In the glass it's pale straw, maybe a hint of green. Clear with no haze, but could stand to have more depth. It smells fruity and grassy. Classic absinthe character but no classic herbs stand out, if that makes any sense.

The louche is fast and ends at skim milk thickness. The colour is soft, mint green with pearly refractions. Quite attractive. After water the aroma is nutty and powdery. Not as powerful as i'd like, but nice.

The taste is a perfect example of very nice balance; everything's there but it's all blended so well that nothing stands out except perhaps pontica. Tastes American in character, very refreshing and sweet. There's a subtle nuttiness that reminds me of a couple of Matter prototypes that had a marc base. (edit: I'm really beginning to notice the wormwood now, and it's minty and delicious.)

The finish is a bit numbing and anise dominated at first but develops balance again before the long fade.

I'm actually very impressed. I tend to be a bit suspicious of any Alandia product but this is an excellent absinthe.

UPDATE 5-24-10
I got a new bottle from Mike at Alandia, so I decided to update my review.
Color: A bit lighter than the previous version, but attractive. Old Score: 3, New Score: 3.
Louche: Attractive and opaque, with hints of green, yellow, white and blue. Old Score: 3, New Score: 4.
Aroma: I think I might have overreacted with the aroma in the last batch. It's still quite nice though. Old Score:5, New Score: 4.
Flavor: I'm not getting any of the harshness that was there last time. It's mainly anise. A bit basic, but still tasty. Old Score: 3, New Score: 3.
Finish: This is where the major improvement resides. No acridity at all. Again, it's fairly basic, but tasty. I'd like more wormwood, but the anise lasts for a good while. Old Score: 2, New Score: 4.
Overall: It's hard to believe that they haven't changed the recipe at all. While it's not the most complex absinthe, it's enjoyable. I'd accept a drink of Epoque any day if offered to me. Old Score: 3, New Score: 3.


OLD REVIEW
Coloring seems natural. A nice bright green. Nothing overtly amazing, but nice. The louche is CRAZY.
Aroma brings hints of fennel and anise with wormwood overtones. Very pleasant, but a tad sweet.
The taste is light and refreshing with just a hint of harshness at the end. Maybe spicy is a better word for it. Some people are more attuned to the bitterness, but for me, it's not bad. It's in fact, a fairly enjoyable drink.
Overall a fairly pleasant surprise from Alandia. Definitely drinkable but also a bit overpriced, especially since it's really their first major run at high quality absinthe. Now with Lucid available in the states, they have to set this at a cheaper price to get the business.