This is , bar none, the finest commercial offering from the modern era...it's a true Nimes style absinthe (the wormwood is outstanding)which is huge, and intense in aroma, and flavor, as well as remarkably complex. A melange of herbs wrap around the senses, and caress the palate with top quality anise, fennel, hyssop, coriander(bigtime), melissa, fruit juicy and incredibly floral wormwood (wonderfully fragrant in the finish), and other more exotic spices, which are difficult to place, although cardamom may be one of them. The only slight drawback is a very mild vegetal characteristic which may be the result of going a tad heavy on the coloration herbs, and the louche itself could be thicker...it's reasonably opaque at a bit less than 3:1, but at almost 4:1 it's a bit light.



The nose is as intense, and complex as the flavor, although it could be just a bit more room-filling...however,it is remarkably similar to, if just a tad less luxurious than the 1914 Pernod Fils aroma, which amazed me.



The color, neat, is identical to the beautiful golden-green hue of the 1914 Pernod Fils, which is remarkable considering it is a subtle feuille mort that usually takes quite some time to appear.



The flavor, yet again, bears a striking resemblance to the 1914, except for that slight vegetal character, and the base not adding quite the depth of flavor that one used in the Pernod Fils adds. Also, I think it could be just a tad richer (after sampling a few more glasses). If I had been sent a sample of this nectar as pre-ban, I would certainly have had no problem believing it was absolutely authentic.



The finish lives up to the initial flavor, and is propelled by that remarkably powerful, incredibly floral wormwood that lingers almost infinitely. This masterpiece is the best example of a Nimes style absinthe I've ever tried, including HGs, and I'd describe it as nothing less than groundbreaking!



Hats off to Heure Verte, Emile Pernot et cie., and LDF for being the first to bring us this wondrous libation.

-2nd Distillation 2008 Bottle 558/640 - tasted in Oct 2010 -

Appearance: Goldish-Olive hue, probably due to Feuille Morte since I've aged this bottle over 2 years, and who knows how much the distiller aged it from completion to bottling periods.

Louche: Great louche that builds up with oily trails slowly and completes with billowy effect. Not extremely dense/milky however, which leads me to be careful not to add too much water.

Aroma: Fantastic 'powdery' scent with floral/fresh fruit notes in the forefront with a bitter wormwood spice balanced well in the background. When water is added, things seem even more balanced, with that floral aspect blending in a bit.

Taste: Nearly a perfectly balanced taste, just like the aroma, that leads somewhat with the sweeter notes. I prefer a little sugar in this one, but it is not bad without, either.

Finish: Medium mouth feel with a slight numbing - the final aftertaste is that of the wormwood. I really enjoy the flowery aroma/sweet start and a more herbal bitter finish.

Overall: Definitely in my top 5 and worth the hype. The archetype of what good absinthe tastes like. You can definitely taste a huge difference when going from this to a bottle in a lower price range, like my everyday absinthe choices. Other reviewers have stated quite agreeably that this is one of the best COs out there, with only minor criticisms such as the mouth feel & louche.

The color was like a mid 70's furniture greenish gold. Totally natural in my opinion but not as green as I'd expect of a new release. I really did like it though.

The louche was slower to start than I was looking for but came on smooth and thick.

Ahh, the aroma. My first impression of this was very pleasant almost floral.

At about 3:1 I found it sweet on the tip of my tongue and working towards a neat bitter as it sat there. Quite tasty with no "off" flavors. Balanced nicely.

The finish lingered a spell and was pretty satisfying.

Overall, I found this to be a very nice drink. I would certainly buy more and I wish I had. Quite comfortable without being brash. I was in the mood for something to curl up by the fireplace and sip. This works well for that. I had read the discussions regarding it's comparison to pre-ban absinthe and I don't think it's an unreasonable comparison and that in itself is a compliment.

Three years after writing the first review, I'm tweaking this a bit, as the latest batch is simply so good, that I felt the time was right to amend my old review of an earlier batch.

sampled at 3.5:1 with one sugar

Color: A lovely natural sparkling medium green. Natural and clear.

Louche: This latest version has a thicker louche than the ones I've had before. It is not a particularly thick louche, but is substantial enough. It is just thin enough at the edges for flashes of copper to peek thru, and play nicely with light. The build is slow and steady, taking its time to develop. I like absinthe that takes its time to develop this way.

Aroma: The aroma is very inviting; a warm anise, Pontarlier wormwood, and rich fennel are enhanced by complex herbal edges. I found myself inhaling the aroma from the bottle several times before pouring...A good sign!

Flavor: Very very nice. What a delicious wormwood! It is warm and inviting, with a classic French verte personality.

Finish: It follows the flavor, lingers nicely and fades slowly leaving a light pepper and citrus. The mouthfeel is really nice...not too thin, not too thick.

Overall: This is a fine absinthe. I would consider this a must-try, as I do all the Parisienne series absinthes.

I believe this is as close to pre-ban as you can get in a modern absinthe. This will be my favorite for quite some time.