Sadly my two bottles of Jade 1901, now sit bone dry on my shelf. However, the memory lingers and it's a sweet and delicious one. I know the Jades have many reviews, but as my experience is limited I thought I would try my first review here, with the Absinthe I have been, to date - the most impressed with.



Preparation



I filled my fountain with ice cold spring water and the store bought ice, one because I find the ice in my freezer picks up flavors and two, it's quite beautiful in the fountain. After getting the wax off and un corking the bottle I gave the bottle a good half hour to breathe while I set up. I used a very slow drip of about one drop every two seconds. No sugar and I stopped the drip when I had a nice demarcation line of the of the Absinthe green on top. I then sped up the drip a bit until the line was gone, stopped the water and gave a quick stir.



Color Before Water





Like a crow, I'm attracted to pretty shiny things and have to say my first impression of the 1901 was the absolutely spectacular color. Just a gorgeous, crystal clear Peridot, Anyway I digress. Both bottles which in back were labeled 2006 so maybe aging and the dark glass helped to enhance or preserve the color. But out of each bottle poured this exquisite Peridot Green. In fact, I held up an actual Peridot stone and the color was identical. It's clear of any sediment, and sparkled beautifully in the dose reservoir of the glasses.



Aroma Before Water



Not the strong bolt of Anise I find with the Lucid, and at first I was a bit disappointed as it seemed weak and a little washed out. However, given time there was a wonderfully complex perfume of Anise and Fennel. I detected what I can only describe as "flowers" in the background, faint but there ~ and oh so alluring. Inhaling the Peridot elixir, much like a fine brandy I found it made my brain a little fuzzy with delightful and soothing vapors. There's heat from the alcohol but a coolness as well, crisp and luscious with a delectable complexity I had never experienced with the Lucid or St George.



Louche





Now this was interesting, as the water splashed down I could see these wonderfully icy looking trails, at first very subtle and they seemed to spread out like an amoeba from the center out. Totally intriguing. After a few minutes, perhaps five at best, maybe six the Louche formed in a swirl of a puffy white cloud that seemed surprisingly dense and turbulent, just fabulous to watch. When I got to a 2.5 to one ratio, I added a bit more water which made the Louche take hold of any remaining green at the top of the glass. The Louche finished at a beautiful whitish Jade ~ and the texture upon first sip was silky smooth and luscious.



Aroma After Water





It seemed to encompass all the complex and lovely notes I detected prior to adding water but without any real heat at all of alcohol. Like a bouquet the fragrance is layered and subtle. Certainly different from what I've had in the past. I had thought the Aroma was too weak to really fill the room - however my neighbor stopped by and announced "My God you're place smells wonderful" My guess is I had gotten used to the fragrance and really was past the point of detecting just how impressive it was.



Flavor





Simply put gorgeous. An up front dazzle of Anise sweet but by no means candy sweet. a Bite of bitter but nothing you would call sharp or unpleasant by any means. The after taste leaves an herbal and almost floral like complexity of subtle notes and tones. It's a perfect delicate balance of faint flavors and powerful ones without any one flavor blocking out another. Just an absolutely delicious and refreshing drink.



The Finish





Crisp and wonderful. I found no funky or strange aftertaste. The Louche while it looks much thicker than it really is has a nice light body to it and ever so slight of a creamy texture. As I mentioned earlier it's silky and smooth and an absolute delight to drink.





Final Impression





The Jade 1901 was pretty close to what I imagined Absinthe to be. Wonderfully complex without being obtrusive, delicate and yet filled with defiant and so many background notes of flavors I really again, can only describe as floral that it's an absolute pleasure to both prepare and enjoy.



Peter

This is my first review of an absinthe, and I have only had 3 or 4 brands before this consisting of what was available locally. The Jade PF1901 is my first import as well, and I'm satisfied with my decision to order, although it was certainly not inexpensive. I chose the brand as I heard it was a good example of a traditional absinthe flavor, something that I didn't have access to locally.



What first struck me with this absinthe was the aroma, I immediately knew I was in for something different than what I had known so far. Complex, with the anise being very soft yet present, like the canvas for a painting. The wormwood was most noticeable to me as it was a rich smell that was not as prevalent in the other brands I had tried.



The color before louche is a very nice, bright, but natural green. No sediment or cloudiness whatsoever.



The louche was a bit slow in coming but once it finally arrived it was full and appetizing.



The flavor was much more complex and subtle than what I expected. The anise is softer and more mellow than what I've had before, which more easily allows the other flavors to come out. I've yet to identify all of them specifically but together they are a very pleasing and evenly distributed combination.



The mouth feel is nice, and the finish ends with a slight tingling of the tongue.



I rated it a 5 overall, as it was definitely a substantial step above what I have had before. And while I still have somewhat limited experience, Jade PF1901 has definitely changed my perspective on what absinthe in general should taste like.

We tried this absinthe on Valentine's Day 2008, and to set the mood lit candles and read from Blackwood's "The Man Whom the Trees Loved."



The color is a perfectly natural-looking light emerald, bright and translucent (5/5). The louche is the most beautiful I have seen, you can really understand why Ted named the company Jade Liqueurs when you hold this absinthe up to candlelight. Its color fades from green in the darkness to yellow-tinged where the light is strongest, and the louching sugar at the bottom of the glass looks like the swirling souls from Fantasia's Night on Bald Mountain (5/5).



I had opened the bottle and recorked it, then let it sit for about a week, and it developed a subtle, mentholish smell, like warm fields after rain. The louche releases the hidden aromas very nicely, yielding an aroma much heavier on the anise and fennel, although the green fairy didn't really "fill up the room" as much as some other brands I have tried, and to really smell it you had to hold the glass up to your nose (4/5).



The taste is finely balanced. There are at least five simultaneous sensations - a subtle anise-fennel sweetness, a distinct and bitter undercurrent of wormwood, something citrusy (perhaps melissa?), something floral (coriander?), and a mouthfeel that I can only describe as crisp and silky (5/5). What really makes this absinthe stand out to me, however, is the finish - there is a crisp bitter dryness in the end that lingers pleasantly, and makes that next sip only partially voluntary (5/5). It all produces a very warm-feeling drunk, when consumed in excess, but for the first time since sampling high-quality absinthe I did not dream.



Having finally tried this absinthe after reading all the rave reviews, it only makes me more eager to go out and try other varieties. After sipping it, the main impression I have is that it is very finely crafted, but it makes me realize that there can be no thing such as a "be all and end all" of absinthes. This is the absinthe to pick if you're looking for something subtle, crisp and delectable, and in that category it scores top marks (5/5). If you're looking for something thick, creamy and more pungently herbal, then you might prefer a different variety.

Clear peridot color. Louche develops nicely with some golden opalescence as it progresses. Aroma is balanced, fresh and clean. Not overpowering in any way. Flavor is delectable, balanced and complex, with an enjoyable wormwood finish.

An amazing absinthe. Certainly among my top 5.