Aroma visualization from community tastings
Velier Sonson Pierre Gilles Clairin Sonson 2018
One member's wife smelled it and asked him to get "a compost bin with rotten apples" away from her — and that funky nose is half the fun here. Give it a moment and the glass turns floral and green: fresh sugarcane, cut grass, olives, a mineral saltiness, a little raspberry. The palate is fresher and easier than the nose warns, with a savoury, salty, medium finish. Wild and rustic, exactly as an unaged Haitian clairin should be.
The community says- Fresh sugarcane
- Olive-salt savour
- But: Confronting nose
View price history
10 more payment methodsShopping 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 Sonson Pierre Gilles Clairin Sonson 2018 taste?
Aggregated from 131 community reviews.
Wild, grassy Haitian white with a salty, savoury finish Most tasters land on it as a favourite among the Clairin lineup — fresh, wild and authentic. Just know the nose is challenging, and the finish runs medium rather than long.
clairin fans who love grassy, savoury whites
anyone put off by funky, vegetal noses
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
56 of 131 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Recommendation
Your next rum
One difference each to this rum.
How is Velier Sonson Pierre Gilles Clairin Sonson 2018 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.0 sits in the “Very good” band. 84% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
58% rate it 8 or higher. 38 selected write-ups from 131 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Mirko Frosini 🇮🇪
Most helpful positive review
Clairin nice and dirty like the Vaval and Le Rocher.These white rums I love them and I can taste real rum in them without too many refinements just like in the pirate days. Sure they are not refined nor easy, but they are authentic!
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Most helpful mixed review
says to me unfortunately not so really to.on the nose first cucumber and glue, plus some raspberries and licorice?! first good but then unfortunately not my taste so at all... rather an old cucumber, and bitter, old mint, light citrus notes, licorice, a lot of acid, a little salty and overall much too vinegar-heavy and me too sour and too fermented and musty. but still an exciting further, again completely different style than the other 5 clairins and therefore an exciting extension!In the daiquiri, the whole thing then goes tasteless in the direction of raspberry sorbet with pickled cucumber water, in ne perverse way horny but there you have to have real Bock on it 🤣
Review by Oliver
Great Clairin with exciting mushroom-fruit combination.
Review by Michael Schillheim
Tasted the Clairin Sonson a second time today and I like it a little better than the first time. Raspberries, glue and olives on the nose. On the palate, there are still beautiful fruity notes, slightly salty, mineral and above all herbal, which introduce the medium-long finish. Rating adjustment from 7.7 to 7.9
Review by Galli33
Real nice one from clairin! I have to say the rum from renegade are very similar to those from clairin. This is very fruity, floral.. The alcohol is not so present as on other bottling, which makes this a really good sipper
Review by Thunderbird
A beautiful soft clairin with intense herbal aromas, successful bottling
Review by Fuwi
Puh. In der Nase ist der echt "schwierig". Ich fand, er stinkt vedorben, faule Eier mit Klebstoff und altem Gemüse. Hab mich echt überwinden müssen, den zu trinken... Aber da wurde ich überrascht! Florale, erdige und mineralische Eindrücke mit Ester-Anleihen. Aber aufgrund des Geruches keine Kaufoption für mich, auch wenn der Geschmack einiges wett gemacht hat
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
This is another good Clairin that I can recommend if you like Clairin. Price to quality is very good. The nose is fresh and sweet with strawberries, grass and a light mineral note. The palate is oily and fruity with salty licorice, sugarcane as well ans light notes of tobacco, mineral and smoke. The finish is long with smoky wood, salty licorice and a hint of tobacco.
Review by mto75
The Sanson has a pronounced root-mushroom-vinegar note on the nose. On the palate, earth and potatoes. I like the Communal and the Sajous better because they bring more freshness.
Review by Serge
Bang rum and one of my favorites. Nose strongly of olive and black truffle (yes, really). Also slightly burnt on the palate. Yummy.
Review by MarcT
Good, but best for Cocktails, too raw when pure. Update: really enjoyable neat after having a Hampden C<>H and a bit of Oxidation.
Review by Nils123
Gefällt mir sehr gut. Ich mag die lange Zuckerrohr-Note im Abgang. Die Aromen ergänzen sich sehr gut und ergeben ein schönes Gesamtbild.
