Memo To Producer
Is it possible to put this in a taller bottle? You see... I'm confused about where to store it. Should I put it in the umbrella stand?, or should I put it in the broom closet? If the bottle were a couple of inches taller, the answer would be clear... broom closet! On the plus side, me likes the molded plastic stopper... efficient, won't dry and shrink, and no cork flakes in my absinthe.

Color
Unlouched, clear, very pale mint green with just the slightest hint of blue. Louched, pretty milky minty light green. Light whitish-blue highlights and bluish-white at the meniscus. Decent, but not brilliant sheen. Looks like a slightly colored blanche, rather than a verte.

Louche
Fast, Fast, Fast! Actually, nice looking trails and rolling explosions at first. Then good layering sets up. Then I turn to get something out of the fridge, look back, and it's completely opaque at .6:1, with a little green line left. 60% abv and star anise probably has something to do with this. Final color is pleasant, reminds me of summer.

Aroma
I find the wormwood to be the initial aroma sensation, followed closely by the anise and fennel and an undertone of peach/apricot. Toss in a little florals, dusty herbals, and mintiness, and that rounds out the package. Bright and fresh, a really sunny herbal character. Everything fairly light and delicate, like a verte that thinks it's a blanche.

Flavor
Mouthfeel is slightly on the thin side. Wormwood is fresh, herbal, and minty, but asserts itself very gently. Some florals, hint of citrus, and that peach/apricot thing. A little prickly on the palate, probably due to the star anise. Overall flavor is bright and would make a great summer drink.

Finish
This is where this one falls down a little. First, Nice gentle wormwood "pull" on palate, with a little burst of mint and florals. But then the star anise really becomes a little problematic. As finish wears on, the star anise becomes pricklier and pricklier on the palate. Combined with the drying effect of the drink, it creates the sensation of those chalky pink after dinner mints. It does move me to take another sip, but only to call it quits on this finish.

Overall
This is an interesting example of the whole being, maybe, a little better than the sum of it's parts. There's something likeable about this... not in a standard way, but likeable. I do really want to try this in the summer, when I might be thinking of a blanche.

My Biggest Problem With Taboo
I actually kind of like this unconventional verte. My biggest problem is the price, and the price/value ratio. Shipped recently with a bottle of Taboo Gold it cost me about $84 landed on my doorstep (this is a 50cl). In a comparison with some of the highest scoring available absinthes on this site (landed price per liter), Taboo is about 33% more expensive than the 4 comparison products (remember, these are some of the best). To me, that kind of disparity with the market isn't only condemnable, it's shameless! If Absinthe Classics Canada can't find a way to get their pricing at the market (you might start with treating shipping separately, and fairly), I won't be a repeat customer on this one. There's an awful lot of fine absinthes coming down the pike.

7/05/09 Revisit - This evaluation was right in line with my earlier review. One note...from the standpoint of Aroma and Flavor, this absinthe definitely shows best at room temperature. Icy cold, it is just way out of balance. I almost lowered the scores for these categories from 4s to 3s and I am glad I took my time with this.

Done with a 1 ounce dose, diluted 3:1, 3.5:1, and no sugar.

Taboo 11/21/08, 11/28/08, 11/30/08, 7/05/09.
All evaluations had consistent notes.