The Wormwood Society

Absinthe Review & Scoring Guide

We want to know what you think.

INTRODUCTION

Here is everything you need to submit a review or to submit a new product for review.

Our criteria are based solidly on the known characteristics of properly made absinthe in the mid to late 19th century. These characteristics have been documented through modern chemical and organoleptic analysis, i.e. gas chromatograph/mass spectomerty and tasting of many surviving examples.

Our reasoning is that when someone is drawn to absinthe, they are usually seeking that genuine and complete Belle Époque experience, the experience of Van Gogh, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Verlaine, Satie and Toulouse-Lautrec: the full flavors and effect of the most mysterious and romantic drink in history.  What did the patrons of the Moulin Rouge and the Cabaret du Chat Noir  smell, taste, and feel when they drank absinthe?  This is the standard against which we judge modern absinthes.

WS scoresheet.pdf

The scoring guide is designed so that even someone who is relatively new to absinthe can submit a useful score.  Please study the criteria and standards shown here and use them in your review.

The system works well offline on paper scoresheets, and has been adapted for online use so that a cumulative average score can help advise consumers as to what the most popular and well-made products are. 

The scores here are weighted so that more important criteria, such as taste, have a stronger impact on the final score than less important ones like say, aroma.  That is to say that a five-point rating on flavor is heavier than a five-point rating on louche.

For those interested in the mathmatics, these are the percentages used:

Color 16%
Louche 16%
Aroma 18%
Flavor 20%
Finish 10%
Overall 20%
Total 100% 

In this way the general taste and flavor of the absinthe, clearly the most important criteria, are broken into flavor and finish, sharing 30% of the total score.  These along with overall impression account for 50% of the score, leaving the remaining three criteria to share the other 50%, with aroma being the more important of the three.

THE CRITERIA:
Color, Louche, Aroma, Flavor, Finish, Overall Impression

COLOR
The color should be natural and organic-looking. Greens and whites (clear) are most traditional.  Deep yellow and golden-brown amber hues (feuille mort, or "fallen-leaf" colors) are acceptable and often indicate a more aged absinthe.  Reds, while apparently very rare, were not unknown.  The color should be pleasing and have nuance.

Clarity is included with color; the absinthe should be clear and bright, with a minimum of haze and sediment.  In a blanche, or white absinthe, the color should be crystal clear and white and free of any tint or hue.

LOUCHE
The "louche" is the swirling, clouding effect which occurs when water is added to absinthe.  It should be rich, but translucent, so that light passes though the bottom, more narrow part of the glass, giving warm amber highlights with shots of blue and green.  This is the origin of the legendary "opalescence" of absinthe and indicates a healthy but restrained quantity of anise and other oil-rich botanicals in the recipe.

The louche should not be chalky or flat, not too thick and milky, but contain interesting refractory effects.  Nor should it be so thin as to be nearly transparent.  An overly thick louche portends a taste which is too heavy on the anise and tongue-numbing, while a thin one will lack richness and flavor.  Be sure not to over-water or under-water your drink.  We recommend a ratio of four or five parts water to one part absinthe for tasting purposes.

AROMA
This refers to the aroma after the water has been added.  The aroma of good absinthe has been compared with the fragrance of an alpine meadow on a mild spring day.  Ideally, the aroma dramatically increases and blooms while the water is added, as the plant oils come out of solution with the alcohol.  A pleasant fragrance should fill the air in the surrounding area.  Other botanicals should be evident besides the anise.  The best absinthes have been described as a soft, spicy and complex floral perfume. It shouldn't smell grassy, seaweedy or vinegary.

FLAVOR
Just as with coffee or tea, whether or not to sugar absinthe is entirely a personal preference and is genetically influenced.

As with the aroma, the best absinthes are complex and interesting, with hidden and mysterious flavors, always just around the corner.  The flavor of anise and fennel should not be simply the flavor of licorice candy, but balanced with that of the wormwood and other herbs.  It should taste mildly bitter, but not overpoweringly so; no more so than unsweetened tea or coffee.  It shouldn't taste grassy or spinachy.  While mint is among the traditional herbs, it should be used subtly and not overpower the more subtle herbs.

FINISH
This refers to the mouth-feel and aftertaste.  It should not be excessively tongue-numbing, although some numbing is to be expected.  It should be smooth, dryish, slightly bitter, fresh and crisp.  A lingering unpleasant bitterness should be penalized.

OVERALL IMPRESSION
This is your overall feeling about this absinthe. You can equalize any deficits you feel may have resulted from the scorings above.   While an absinthe might technically score lower on the above criteria, it may have some other quality that mitigates that deficit.
 

Next: How to use the system to add your rating.