Aroma visualization from community tastings
Velier Arawaks Clairin Ansyen Vaval (Mount Gay Cask) 2017
Clairin drinkers chasing something less vegetal will like this one. It leans heavily into anise and licorice on the nose, with grilled pineapple, yellow orchard fruit and coconut behind it. The palate turns minty and herbal, with black tea and a salty edge. Several tasters kept comparing it to a "dirty TDL" — earthy, spicy, more fruit-forward than the grassier Haitians.
The community says- Anise and licorice
- Mint and herbs
- Salty finish divides
View price history
Shopping safely on RumX Returns & cancellation
- Secure payment. You pay via RumX with PayPal, Klarna or card. Your payment data is encrypted and we never store your full card details.
- Clear seller. Sold and shipped directly by the partner shop. And you're never on your own: RumX handles support and communication with the shop, so you always get excellent service, whichever shop you order from.
- Honest shop ratings. The stars show your service experience with the shop, not the rum score. They come from RumX users, and critical ones stay visible.
- Returns & cancellation. Your purchase contract is with the shop, so returns and cancellations run through them under their own policy and your statutory rights. If anything goes wrong, RumX helps you sort it out.
The look inside the bottle
How does Velier Arawaks Clairin Ansyen Vaval (Mount Gay Cask) 2017 taste?
Aggregated from 23 community reviews.
Herbal, minty Clairin with licorice and fruit A well-liked aged Clairin: anise, licorice, mint and tea, surprisingly fruity and a touch sweet. One or two found it hard to place; most called it a happy surprise.
Clairin fans who want fruit and herbs over pure grass
Anyone who dislikes anise, licorice or salty finishes
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
13 of 23 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
How is Velier Arawaks Clairin Ansyen Vaval (Mount Gay Cask) 2017 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.1 sits in the “Very good” band. 95% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Community voices
What does the community say?
43% rate it between 6 and 8. 9 selected write-ups from 23 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Christoph
Deutlich fruchtiger als typische Clairin. Im Abgang eher Kräuter und Schwarztee. In der Nase gegrillte Ananas.
Review by lukasdrinkinghabits
Number 5 from the community tasting. Thank you RumTaTa! Nose: Aniseed on the verge of ouzo, plus liquorice. Then overripe apple, crumbly Boskop, yellow fruit. Towards the back, minty herbs arrive on the nose, reminiscent of the dirty TDLs. Mouth: also aniseed and licorice. In the mouth, the barrel comes in as young oak with the corresponding vanilla. Mint and hay can also be found. I wouldn't have been able to classify it blind, it's most likely a young, dirty TDL. Really delicious. It's a shame that it's no longer available.
Review by Christian Rudt
Für mich der Überraschungssieger des Tages. Toll in der Nase mit Geschmack von Lakritzschnecken. Hab leider keine da aber jetzt Lust drauf. Erinnert dann mit Geschmack von Kräutern und Minze in der Tat stark an TDL. Klasse. Schön das auch die gelagerten Clairins so überraschen können.👍👍👍
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
03.04.2020 Nice private tasting with a new group of rummies. Notes. Light in colour. Nose Fresh, anise, light licorice, leather, cherries, mint, dried fruit. Palate Warm, cherry, anise, ginger, herbs, medium dry, mint, light chocolate. Finish Medium long, warm, fruity, mint, light licorice, spice.
Review by HenryL
Toller kräuterig-minziger Clairin! Trifft meinen Geschmack deutlich mehr als die Gemüse lastigeren Vertreter aus Haiti
Review by RumTaTa
It is always a little adventure to taste a Clairin. This one has a surprising nose of mirabelle plums! On the palate, it is surprisingly sweet and fleetingly reminiscent of a dirty T.D.L. with lots of herbs. The finish is medium-long and salty. There is no alcoholic spiciness at any time. Very exciting!
Review by DosenZorn
Danke an RumTaTa für die Samples und das Tasting. Wow, was für ein toller Geruch, nach gelbem Kernobst, Kokos, Apfel und Fruchtgummi. Könnt ich ewig dran riechen. Geschmacklich dann eher Minze, Tee und Zitrone, mit etwas salzigen. Mein Favorit, des Tastings.
Review by Rum man
Relatively sweet. Comes in with some hotness when you start to sip which leads to a giant presence of flavor. You cannot escape the fruit and liquorice cocktail it serves you. It finishes soft and salty before being peppery again. Really a banger.
Review by F.L.O.
Heute ist nicht mein Clairin-Tag. Noch so ein Ding, den ich schwer einzuordnen finde. Der milden Nass folgt ein durchwachsener Geschmack, der durchaus facettenreich ist. Nur nichts davon gefällt mir (zumindest heute).
Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by Single Cask Rum
Read full review →Details about Velier Arawaks Clairin Ansyen Vaval (Mount Gay Cask) 2017
A Clairin from Haiti, bottled by Velier, at 50,2%.
Community purchases
10 bottles logged by 10 collectors.
A drinker's rum.
40% opened, 3 emptied and repurchased.
10 purchased · 23 tasted · 6 wishlist · as of
About the Arawaks distillery
The Arawaks distillery is located in Haiti. Rums from Arawaks have been reviewed 514 times with an average of 8.0/10.
To Arawaks →You may also enjoy
Rum enthusiasts who like this rum have also given the following rums high ratings:
Ten Cane Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 42 2008
Ten Cane Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 42 2008Minty, smoky, intense cask-strength Trinidad
Velier Arawaks Clairin Vaval Caivaillon #6 2019
Velier Arawaks Clairin Vaval Caivaillon #6 2019Briny, grassy, wild Haitian clairin
Velier Arawaks Clairin Ansyen Vaval (The Nectar) 2016
Velier Arawaks Clairin Ansyen Vaval (The Nectar) 2016Dry, herbal clairin with faint Caroni cask
Velier Casimir Clairin 2018
Velier Casimir Clairin 2018Fresh, grassy Haitian cane with olive-salt edge
Velier Le Rocher Clairin Ansyen (Jack Daniels Cask) 2017
Velier Le Rocher Clairin Ansyen (Jack Daniels Cask) 2017Smoky, savory clairin with bacon and olive
Velier Arawaks Clairin Ansyen Vaval 39 Mois Julian Biondi (ex-sherry) 2017
Velier Arawaks Clairin Ansyen Vaval 39 Mois Julian Biondi (ex-sherry) 2017Herbal Haitian clairin under a sherry cask
Never miss a price drop.
Set a target price in the app, and we'll let you know as soon as the rum becomes available at that price from one of our partner stores. This works for any rum on your wish list.
Oliver · FounderBy rum lovers, for rum lovers
I'm Oliver, and RumX began in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
What began as my digital tasting diary is now the world's most comprehensive platform for rum fans, today carried by a small team with Jakob, Lukas and Katharina, with Robert supporting us as a freelancer. We combine the collective intelligence of our community with an integrated marketplace, so you can choose with confidence, without paperwork, detours, or expert jargon.
Oliver, Stuttgart
About RumX →

