Bottle opened 1/09, review glasses louched 1/09.

Color: A very solid green, looks natural, not too deep, closer to emerald than olive. Clear and bright.

Louche: Excellent "oil trails" lead to a gradual clouding of the glass from the bottom, with a thin line of green at the top. Completely louched at just over 2:1. Color after louche is a marvelous olive green. I would've liked to see more roiled clouds than this produces, but it's impossible to fault the louche for that.

Aroma: Wormwood, a bit of mint, a bit of alcohol heat.

Flavor: I tried my Duplais Verte unsugared at first, and it was a bit too wormwood-forward for my palate. The bitterness isn't offensive, but it isn't as floral and welcoming as I prefer. Adding about a tablespoon (15mL) of simple syrup and watering to 3.5:1 helps considerably, but it still remains unbalanced. It's hard to discern the anise through the wormwood, though I do detect the hint of mint. It has great mouth-feel, quite creamy.

Finish: Long. Bitter, but in a pleasant way.

Overall: I'm disappointed in Duplais Verte, it's too wormwood-forward for my taste. It's obviously well made, but I'm just not a fan. I'll revisit the bottle every now and then to see how both it and I have changed, but for now, it sits at the back of the shelf.