This review is for the Belle Amie 2nd edition 2008. tasted at approx. 3:1, no sugar

color: very natural, nice peridot with hint of olive. maybe just the slightest hint of haze, or perhaps my glass isn't as crystal clear as I'd like.

nose (neat): good anise, but a pretty big hit of a musty aroma was hiding anything else. We'll see how it goes after the louche.

louche: very cold water drip. Very good louche, started with great trails and rolling threads and the high alc. allowed this to continue for some time before the clouding started. Quite surprising, obviously very different behavior from Belle Amie 1. Separated nicely, had a good clear layer on top until at least 2:1. Aroma is opening up some with the water, but not room filling. Finished color is very nice, maybe leaning slightly towards the brown but with nice almost blue-ish highlights at the surface rim. Fairly opaque, but some translucence when looking up through the glass at an angle. Very attractive.

nose: musty smell has mellowed and faded with water, but it's still there and more than I would like. There is more herbal character coming through now, and nicely balancing the anise, with anise still a bit more in the lead, the way I like it. Overall aroma is somewhat muted and restrained. Reduce or eliminate that musty character and bring everything else up a bit and I'd really like this.

flavor: Very nice anise, this is my preferred style. Nice bitter character, and other herbs there as well, but they're all letting the anise shine through nicely. Very good mouthfeel, not too heavy but not thin. There is an interesting flowery flavor that comes and goes, it is not difficult to pick out, it reminds me a bit of the smell of baby powder. That's a new flavor for me, so it seems slightly out of place to me, but it's actually kind of nice and something I wouldn't mind getting used to. DIfficult to decide whether to score 4 or 5 for this, but I think the only thing that would keep me from going a 5 is probably attributable to the aroma, so a 5 for flavor.

finish: anise and spice, and then replaced by mild, pleasant bitterness. The "baby powder" noted earlier makes a short appearance in the finish, quite unusual. Slightly tongue numbing but not heavy. It really had me wanting another sip.

overall: I really enjoyed this one. If that aromatic note that I didn't care for could be toned down a LOT, I'd probably have this up in my top few. Nicely balanced, learning towards the anise which is what I'm finding I prefer. I'll certainly enjoy drinking the rest of the bottle, but it's probably going to be one of those things that I'll always be thinking "if only for that smell ..."

The review of Belle Amie 2:

Have just finished the tasting of the new Belle Amie. First of all, apart from that cork issue, there is another problem both I and my Mum concluded that aroma is very, very alcoholic, it smells like moonshine at 82%, not an elegant absinthe at just 72%.

However, from the beginning:

The colour-not bad but not as beautiful as previously. Louche has been enhanced, possibly with badiane as I am detecting its characteristical note but for the style it is still very nice, slowly forming, gradual, getting denser and denser, drop by drop.

Water is the solution to the harsh aroma (surprisingly the first edition had had a much better aroma) and the bad wine alcohol-the crappiest of allbase gets lost in the herbs’ symphony.

And here I have to admit these are top-notch ones, very bold, strong, bitter, decisive wormwood (much less discrete than in the previous offering), nice pontica, hyssop, balanced coriander and pleasant elacampane.
Finish is long lingering, complex and just as the style requires.

You want the perfect Belle Amie?-take its herb-bill from the second offering, badiane can stay-it is not that obtrusive and it helps absinthe louche well without the risk of being over-watered. Take the base of the first, or do as the wise people do and use grain alcohol. The absinthe should be perfumey not stinky!

Once all this is made, the perfect Belle Amie is accomplished


The review of Belle Amie 1

Gently open the bottle, or unscrew the sample, whatever you have at hand:) and inhale the scent of Arcadia, it is really what the guys back in the heyday might have sipped.

Colour which is a perfect feuille morte, achieved thanks to recommended aging and only natural botanicals, of which veronica seems to be very prominent invites you to partake in the spirit of Belle Epoque. (5)

The louche is slowly forming and typical of de Nimes style so that you just have to sit back and relax while watching the mesmerizing oil trails which finish up being not too thin not to thick a glass of pearl opalescence with a nice, very tiny green tinge. 1:4 ratio seems to be enough. (4)

Once louched, the aromes or angelica, elecampane root and wormwood are filling the room and taking the first sip from the glass leaves a bold, decisive and strongly herbaceous sensation, anethole buddies are not the main players here and stay at the back, if could have their say that very moment. (4) (5)

The finish is sublime with long lingering coriander note that hurries the wormwoodiness. Here, wormwood needs little enhancement. (4)

Of all the absinthes that have been released in the recent time, that shall be considered the real extrait d'absinthe on par with Bazinet or Pernod, if not better. Chapeaux bas! (4)

The deep olive color appears a bit inappropriate. The louche is very slow in developing, and does eventually reach a three tiered effect, though briefly. Very appealing and inviting aroma with a well balanced and complex taste. Beautiful opalesence, yet has some thinness apparent. Finish is inviting and beckons for more. A most enjoyable absinthe, delicious.

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.

Overall, this absinthe is delicious. My favorite things about it are its complex aroma and great flavor. The only bad things in my very humble opinion are that the louche is slightly too thin and subsequently the mouth feel is not quite there. The only reason I can see for the mouth feel not being there is because of its stout herb aroma/taste. The finish is not quite what I would like it to be because of its thin louche. Is it one of the best COs right now? Potentially. Would I hesitate to drink it or buy it again? Absolutely not. There is still some room for work, but this is definitely a great absinthe.



Color: Amber green, very attractive.

Louche: Retains some of its original color, good until around 4:1. I drank my second glass at 3:1 and liked that the best. Slightly thin.

Aroma: Strong smell of wormwood, very herbal, appealing.

Flavor: Strongest point of this absinthe IMO. Good till the last drop (as long as it isn't over watered).

Finish: Does not quite stick as long as I would like, yet still substantial. Maybe this will improve over time?