Review by Jack M
Wife - “What is that smell?” Me - It’s a rum. Im trying a Clairin from Haiti”. Wife - “Get that away from me. It smells like a compost bin with rotten apples”😂 To the tasting: On the nose: Immediately grassy smell. Overripe bananas, melon, apples. On the palate: Musty, grassy and hot. Perhaps a little underwhelming given the complexity of the nose. Finish: Medium, solvents, musty. Overall: Great nose, and enjoyable on the palate with some very different flavours. This was my second Clairin (first being Casamir). I significantly prefer it given I felt the Casamir had quite a gone-off meaty flavour. I’m not sure I would sip my way through a bottle but I’m sure it would make great daiquiris and it is good to try.
Review by Johannes
Not quite my cup of tea. Too much salty-grassy notes, olives, not fruity enough for me.
Review by John Coffey
A sure value. This iodized and wild side is really well done
Review by Skyfly
In der Nase eine interessante Kombi aus Olive und Himbeere; daneben noch sehr fruchtig, floral und Zuckerrohr. Im Gaumen steht der Zuckerrohr im Vordergrund, sowie weitere pflanzliche/ erdige Noten und etwas rauchiges. Im Abgang wieder sehr rauchig/ salzig.
Review by Krogulczyk
Very good and complex Haitian rum. Probably my favourite. Not so many esters unfortunately but still a marvellous choice, bang for a buck and great sipper as well
Review by Christoph
Since it is not my first Clairin I can say fits the Clairin profile. Where earth and mineral notes dominate here. In the finish somewhat fleshy.
Review by Mentalo
On the one hand, the Clairin Sonson is more complex and fundamentally more interesting than my favorite Sajous, but on the other hand, it doesn't suit my taste. A lot of acidity (almost vinegary), very herbal, salty, licorice, a little fruity in the direction of raspberry. The alcohol is well integrated.
Review by ordogh
Nice clairin with dominant fruits and earty-smokey tones.
Review by Gunnar Böhme "Bauerngaumen" 🤓
Nose: sour pickled vegetables Palate: relatively fruity and pleasing, but also somehow light and uniform, not as surprising as the nose; The Clairin Casimir from the same year (RX11461) clearly says more to me.
Review by Arnaud Faverjon
Really excellent!
Review by Djehey
I prefer the nose to the mouth. Let it rest a little before tasting.
Review by Rhum Mirror 🇧🇪
The nose is fresh and very vegetal. No smokiness here, but citrus fruits. Freshly mown grass, hay, olives and some iodized notes. We are on a more conventional Clairin and less heavy than Le Rocher. The attack in mouth is spicy-peppery. It is floral and on the fresh cane. It is round and pleasant to taste with fruity notes (citrus-tropical fruits), complexed by iodine-mineral notes. The finish is on the other hand moderately long on earthy notes. Personally, I find this Sonson very nice. It is more accessible than its cousin Le Rocher.
Review by Sylvain44
I love sonson, the very fresh and sweet cane, a wild side, like a smell of maple, of hay
Review by Fabien Huguenot
3/5 wild superb nose fresh herbaceous minty.
Review by ruliano
découverte d'Haïti avec ce rhum blanc qui marque par sa douceur dès qu'on le met en bouche. Le floral est dominant en entrée, puis après quelques secondes en bouche qui est alors tapissée par une sensation d'épaisseur, on sent du grillé, de la réglisse, voire du tabac froid. Sensation très agréable. Dommage que la finale manque un peu de longueur.
Review by Henry Davies
The nose is a cracker, all strawberries, and overripe mango. The mouth is olive brine and salty with earthy and vegetal elements and less of the fruit than the nose would suggest. Medium long finish which is again salty and savoury. It’s better for me than sajous but a different barrel of fish and still hard to place in terms of quality. Based on the nose I was excited but doesn’t quite deliver, the savoury salty mouth and finish is certainly unusual
Review by Ian Gilman
Wow. Again, each Clairin is so unique and this one is fantastic. So much fruitier on the nose and palate than others I’ve had, but finishes with the characteristic long umami profile.
Review by Quentin Rum
minerality, salinity, fruit salad and green tea with jasmine
Review by Martin Spooner
In der Clairin session als 3. Verkostet: die Maße sehr grasig, fast heu. Verrückt :-) die olive kommt allerdings auch zum Zug. Im Geschmack sehr zugänglich. Jod und mineralisch. Keine große schärfe. Mit schönem Abgang Ende.
