-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.

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.

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?

Beautiful amber/olive green goes pale green. The first taste was extremely mouthfilling. Seems to get better by the week.