1797 - Reviewed by Experts and Consumers at The Wormwood Society
Product Details
An extremely limited production of one of the first known written absinthe recipes discovered, written down for posterity in 1797 and attributed to Abram-Louis Perrenoud, Henri-Louis Pernod's father. Translated from old French and put into production by two absinthe historians using anicient measurements and colouring techniques, along with only local Pontarlier absinthe plants, it shows another side to absinthe that had been modified so many times during the 19th century. It is more herbaceous and slightly medicinal, as it was most likely originally intended, yet quite tasty, and it has a louche that is more of a light, opaque olive green instead of milky white. This may have been what absinthe was like before the Pernod son went main-stream and is certainly an interesting historical experiment.
Editor reviews
The louche was nice, but it seemed to build up rather uniformly as opposed to layering.
Aroma was clean and crisp with hints of pine and wormwood. Very herbal. Extremely attractive.
I liked the flavor of this absinthe because the bitterness of the wormwood and the sweetness of the anise really married well, and there was also a bubblegummy scent in the back of your mouth. Quite pleasant, with a crisp wormwood finish.
Overall, the flavors marry well, but nothing really stands out dramatically. It is a very interesting insight into the beginnings of absinthe, so it's worthy of any liquor cabinet.
User reviews
The flavor is definitely on the medicinal side, and there is a bubblegummy quality to it that reminds me of a Belgian Tripel style ale,and I mean this in a complementary way. However, the finish is just a tad on the metalic, or burnt side, so it has to lose points.
Overall, a very worthwhile effort that I found mostly appealing, and I can't wait to taste the final version.