Review by Nathaniel Bloch
Tasted among 5: Rocher, casimir, sajous, vaval & sonson, and i think my favorite among them. Not too much for the nose which is ok but mainly glue/ester and a bit on the olive side, but an excellent mouth, a bit peppery on a full taste of warm sugarcane and some pear, turning into a finish more and more on black olives, which stays and doesn't go, even after cleaning the mouth with a glass of water
Review by Boletus
Ich kann nicht behaupten, dass mir dieser Clairin gut gefällt. Interessant und spannend ist er allemal, aber der Geruch hat für mich schon einen leichten Ekelfaktor. Dennoch ertappe ich mich beim wiederholten Schnuppern am Glas, ähnlich einer eingerissenen Nagelhaut, bei der man trotz leichter Schmerzen immer wieder daran zupft. Zum Glück gehen der Geschmack und der Abgang in eine ganz andere Richtung und bringen für mich das Gesamtbild doch wieder in die richtige Spur.
Review by Anonymous
Nez très fin sur la fleur, très caramel. Bouche fraîche, boisée, belle complexité aromatique sur l’olive, le café
Review by Christian Rudt
The proof that also white rum pure can be really fun
Review by Kieron Wood
Rumfest 2023 tasting so notes were brief
Review by Pavel Spacek
Smoked white. It does not work together in my mouth...
Review by Richard Krupa
Prijemne prekvapeni. Myslel jsem ze mi vubec nepojede. Vune nadherna, chut prijemna
No reviews match this filter.
Expert reviews
5 critics scored it, averaging 8.3/10. 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 →
Expert review by Les amis des amis du Rhum
Read full review →
Expert review by Zucker und Zeste
Read full review →
Expert review by The Secret Rum Bar
Read full review →
Expert review by Rhummer
Read full review →
Expert review by The Fat Rum Pirate
Read full review →In terms of flavour this is my favourite Clairin thus far and aside from the finish it's really quite excellent when you consider the rustic nature of how it is produced. Well worth seeking out.
Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Market value
Avg. community purchase price 48 €
What members paid for this bottle, self-reported. Not a market value — the purchases are over three years old at the median and unverified.
Details about Velier Sonson Pierre Gilles Clairin Sonson 2018
A Clairin from Haiti, bottled by Velier, at 53,2%.
Community purchases
153 bottles logged by 140 collectors.
A drinker & collector.
31% opened, 13 emptied and repurchased.
What did the community pay for Velier Sonson Pierre Gilles Clairin Sonson 2018?
Community paid 33–58 €.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
153 purchased · 133 tasted · 51 wishlist · as of
About the Sonson Pierre Gilles distillery
The Sonson Pierre Gilles distillery is located in Haiti. Rums from Sonson Pierre Gilles have been reviewed 182 times with an average of 8.0/10.
To Sonson Pierre Gilles →Read on in the RumX Guide
You may also enjoy
Rum enthusiasts who like this rum have also given the following rums high ratings:
Dorcinvil Distillery Saint Benevolence Clairin
Dorcinvil Distillery Saint Benevolence ClairinBriny, smoky Haitian clairin with a wild streak
Velier Distillerie Bethel Romelus Clairin Le Rocher 2019
Velier Distillerie Bethel Romelus Clairin Le Rocher 2019Savory, smoky Haitian clairin, olives and bacon
Velier Providence Haitian Rum Blanc „Dunder & Syrup“ 2021
Velier Providence Haitian Rum Blanc „Dunder & Syrup“ 2021Oily, funky Haitian blanc, best in a daiquiri
Velier Casimir & Vaval & Sajous & Le Rocher Clairin Communal Blend des Quatres Communes
Velier Casimir & Vaval & Sajous & Le Rocher Clairin Communal Blend des Quatres CommunesEasy, grassy intro to Haitian clairin
Le Galion S.B.S French Antilles Grand Arome (Single Origin Rum) Grand Arôme 2021
Le Galion S.B.S French Antilles Grand Arome (Single Origin Rum) Grand Arôme 2021Wild olive-brine white rum, great in daiquiris
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 →YouTube channel (in German)
