From tastings done over the course of the four months this bottle has been open, some with sugar, some without. All carafe pours.

Color: I really like the color of the Duplais; just a shade lighter and it would be a 5 for me.

Louche: I saw gradients, billowing, a well-defined line, though it all ended before 2:1. Still, a nice show while it lasted.

Aroma: All the familiar components are there. There is a freshness to it, kind of like the green fleshy stalk of a plant when it's still young, but it will soon become a more woody stem.

Flavor: I can objectively say that all the appropriate elements are here, but to my palate there is a sharpness I can't get past. These sharp edges need some polishing, even after four months of the bottle being open.

Finish: The sharpness carries over into the finish, which forces me to 3 the Duplais her, too.

Overall: This is an absinthe that has everything in the right place, but they could be more aesthetically pleasing. It's like a well-arranged living room but the color scheme is a little off for me.

Prepared with no sugar and a slow, ice-cold drip.

Aroma pre-louche: Heavy anise. Very floral, if you will. Well balanced and smooth. There is a dark, musty, dried-fruitiness that is really alluring. On pouring and allowed to breathe in the glass, the aroma thins and becomes more anise than anything else. A slight hint of alcohol becomes more apparent. Something hints at chocolate.

Color: A gorgeous peridot green. No hint of yellowness. Unmistakably absinthe.

Louche: The wormwood makes its first appearance as the louche begins to develop. The aroma returns to the mustiness found before being poured, and becomes very sweet. The louche itself is unremarkable. No real suspense, and the usual layering only lasts a short time. The color is very nice when finished, but more than anything the aroma takes the stage here.

Flavor: All wormwood. No anise. A slight hint of mintyness and fennel. There is an almost off putting back note to the flavor, but only as an aftertaste. There is definitely something spicy and dry that holds back any sweet flavors. In fact, to me, there's almost no perceivable sweetness at all. I think a cube of sugar might help coax forward the more subtle sweetness that seems to be held back by an overwhelming woodiness. Very good mouth feel.

Overall: I really like this absinthe. I wouldn't call this absinthe sweet by any means, but the flavors begin to "cool off" as the glass gets emptier. I think it is good, but missing real complexity. A more blended flavor emerges towards the bottom of the glass that seems to get a handle on the overwhelming wormwood character of this drink. Perhaps not a great starter absinthe, but good. This absinthe definitely benefits from sugar, but still retains a heavy wormwood character. I'm really digging it with the sugar!

-Color-
Before Water: Very clear and VERY green. It’s nice and attractive, but it’s hue may lead one to believe that it might be artificial, so I felt that a 5 couldn't be awarded.

Color After Water: a nice thick, translucent, milky green.

-Louche-
Beautiful water trails, great layering, with clouds forming, bouncing and swirling. Not too quick, not too slow. The clear green line at the top of the louche disappeared for me at about 2:1.

-Aroma-
Before water, anise and citrus with an interesting bitter edge. After water, complex tones are detectable, with anise, citrus, and floral notes that contrast with a bitter wormwood and almost iodine-like scent.

-Flavor-
A very bold and complex flavor- Sweet anise and citrus are the most obvious leading flavors, accompanied by the spicy and floral notes hinted at in the aroma. This is followed by a very powerful and contrasting bitterness.

-Finish-
Pleasantly substantial body with a spicy/bitter bite and a clean, lingering finish. When the bottle was first opened, I found the contrasting flavors to be unbalanced and a bit too much to be truly enjoyable. It took between three weeks to two months for this absinthe to really to really settle down. Once it smoothed out, I was able to really get into the complexity- particularly in the crisp, long lasting and constantly evolving finish.

-Overall-
This absinthe has taught me above all others about how breathing can be beneficial, and in this case, I’d say very important. Some may find the contrasts to be unpleasant, and I would probably hesitate to recommend this as first choice for someone brand new to absinthe. But given some time to mellow, I really enjoy this one for its intensity and flavor. I remember reading someone describing Duplais Verte as “Wagnerian”, which is a great term for this drink!

Notes: Louched 3:1 with medium fountain drip, no sugar (when first opened, sugar helped round out the rough edges, but after breathing, there is already enough sweetness to render sugar undesirable for me).

Bottle Date Aug 2007. Bottle opened February 2008, tasted Aug 2008.

It's odd that when I first started on this bottle, I would have rated the flavor as a 3. I now find it quite appealing. Color is a deep green, deeper than one might expect. Louche developed quite nicely, layered with not much opalescence. Whatever was present in the flavor that I found initially as undesirable, has vanished. All in all, an enjoyable absinthe. My original misplaced misgivings have fallen by the wayside.