Emperor Norton Absinthe Dieu - Reviewed by Experts and Consumers at The Wormwood Society
Product Details
Available in USA?
Style/Color
Degrees ABV (% alcohol)
Year of Make (if known)
Country of Origin
Distillery
Wormwood Society Editor Comments
An absinthe from San Francisco using a base of California grape brandy by distiller Carter Raff. He began researching absinthe in 1985.
Editor reviews
2 reviews
View most helpful
Interestingly savory
Overall rating
3.7
Appearance
4.5
Louche
4.0
Aroma
3.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
3.5
Finish
3.5
Overall
3.5
Appearance: very bright and inviting. An attractive peridot green. No visible sediment.
Louche: Attractive and bright. A bit on the thinner side at 3:1, but still correct. Similar to other previous versions of Montpellier style absinthes.
Aroma: Intriguingly savory, with aromas of root vegetables and salted celery, possibly from the cultivar of wormwood used, along with the normal aromas of fennel and anise. Definitely out of the ordinary, but still appealing.
Flavor: spicy white pepper kick with lighter flavors of wormwood and anise. It's not as sweet as a typical absinthe that might be a bit heavier-handed with anise, but that can be a good thing. Due to the lighter anise, the mouthfeel is thinner than average, but still enjoyable.
Finish: white pepper and a bit of wormwood. I'd like the flavors to stick around a bit more, but it's enjoyable nonetheless.
Overall: This is a unique absinthe. It's more on the savory side than many US absinthes. But because of that, it's not as obtrusive as some other brands might be, which lends itself well to an absinthe that you can drink while eating dinner. The flavors won't overwhelm the palate.
Louche: Attractive and bright. A bit on the thinner side at 3:1, but still correct. Similar to other previous versions of Montpellier style absinthes.
Aroma: Intriguingly savory, with aromas of root vegetables and salted celery, possibly from the cultivar of wormwood used, along with the normal aromas of fennel and anise. Definitely out of the ordinary, but still appealing.
Flavor: spicy white pepper kick with lighter flavors of wormwood and anise. It's not as sweet as a typical absinthe that might be a bit heavier-handed with anise, but that can be a good thing. Due to the lighter anise, the mouthfeel is thinner than average, but still enjoyable.
Finish: white pepper and a bit of wormwood. I'd like the flavors to stick around a bit more, but it's enjoyable nonetheless.
Overall: This is a unique absinthe. It's more on the savory side than many US absinthes. But because of that, it's not as obtrusive as some other brands might be, which lends itself well to an absinthe that you can drink while eating dinner. The flavors won't overwhelm the palate.
User reviews
1 review
Overall rating
2.1
Appearance
3.0(1)
Louche
1.0(1)
Aroma
2.0(1)
Flavor / Mouthfeel
2.5(1)
Finish
2.0(1)
Overall
2.0(1)
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... Louche... What Louche...
Overall rating
2.1
Appearance
3.0
Louche
1.0
Aroma
2.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
2.5
Finish
2.0
Overall
2.0
Very disappointed in this absinthe... but happy I found a baby (375) bottle to purchase in place of a full 750.
I find this very similar to St. George in the aroma and taste - probably due to both being brandy-based. The flavor profile is strange... I suppose 'savory' would be a good approximation/generalization... hard to detect and isolate the trinity here.
Louche is such a disappointment. Seriously. If you are a fan of big, thick louches like I am... stay far away. This is personal preference to some extent but I am a firm believer that an absinthe should have a solid louche. This has barely anything for show - eve with iced cold water dripped slowly... barely anything happens.
Mouthfeel is thin and watery.
Overall... I may have to mix this with something more substantial to get through it and avoid sinking the bottle. Hate giving terrible reviews but it is what it is...
I find this very similar to St. George in the aroma and taste - probably due to both being brandy-based. The flavor profile is strange... I suppose 'savory' would be a good approximation/generalization... hard to detect and isolate the trinity here.
Louche is such a disappointment. Seriously. If you are a fan of big, thick louches like I am... stay far away. This is personal preference to some extent but I am a firm believer that an absinthe should have a solid louche. This has barely anything for show - eve with iced cold water dripped slowly... barely anything happens.
Mouthfeel is thin and watery.
Overall... I may have to mix this with something more substantial to get through it and avoid sinking the bottle. Hate giving terrible reviews but it is what it is...
J