fermentation and distillation methods typical of northern Haiti.

Pungent in the nose with herbs, raw sugar cane juice, lime and Play-Doh. Softer in the palate than expected but still full of peppery power. Hint of cinnamon, ripe bananas, baked apple with hints of licorice and green herbs. Long finish with a note of anise.

Clairin Sonson. Sugar cane syrup. 53,2% abv.

Clairin Sonson is made exclusively from sugar cane syrup in Cabaret, a village located in the district of Arcahaie. The syrup comes from indigenous sugarcane variety Madame Meuze, which covers about 60 acres, dotted with banana trees and other fruit varieties. This product is totally natural, distilled in a pot still, heated over an open fire.

Besides the pungent notes of the alcohol, fresh herbs, notes of lemongrass and fresh basil do bring balance to the nose. In the palate the power of the high abv is offset by powerful notes of fresh cane juice, licorice and lime. Finishes with a hint of ginger and sweet red bell pepper.

Clairin Vaval. Sugar cane juice. 49,3% abv.

Clairin Vaval is produced in the coastal village of Cavaillon in the south of Haiti. Here, Fritz Vaval runs the Distillerie Arawaks which has been owned by his family since 1947. Fritz owns 20 hectares of land planted with the Madame Meuze cane variety, cultivated absolutely naturally. Clairin Vaval is produced from pure sugar cane juice fermented naturally with wild yeasts and distilled in a decidedly “homemade” still, powered by the steam engine of an old locomotive.

Salty notes reminding of salty air and beach sand are the first to pop up, completed by a hint of kerosene mixed in with gherkins, vinegar and garlic. Light fruit comes after: watermelon and pineapple in a very ethereal way.

Slightly oily palate with again salty notes with well-integrated alcohol. Fresh cut grass, hint of kerosene. Lingering zesty finish.

Clairin communal. 43% abv.

Made from the blend of multiple single producer clairins, Clairin Communal embodies the Haitian motto of «L’union fait la force». These bottlings are the result of the blend of spirits from the villages of Cavaillon, Barradères, Pignon and St-Michel de l’Attalaye. They are all produced using organic sugarcane, cultivated without pesticides, fermented with natural yeasts and distilled in small pot stills, heritage of the French colonization.

Medium intensity with a pungent nose marked by vegetal notes (cane fiber) completed by papaya and lime. Some earthy notes are also present in the nose along with a slightly floral touch. Dry flattering palate with even more power than in the nose carried by an herbaceous dominant note surrounded by hints of lemongrass and caraway. Finish marked by a long salty note.

Hampden range.

Because of the complexity and intensity found in these Jamaican rums, the Hampden range is sold more to Whisky lovers than to rum lovers. These rums are totally dry, 100% pot still made with a full body and a lingering finish, all features that appeal immediately to whisky connoisseurs.

Hampden Estate 8 years old. 46%.

The 8 years old is the flagship of the range, complex and versatile at the same time.

Bright amber color with a charming nose of tropical fruit: ripe banana, pineapple, mango, dried orange peel, baked apple completed by soft vanilla and an ethereal touch of wood. Very pleasant palate with persistent notes of coffee, vanilla, dark chocolate, resin and praline. Long fruity finish.

Hampden Overproof 60%.

The Overproof is more geared towards the connoisseurs and purists who are looking for an intense rum.

Bright amber color with an intense nose of sugar cane syrup, banana, baked pineapple, orange marmalade, vanilla and cinnamon along with well-integrated wood. Slightly creamy with an incredibly soft alcohol (almost impossible to say we are dealing with a 60% abv spirit). Flavors of oak and cinnamon spice. Notes of mint, ginger and apple. Gentle long finish with resin and incense fragrances.