La Fée Absinthe Parisienne (US) - Reviewed by Experts and Consumers at The Wormwood Society
Product Details
Available in USA?
Style/Color
Degrees ABV (% alcohol)
Country of Origin
Distillery
Editor reviews
I wish it were better
(Updated: November 10, 2010)
Overall rating
2.1
Appearance
2.0
Louche
3.0
Aroma
2.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
2.0
Finish
1.0
Overall
2.0
Color: Obvious artificial coloration. Bright green. Kind of scary.
Louche: As with many anise heavy absinthes, the louche develops well. Maybe a bit too fast.
Aroma: Lots of heat and base alcohol. Quite a bit of cloying anise.
Flavor: Overpowering anise numbs the tongue thoroughly. I really can't make out much wormwood or anything else for that matter.
Finish: Very oily and unpleasant.
Overall: Yet another offering from La Fee that seems to try to cut corners and cheapen the category. There's no reason to spend such money for a cheaply made product like this when you can buy a naturally colored, authentic absinthe. Sorry La Fee, this isn't one I'd buy again.
Louche: As with many anise heavy absinthes, the louche develops well. Maybe a bit too fast.
Aroma: Lots of heat and base alcohol. Quite a bit of cloying anise.
Flavor: Overpowering anise numbs the tongue thoroughly. I really can't make out much wormwood or anything else for that matter.
Finish: Very oily and unpleasant.
Overall: Yet another offering from La Fee that seems to try to cut corners and cheapen the category. There's no reason to spend such money for a cheaply made product like this when you can buy a naturally colored, authentic absinthe. Sorry La Fee, this isn't one I'd buy again.
It Doesn't Need To Be This Way
(Updated: June 08, 2013)
Overall rating
2.2
Appearance
2.0
Louche
3.0
Aroma
2.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
2.0
Finish
2.0
Overall
2.0
Color
Unlouched, it's really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really green. You know, green like the Crayola that says "Green". Green like equal parts primary blue and primary yellow mixed together, or FD&C Blue #1 and FD&C Yellow #5 mixed together. Yep, it's THAT green. Louched, it is... Green! Opaque medium green until viewed against a VERY brightly lit background, where it then exhibits the slightest glints of FD&C Yellow #5 at the edges and a little whitish FD&C Blue #1 at the meniscus.
Louche
It louches all right! Unfortunately the end result is a very synthetic looking medium green. Very monochromatic, no real nuance to the color. If Marge and Homer were ever to louche one up, I suspect this is what it would look like.
Aroma
Well, you can't have everything, can you? Unlouched, anise and a teeny, teeny bit of herbs and a ton of alcohol. Louched, not much improvement, although the wormwood shows itself ever so slightly. It's still mostly anise... star anise. There's just nothing that comes close to complexity or an indication of quality.
Flavor
Mom used to tell me "if you don't have anything nice to say..." Well Mom, I can't leave this blank. Flavors here mirror what the nose portends. Lots of anise, a little wormwood, maybe some other herbals. Hard to tell when your tongue is under attack from so much star anise. I'm typing this as I taste, and my tongue is beginning to feel like my driveway does, right after being sealed. I did take the dilution to 5:1 while tasting and it did show more appropriately, although the problems with all the star anise aren't going away. Basically, a jelly bean bomb.
Finish
Well, if you're going to do something, you may as well do it completely. According to our improved scoring tips (a/o early 2012), a score of 2 for finish indicates “Recedes quickly, or lingers unpleasantly”. La Fee succeeds on both counts. It recedes quickly, but before and after that happens it is most unpleasant. Before, a quick spike of prickly aggressiveness, and after, the palate is left with a drying, high-traction coating. Both are indicative of injudicious amounts of star anise.
Overall
If this absinthe sold in the market for say $35.00, I might be able to find some merit in its existence. But it doesn't sell for that. It's at the lower end of the mainstream pack. Hell, at the price you can try any number of authentically crafted absinthes, all of which mop the floor with this. Or throw down another week of paper route money, and you'll have all kinds of desirable alternatives. I took one for the team. You don't have to put yourself through this.
5/07/13 Revisit – Yesterday, I had a conversation with someone who has bought into the supplier hype on this product hook, line, and sinker. He became quite upset when I told him that just about all of what he thinks he knows about this is misinformation, whether intentional or not. It probably didn't help that I encapsulated my opinion by summing up both this and NV Absinthe Verte as “they're both garbage”. I've been meaning to give this a revisit since it is one of the earlier reviews I wrote, and because our scoring guidelines changed a bit in early 2012, which may have rendered some of my original scoring on this somewhat inaccurate. And also, if I'm wrong I'm willing to admit it.
Changes to my initial scoring are:
Louche – Changed from 4 to 3.
Yep, I was wrong. Chalk that up to my then newbiness.
Finish – Changed from 3 to 2.
According to the old guidelines, a score of 2 here was “Absent or recedes quickly” and 3 was “Lingers, but unremarkable”. Today, a 3 is “Lingers pleasantly, no outstanding characteristics”, and a 2 is as stated above. And it fits this like a glove.
Overall – Changes from 2.4 to 2.2.
Done with a 1 ounce dose, diluted 3:1, 3.5:1, and 5:1 and no sugar.
La Fee Parisienne 04/19/09, 05/07/13
All evaluations had consistent notes.
Unlouched, it's really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really green. You know, green like the Crayola that says "Green". Green like equal parts primary blue and primary yellow mixed together, or FD&C Blue #1 and FD&C Yellow #5 mixed together. Yep, it's THAT green. Louched, it is... Green! Opaque medium green until viewed against a VERY brightly lit background, where it then exhibits the slightest glints of FD&C Yellow #5 at the edges and a little whitish FD&C Blue #1 at the meniscus.
