Distillerie Dieugrand Marcellus Clairim St. Michel De l'Attalaye Rum, Haiti

Vivid tropical fruit, high-toned spice, mineral character, and a distinctive lactic edge emerge from a dense, expressive cane-driven palate. Distillerie Dieugrand Marcellus Clairin St. Michel de L'Attalaye Rum is a full-strength Haitian clairin made by distiller Dieugrand Marcellus from Blue Crystalline sugarcane, naturally fermented in open-top vessels before undergoing two distillations in a handmade stainless steel pot still. Bottled by hand at 52% ABV, it reflects both Marcellus' deep roots in local distilling and the traditional small-scale production methods of St. Michel de L'Attalaye.

Product Details:

• Distiller: Dieugrand Marcellus
• Raw Material: Fresh Blue Crystalline sugarcane juice
• Fermentation: Natural fermentation with native yeast in open-top vessels
• Still: Handmade approximately 1,000-gallon stainless steel pot still
• Still Fuel: Spent sugarcane fiber, or bagasse
• Distillation: Double distilled
• Bottling: Bottled by hand at Full Proof
• ABV: 52%

Sensory Description:

Bright and highly expressive, with ripe banana and vivid tropical fruit joined by clean, high-toned spice and pronounced mineral character. A subtle lactic quality adds another savory dimension to the fresh cane profile. The palate carries substantial concentration and a slick, dense texture despite the spirit's aromatic lift, with fruit, spice, mineral tones, and fresh sugarcane continuing through the persistent full-proof finish.

Distiller's Background:

Dieugrand Marcellus was born and raised in St. Michel de L'Attalaye and learned sugarcane processing and distillation within the community from an early age. As a teenager, he worked alongside his grandparents at their guildiverie, the Haitian term for a small sugarcane-processing facility that may also include distillation. Through his twenties, he continued developing his craft while assisting other distillers in the area before eventually establishing his own operation. Marcellus works with Blue Crystalline sugarcane and traditional small-scale methods, naturally fermenting fresh cane juice in open-top vessels before manually loading it into his handmade stainless steel pot still. The still is fired using bagasse left from sugarcane processing, and the spirit undergoes two distillations before being bottled by hand at full strength. His clairin represents a direct continuation of the distilling culture in which he was raised while expressing his own approach to one of Haiti's distinctive sugarcane spirits.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve at approximately 16 to 20 degrees Celsius in a small tulip-shaped spirits glass to allow the tropical fruit, spice, mineral, and fresh-cane aromatics to develop. Taste neat first, with a small addition of water if desired to open the full-proof spirit further. It also lends itself naturally to a Ti' Punch or a lean Daiquiri, where lime and a restrained measure of sweetness can frame its vivid cane character without obscuring the distillate.