Color- Very natural Green/yellow color. Deeper than an olive oil. Of coarse it's not a vivid peridot but I like the change of pace from the PF1901.

Louche- Great oil trails. At about 1/1 the reservoir is thick yellow/white & the top of the glass has thick white tendrils falling through the original unlouched color of green/yellow. Very nice.

Aroma- Citrusy with a medicinal wormwood smell. Light amounts of fennel, anise & other herbs I can't make out are present. Maybe the Citrus comes from coriander?

Flavor- Again it tastes like it smells. Fennel and anise in the background rounded out with the wormwood. Citrusy right off the top. I think the flavors could have been more 'rounded' or 'soft'. Maybe I'm just not as familiar with this flavor profile type.

The finish is probably the best part of this absinthe. The flavor stays on my tongue for what seems like forever. Citrusy (again) with a slight tongue numbing and 'bite'. The bite is just perfect however.

I really enjoyed this absinthe. I could see myself continuing to drink it on special occasions. Actually I'd like to drink it daily if the Visa balance wasn't so high..........

La Coquette was enjoyed with 3.5 parts water and a sugar cube.

Color: A deep green. I was debating on whether or not to penalize it for being over-colored, but decided that it didn't quite cross that line. It's just darker than your average verte.

Louche: A nice louche. There is some decent layering and it doesn't form immediately. It obtains that opalescence we all love. Almost earns a 5 but I'd consider it a rung below that of the Edouard & Marteau.

Aroma: This is an entirely different lady than the Belle Amie. This one is more delicate. The wormwood and anise are nowhere near as prominent, and the floral bouquet found in the former have been replaced by more fruity, citrus notes. It's remarkable how little alcohol heat there is for something at 72%. There is this wonderful smell that supersedes all others, and I just can't put a finger on what it is. After thinking about it it came to me what it reminded me of... lemon lime jello. I realize that may not sound tempting, but believe me, it works.

Flavor: From a straight flavor standpoint, this is one of the most delicious absinthes I've ever had. That anise stays in the backround and those delightful notes of fresh fruit and citrus tease your taste buds. It does have that slightly vegetal quality characteristic of Devoille absinthes. (which I happen to like, btw), but it's very subtle and less prominent than it is in the VdF. Wonderful use of lemon balm. Now it hits me... could that lemon lime note be a combination of this and some other herb? The wormwood comes out to play as well, in perfect harmony with everything else. It doesn't demand your attention as much as it did in the Belle Amie.

Finish: Ah, there's that fennel. The fresh fruit comes along for the ride as well and the wormwood lets you know it's there, imparting an ever so slight, desirable bitterness. I didn't get any numbing sensation. I wouldn't describe the duration as long, but it hangs around for awhile.

Overall: I'm a big fan of this absinthe. It's flavor profile is very unique, in a good way. It's unlike any other I have had.

While there are some lovely aspects to this absinthe, such as the thick, and gradually unfolding louche, and the unusually fruity anise, there is, unfortunately, an overbearing grassy (vegetal) presence (in both the nose, and the flavor) that has caused me to sink more than one glass.

I suspect this is due to the assemblage method, since I can detect it in all of the Devoille absinthes. The color is somewhat on the darkish side, but I don't believe La Coquette was over-colored to such an extent as to cause this strong a flavor. Perhaps the veronica is also a factor, and I'm not a big fan of that particular herb.

This Review is based upon a blind sample.

Color
Very close to Emerald, absolutely gorgeous and natural looking. It has a lens like clarity making this this Absinthe a real pleasure to behold.

Aroma
Rich and intriguing. It's heady with notes of Licorice from Fennel and Anise. There's something deep and herbal that strikes a nice balance. The heat of alcohol is strong but doesn't compromise the bouquet at all. Tantalizing and fresh. I would have liked some of the more floral or alpine herb notes but this is nit picking - the aroma is excellent.

Louche
Extremely beautiful Louche. Lots of swirling trails of different shades of green from the lightest Peridot to deeper currents of Emerald - all quite beautiful. Nice shimmering Opalescence to the finished Louche which is creamy and delicious looking, dense without being dull - the color is a definite plus. A light green with a few swirling trails of darker green hues that remain until that final stir. Mouth feel is wonderful, creamy and luscious without being milky or sticky.

Flavor
In a word - Delicious. This is not a delicate Absinthe. The Wormwood gnashes at your tongue and the bitterness is quite pronounced even with sugar. There's a gorgeous balance of sweet Fennel and lovely Anise to balance it out quickly and a soft bite at the back of the throat that's refreshing. I was impressed with this Absinthe very much - it's powerhouse of flavor and those initial flavor notes hit you up front and hard. As I finished my glass I could detect lot's of other herbs but I can't think to name them. I can tell you the taste is well rounded, rich and anything but subtle.

The Finish
Not as smooth as I would have expected, the heat of the alcohol has a definitive bite that lingers. But fortunately the delicious sharp taste of the wormwood entwines beautifully with sweeter notes. No peculiar aftertaste just clean and bright.

Final Impression
I loved this Absinthe. It has so many of the characteristics I look for but usually only find one or two in one brand and then others in another brand. The great pleasure for me here was, they were all together. The taste is dramatically bold even at a 4:1 water ratio. I was tempted to add some additional water but didn't want to lose the full throttle flavor. In short this is an Absinthe I could drink regularly without getting bored in the slightest.