Sample louched December 2008, from an unknown bottling (it was a gift in trade). Louched to 4:1, with 1/2 sugar cube.

The color when neat is a perfect light green, which louches up beautifully. The louche begins at the very bottom of the reservoir, and builds fairly slowly from the bottom, until about 2:1, when just a thin line separates the unlouched top layer from the other 7/8 of the glass. It doesn't go completely milky until just short of 3:1.

The aroma when neat is a slightly minty alcohol. During the louche, it fills the room with anise, and quite noticeably so. Upon stirring, the aroma sniffed up close reminds me of Egg Nog, and in a very good way - it's milky, boozy, and quite alluring. It could just be that I sampled it the week before Christmas, but this definitely has notes of cream, nutmeg, and smoky bourbon.

The first taste is quickly mint, then fennel/anise, then a long finish of very bitter wormwood. The wormwood stays with you for quite a while, until you take another sip just to mitigate the bitter. I really didn't enjoy it as much as I expected I would.

The Edouard surprised me with just how bitter it is on the finish. It's reminiscent, as another reviewer noted, of Lucid, though much less "earthy" than Lucid. It's not difficult to taste the family resemblance, both being Ted Breaux productions. I need to try the others in the line, but Edouard didn't strike me (admittedly with my first sample) as one I'd buy a whole bottle of.

In the glass, this is a pale and perfectly clear olive. After a solid yet unspectacular performance in the louche, the final colour is a tad thin, but still has hints of opal at the meniscus.

The strange thing about this absinthe, in terms of the aroma and the flavour, is just how similar it is to Lucid. It's definitely more complex, warmer and rounded, but if you think of a flavour profile as a graph along the taste buds, the shape of the curve is really quite similar to Lucid.

It has a nice dry finish, seeming to concentrate more on the anise on the way down and then lingering with the wormwood once it's over. Due to its relation to the original Eduoard, I had some idea that this would be a more 'manly' absinthe like the Raymond Thi 1914, or at least that's what I've been told. I see it as more conventional than that, with a more rounded flavour. Still, the flavour is the exact reason I keep coming back to this marque, as I watch the other Jades stay level in the bottle.

One other puzzle that I'm still trying to figure out is that the earlier Jades seem to have a different grape (or marc) base, one that somewhat overpowers the herbs. This bottling is from 2008, and along with a Nouvelle Orleans, does not exhibit that same spirit base, at least to my grape sensitive taste buds.

To complicate matters, I have to say that at this moment, the Edouard is my favourite of the Jade absinthes. While the PF1901 has a magical and creamy floral quality, this one is easier to drink for me, which possibly has something to do with a change in the base. But I'm just speculating.

I dub thee Big Daddy Of Lucid. Translation: if you like Lucid and have a desire to try something better but similar, do not hesitate to fork out the cashola for this, my favourite drinking absinthe from Jade Liqueurs.

Louche: Nothing grabbed me, but it louched. It's different from the others I've tried because it didn't have that swirly cloud effect, it gradually clouded up equally throughout the glass.



Aroma: Peculiar is fitting, and the aroma matches the flavor.



Flavor: There's definitely a spiciness with a hint of mustiness to it, like an old abandoned house.



Finish: Definitely present, but unremarkable. Not sure if the batch I had was different from the one mentioned in the other thread inquiring if Ted changed the formula, but mine, dated Oct 06, has a prominent alcohol burn - which doesn't compliment the musty flavor and aroma.



Overall: Acceptable, but that rustic taste and aroma isn't for me.

Color: A vibrant, deep peridot green. Very attractive.



Louche: Slow forming, nice building/layering action. Morphs into an opalescent milky jade color. It just doesn't get much better.



Aroma: Anise is predominant. An ensemble of alpine herbs are noticeable. The wormwood takes a bit of a back seat but it's there. I also get mint and toasted honey. During louche once again the anise is the predominant note, but the alpine herbs blossom into a nice bouquet. I think I can also detect a faint baby powder scent.



Flavor: Again, it's that anise that makes it's presence most noticeable. This certainly isn't an anise bomb like the VS but it's quite forward. Those alpine herbs aren't far behind imparting a nice crisp, refreshing taste. There's something spicy going on in there as well, but I don't know what to attribute it to. The wormwood is easily detectable but plays second fiddle to the other flavors.



Finish: I find the finish to be pretty standard. The wormwood finally comes through a bit more imparting a slight lingering bitterness. I wouldn't describe the duration as long either.



Overall: It's obviously a quality made traditional offering. When it first came out I was a huge fan but after expanding my palate a bit and trying other commercial offerings I find this rather average by comparison (but certainly not bad).

As is typical of Jades, the Edouard pours a beautiful, clear, natural peridot, and then louches to a very pleasing jade green, with undertones of amber and blue. The aroma is also excellent -- refreshing and spicy -- as is the flavor (though I do find the spiciness of the Edouard to be almost too much). The finish is very good with the emphasis again on spiciness, though some bitterness is discernable as well. Overall, I think it's just one short rung down from its cousin the PF 1901 -- a very excellent absinthe.

Update: Tasting this absinthe again (for the first time in almost 2 years) I had to raise the score for the finish. There really is a lot going on: a gradual fading of the spices in the flavor and aroma, accompanied by a very slight numbing sensation. I still prefer the 1901, but it is a photo finish.