Appearance: A heavy, dark and grassy olive-green hue colors this clear and haze free absinthe.

Louche: This absinthe brings on the thickness. The clouds burst into gelatin like rolls during the louche. The final appearance is akin to a green tinted heavy cream. Nothing really pretty about it.

Aroma: Badine (star anise) dominates the scent. There is a lot of sweetness as well. A slight grassy and floral aroma is present but you have to work to find it behind the Iron Curtain of Badine.

Flavor: Sweet, overly so. I don't use sugar in my reviews and this tastes as if it has added sugar. The badine dominates in taste as much as it did in the aroma. The flavor and sweetness become a very “liquid licorice candy” quality that is hard to taste past. The floral note appears as lavender and is hard to seek out. On the back of the tongue an astringent bitterness is present but more as a texture and doesn't add to the flavor.

Finish: This absinthe leaves a very sticky and cloying mouthfeel that coats every inch of your palate. The lavender comes out a bit while the sides of my mouth notice a feeling reminiscent of sugar burn. Towards the end it just becomes bitter.

Overall: It is almost as if this absinthe is trying to live up to the licorice candy stereotype. Whether intended or not, it does so with full force. I don't know anything specific about this absinthes production and I tend to taste anise as sweet, but I would guess that there is some added sugar in the recipe as well.