Jade Nouvelle-Orléans - Reviewed by Experts and Consumers at The Wormwood Society
Editor reviews
Jade's odd man out
Overall rating
4.0
Appearance
3.0
Louche
4.0
Aroma
5.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.0
Finish
4.0
Overall
4.0
The colour neat is a pale blue-green, slightly hazy. The louche is beautiful. There's lots of wonderful stuff going on, but it's somewhat thin. The post-louche colour is wonderful, though. Jade green with yellow and blue nuances throughout. The aroma is odd and intriguing. There's a soft, chocolatey layer over light anise and great wormwood, with citrus notes and some musky undertones. That nice wormwood is upfront in the flavour. Anise and fennel are light and there's an underlying earthiness. There's a strange, salty flavour, reminiscent of sea salt. Anise doesn't really come out until the finish, which is lingering and delightful. The mouth-feel is rich but leaves some room for improvement. This is a strange absinthe. I don't always appreciate its idiosynchrasies but there are times when nothing else is right.
A
The most unique of the Jades
Overall rating
4.2
Appearance
4.0
Louche
4.0
Aroma
5.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.0
Finish
4.0
Overall
4.0
This is a very unique offering from the Jade line. It's almost a love it or hate it kind of thing, like Montmartre.
The color is a deep forest green color with no visible sediment or murkiness.
The louche seems a bit pale and slow forming, which ends up being a bit too thin. Mostly opaque but no opalescence.
The aroma has hints of allspice again. It really reminds me of almost a Christmas-y type of smell. Rather intriguing and VERY enjoyable.
The taste is very clean and crisp with a nice wormwood finish. However, I can't put my finger on it, but there is something almost briny hiding back there somewhere, like what you might get hints of in a coastal Scotch. I still get the holiday vibe from the flavor as well.
Overall, an extremely interesting and complex absinthe. It's unique, which will attract some people, and put off some others. It's still a very enjoyable drink.
The color is a deep forest green color with no visible sediment or murkiness.
The louche seems a bit pale and slow forming, which ends up being a bit too thin. Mostly opaque but no opalescence.
The aroma has hints of allspice again. It really reminds me of almost a Christmas-y type of smell. Rather intriguing and VERY enjoyable.
The taste is very clean and crisp with a nice wormwood finish. However, I can't put my finger on it, but there is something almost briny hiding back there somewhere, like what you might get hints of in a coastal Scotch. I still get the holiday vibe from the flavor as well.
Overall, an extremely interesting and complex absinthe. It's unique, which will attract some people, and put off some others. It's still a very enjoyable drink.
User reviews
12 reviews
Overall rating
4.4
Appearance
4.1(12)
Louche
4.4(12)
Aroma
4.5(12)
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.5(12)
Finish
4.2(12)
Overall
4.5(12)
Unmistakably high quality
Overall rating
4.4
Appearance
4.5
Louche
4.0
Aroma
4.5
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.5
Finish
4.0
Overall
4.5
Pre-louche, this is a beautiful delicate shade of lime-green peridot. It takes on a soapstone-like color as water is added.
This is a unique absinthe, with darker-toned aromas and flavors of holiday spices -- the sort of aftertaste you'd get from pumpkin pie. (Though a friend who tried the Nouvelle Orleans insisted that it tasted like key lime pie.)
Whether this absinthe is your style or not, it's unmistakably high quality and is a must-try, even if you've had the other more popular Jades.
This is a unique absinthe, with darker-toned aromas and flavors of holiday spices -- the sort of aftertaste you'd get from pumpkin pie. (Though a friend who tried the Nouvelle Orleans insisted that it tasted like key lime pie.)
Whether this absinthe is your style or not, it's unmistakably high quality and is a must-try, even if you've had the other more popular Jades.
S
The closest to perfect absinthe I've ever tasted
Overall rating
4.9
Appearance
5.0
Louche
5.0
Aroma
4.5
Flavor / Mouthfeel
5.0
Finish
5.0
Overall
5.0
What to say about Jade Nouvelle Orleans? As far as I can tell, this is as good as Absinthe gets, and I'm just not sure how to improve on it-- whether this is an expression of my inexperience (9 real absinthes and counting), or it's really that good-- we'll see... Special occasions, any time I feel like taking the challenge of taking lots of time and truly appreciating a great absinthe-- this is what I'll reach for unless/until I actually find something even better.
Appearance: It's beautiful, jewel-like, as green as truly naturally colored absinthe probably gets-- perfectly transparent lovely green... if it weren't real, it would be my dream of what Absinthe should look like.
Louche: Let's see-- "defined, highly opalescent, three-dimensional" - check. Translucent, lovely, great highlights... I've got a good imagination, but I still can't imagine it getting better as I'm looking at the fully-louched glass.
Aroma: I'm torn between giving it a 5 or a 4.5, but I'm not a good enough judge of scent to tell what's perfect or not-- and if there's any area that's great but not quite perfect, this is probably it.
Flavor/Mouthfeel: best absinthe I've ever tasted. Need I say more?
Finish: No burn, no bitter, just delightfully lasting great taste.
Overall: Again, I think I've got a pretty good imagination... but if Jade N.O. weren't real, it would be the absinthe of my dreams...
In closing-- as I commented on another review, there will still be plenty of days that I'm the mood for "Jade Light" (aka Lucid) instead of the full Jade... but when I'm in the mood & have the time for the full serious drink, this is now my top go-to. I love it.
Appearance: It's beautiful, jewel-like, as green as truly naturally colored absinthe probably gets-- perfectly transparent lovely green... if it weren't real, it would be my dream of what Absinthe should look like.
