The blanche is not quite clear in colour; it has a slight cream or yellow tint. In addition it has a lot of floaties. Why would a blanche have sediment?

The aroma before water is wormwood-heavy with a good bit of alcoholic heat. Slight caramel aroma.

Louche is at full thickness at 1:1, and becomes almost opaque. A spoon in the glass is barely visible. Has a very slight yellow tint but is otherwise very attractive.

After water the aroma is softer and much more balanced. Anise and fennel have come forward but wormwood remains dominant. Smells sweet and floral with slight mintiness.

Flavour is a minty wormwood blast and is shockingly sweet without sugar with almost no bitterness to speak of. The anise is of excellent quality and stands high without dominating. In music engineering terms, both herbs are very high in the mix. The caramel aroma doesn't translate to the flavour. It is refreshing and delicious but beyond some citrus and earth notes, it's not terribly complex.

The mouth-feel is fairly crisp with a very slight oiliness. Not too much numbing. The finish is long and earthy, almost nutty.

Definitely a fine, spring or summer afternoon, session absinthe.