The colour is almost perfectly clear but has a slight yellow tinge. The aroma is minty, grapey, and sweet-smelling. Anise is a bit acrid.

With water it clouds up very fast, becoming nearly opaque. Milky white with blue and grey texture, slightly chalky. The minty aroma is now full-blown peppermint. Powder and anise in support roles. Still sweet but with wormwood peeking through.

This absinthe is very sweet with significant, minty cooling on the tongue. Star anise is evident but it doesn't bother me like it does in some other absinthes. The wormwood is present but subdued. Chamomile and lemon. Thick mouthfeel but very refreshing, as though an absinthe has been made from combining Sleepytime and peppermint herbal teas. The traditional absinthe flavour is there but it sits beneath all the inventiveness.

The finish is overly numbing and dominated by the herbal tea flavours as opposed to the absinthe herbs. Citrusy, fading to soft powder.

It's definitely an odd one (although I have had a couple of absinthes that bore some similarites) but I like it a lot. It would be improved with the round, fruity flavour of green anise instead of the numbing acridness of star anise, but it's nonetheless one of the better oddities I've had.

Color: absolutely clear

Aroma: before water, there seems to be quite a bit of cinnamon and spice, but that might actually be part of the base spirit as opposed to any spices they may have added. The star anise is quite pungent. After water, it becomes more citrussy and floral with almost a dairy-like silkiness. The honey distillate base is quite obvious.

Louche: Literally begins the moment the first drop of water hits. Still quite thick at 3:1m which is suprising for its alcohol content. It's attractive, but I'd actually penalize it for the quickness and thickness of the louche. Obviously the star anise plays a big part here.

Flavor: Surprisingly light. You've definitely got the star anise there, but you also have some 'rooty' qualities like with Gentiane, as well as a menthol-like cooling sensation which follows the wormwood's dryness (which is present, but light). It's quirky, but tasty and refreshing. There is a hint of sweetness from the mead as well. I do miss the green anise though, which I think would work better than the star. At 3.5:1, the anise gets toned down a lot and you're left with the vegetal and citrus hints along with the cooling.

Finish: Here's where you definitely feel the cooling sensation, along with hyssop and some citrus. Quite complex.

Overall: Overall, this is an enjoyable beverage. It's definitely not your traditional absinthe profile, so it's going to have its detractors. I like it better than the St. George though. It's not on the same level as something like CLB, but it's enjoyable. I don't know if I like the menthol sensation, so I'd be hard pressed to buy a bottle. But if it were made available to me, I'd happily accept a glass.