Louche: Let's see-- "defined, highly opalescent, three-dimensional" - check. Translucent, lovely, great highlights... I've got a good imagination, but I still can't imagine it getting better as I'm looking at the fully-louched glass.
Aroma: I'm torn between giving it a 5 or a 4.5, but I'm not a good enough judge of scent to tell what's perfect or not-- and if there's any area that's great but not quite perfect, this is probably it.
Flavor/Mouthfeel: best absinthe I've ever tasted. Need I say more?
Finish: No burn, no bitter, just delightfully lasting great taste.
Overall: Again, I think I've got a pretty good imagination... but if Jade N.O. weren't real, it would be the absinthe of my dreams...
In closing-- as I commented on another review, there will still be plenty of days that I'm the mood for "Jade Light" (aka Lucid) instead of the full Jade... but when I'm in the mood & have the time for the full serious drink, this is now my top go-to. I love it.
M
Lovely Floral Jade
Overall rating
4.7
Appearance
4.5
Louche
4.5
Aroma
5.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.5
Finish
5.0
Overall
5.0
As others have noted - this is an absinthe unique amoung the Jade line. The core of the absinthe holds many similarities to its sisters... but that is where the similarities end. Incredibly floral in aroma and taste with a neat color which is much greener than most. Overall - it as an absolutely bright and delicious offering with a wonderful mouthfeel that I'd be happy to have any time.
J
Favorite Jade!
Overall rating
4.8
Appearance
4.0
Louche
5.0
Aroma
5.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
5.0
Finish
5.0
Overall
5.0
Color: Greener side of peridot. Very clean, clear, natural and bright. As with most Jades this is a very nice color.
Louche: Very pretty louche. The Jades seem to be excelling in this area quite well. The pacing is great and the clouds roll into existence. Thick but still translucent louche at the final ratio. Really well done.
Aroma: A big display of the main three with subtle hints of lemon balm and others just around the corner. Sweet smelling with an earthy thickness.
Flavor: Wonderful thick and rich taste. The flavor easily put this absinthe in my favorites. Starts sweet with the big three again and reveals more herbs just afterwards. It plays well on all parts of the tongue and is even more complex than it smells. Amazing!
Finish: The other herbs display here quite a bit. The original taste is left over and sticks with the finish while other flavors dance on top. Starts and ends sweet but both beginning and end are a different flavor. Really cool effect and one of the best finishes I've experienced so far.
Overall: Absolutely fantastic absinthe. Just a dip outside the norm and very well done. I may have to keep a bottle of this on hand at all times despite the cost. A good showcase of knowledge and creativity. A taste that is right up my alley and a finish that is out of this world!
Louche: Very pretty louche. The Jades seem to be excelling in this area quite well. The pacing is great and the clouds roll into existence. Thick but still translucent louche at the final ratio. Really well done.
Aroma: A big display of the main three with subtle hints of lemon balm and others just around the corner. Sweet smelling with an earthy thickness.
Flavor: Wonderful thick and rich taste. The flavor easily put this absinthe in my favorites. Starts sweet with the big three again and reveals more herbs just afterwards. It plays well on all parts of the tongue and is even more complex than it smells. Amazing!
Finish: The other herbs display here quite a bit. The original taste is left over and sticks with the finish while other flavors dance on top. Starts and ends sweet but both beginning and end are a different flavor. Really cool effect and one of the best finishes I've experienced so far.
Overall: Absolutely fantastic absinthe. Just a dip outside the norm and very well done. I may have to keep a bottle of this on hand at all times despite the cost. A good showcase of knowledge and creativity. A taste that is right up my alley and a finish that is out of this world!
E
A very enjoyable experience.
Overall rating
4.8
Appearance
4.0
Louche
5.0
Aroma
5.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
5.0
Finish
5.0
Overall
5.0
Color: A pale, pale forest green. Very clear.
Louche: Really nice swirling oils, slowly building thicker and more opaque from the bottom of the glass. Once louched, it's a luminous moonlight green, with fiery oranges. Absolutely lovely.
Aroma: I'm first hit with sugar, anise and alcohol...a hint of the outdoors after rain. Sweet and bright, then wormwood and lemon balm.
Flavor: Feels very icy and silky, and has many light and soft flavors that blend together wonderfully, along with what I can only describe as an essence of "bayou" that is in no way bothersome.
Finish: Warm and spiced, happy and tingly, with a chalky sugar taste/feel.
Overall: This absinthe feels a lot less like something that is just drank, and more of an experience to drink. I like absinthes that attempt to do something different while still remaining clearly absinthe-flavored, and I feel this absinthe has done that well, without the uniqueness of it being too distracting. I greatly enjoy this absinthe.
Louche: Really nice swirling oils, slowly building thicker and more opaque from the bottom of the glass. Once louched, it's a luminous moonlight green, with fiery oranges. Absolutely lovely.
Aroma: I'm first hit with sugar, anise and alcohol...a hint of the outdoors after rain. Sweet and bright, then wormwood and lemon balm.
Flavor: Feels very icy and silky, and has many light and soft flavors that blend together wonderfully, along with what I can only describe as an essence of "bayou" that is in no way bothersome.
Finish: Warm and spiced, happy and tingly, with a chalky sugar taste/feel.
Overall: This absinthe feels a lot less like something that is just drank, and more of an experience to drink. I like absinthes that attempt to do something different while still remaining clearly absinthe-flavored, and I feel this absinthe has done that well, without the uniqueness of it being too distracting. I greatly enjoy this absinthe.
A