Louche
It louches all right! Unfortunately the end result is a very synthetic looking medium green. Very monochromatic, no real nuance to the color. If Marge and Homer were ever to louche one up, I suspect this is what it would look like.
Aroma
Well, you can't have everything, can you? Unlouched, anise and a teeny, teeny bit of herbs and a ton of alcohol. Louched, not much improvement, although the wormwood shows itself ever so slightly. It's still mostly anise... star anise. There's just nothing that comes close to complexity or an indication of quality.
Flavor
Mom used to tell me "if you don't have anything nice to say..." Well Mom, I can't leave this blank. Flavors here mirror what the nose portends. Lots of anise, a little wormwood, maybe some other herbals. Hard to tell when your tongue is under attack from so much star anise. I'm typing this as I taste, and my tongue is beginning to feel like my driveway does, right after being sealed. I did take the dilution to 5:1 while tasting and it did show more appropriately, although the problems with all the star anise aren't going away. Basically, a jelly bean bomb.
Finish
Well, if you're going to do something, you may as well do it completely. According to our improved scoring tips (a/o early 2012), a score of 2 for finish indicates “Recedes quickly, or lingers unpleasantly”. La Fee succeeds on both counts. It recedes quickly, but before and after that happens it is most unpleasant. Before, a quick spike of prickly aggressiveness, and after, the palate is left with a drying, high-traction coating. Both are indicative of injudicious amounts of star anise.
Overall
If this absinthe sold in the market for say $35.00, I might be able to find some merit in its existence. But it doesn't sell for that. It's at the lower end of the mainstream pack. Hell, at the price you can try any number of authentically crafted absinthes, all of which mop the floor with this. Or throw down another week of paper route money, and you'll have all kinds of desirable alternatives. I took one for the team. You don't have to put yourself through this.
5/07/13 Revisit – Yesterday, I had a conversation with someone who has bought into the supplier hype on this product hook, line, and sinker. He became quite upset when I told him that just about all of what he thinks he knows about this is misinformation, whether intentional or not. It probably didn't help that I encapsulated my opinion by summing up both this and NV Absinthe Verte as “they're both garbage”. I've been meaning to give this a revisit since it is one of the earlier reviews I wrote, and because our scoring guidelines changed a bit in early 2012, which may have rendered some of my original scoring on this somewhat inaccurate. And also, if I'm wrong I'm willing to admit it.
Changes to my initial scoring are:
Louche – Changed from 4 to 3.
Yep, I was wrong. Chalk that up to my then newbiness.
Finish – Changed from 3 to 2.
According to the old guidelines, a score of 2 here was “Absent or recedes quickly” and 3 was “Lingers, but unremarkable”. Today, a 3 is “Lingers pleasantly, no outstanding characteristics”, and a 2 is as stated above. And it fits this like a glove.
Overall – Changes from 2.4 to 2.2.
Done with a 1 ounce dose, diluted 3:1, 3.5:1, and 5:1 and no sugar.
La Fee Parisienne 04/19/09, 05/07/13
All evaluations had consistent notes.
M
User reviews
4 reviews
Overall rating
2.4
Appearance
2.3(4)
Louche
3.3(4)
Aroma
2.4(4)
Flavor / Mouthfeel
2.5(4)
Finish
2.0(4)
Overall
2.1(4)
A bittersweet revisit to the past
Overall rating
2.1
Appearance
2.0
Louche
3.0
Aroma
2.5
Flavor / Mouthfeel
2.0
Finish
1.0
Overall
1.5
Pre louche color: Artificial Green, emerald/ candy-like green.
Pre louche aroma: Anise and alcohol
Louche: Tons of oil trails, fast forming.
Post louche appearance: Phantom Green.
Post louche aroma: Anise threshold.
Flavor: one dimensional. It's an anise bomb. The star anise leads to the "black jellybean" licorice flavor mixed with a threshold of wormwood. mouthfeel is pretty decent.
Finish: cloying, tongue tingling and then some numbing obviously from the star anise.
Overall: while not a terrible drink, it is very iconoclastic and too unbalanced/un nuanced to be a good absinthe. It lacks depth. I am however fortunate for it being my first and that from it, I have found greener pastures.
Pre louche aroma: Anise and alcohol
Louche: Tons of oil trails, fast forming.
Post louche appearance: Phantom Green.
Post louche aroma: Anise threshold.
Flavor: one dimensional. It's an anise bomb. The star anise leads to the "black jellybean" licorice flavor mixed with a threshold of wormwood. mouthfeel is pretty decent.
Finish: cloying, tongue tingling and then some numbing obviously from the star anise.
Overall: while not a terrible drink, it is very iconoclastic and too unbalanced/un nuanced to be a good absinthe. It lacks depth. I am however fortunate for it being my first and that from it, I have found greener pastures.
C
Simple Flavor
(Updated: August 12, 2008)
Overall rating
2.4
Appearance
2.0
Louche
3.0
Aroma
2.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
3.0
Finish
2.0
Overall
2.0
La Fee was a disappointing experience, and I doubt I would purchase it again. The flavor, however, is not as offensive to me as others reported. The color is not unappealing, but definitely fake. The aroma and flavor, however, are the biggest let downs. The aroma is mostly alcohol with a tinge of anise and the flavor starts with anise, is immediately overpowered by alcohol and finishes with a mild burn. In general, I don't mind those brands that have simple or one dimensional bouquets. However, other brands generally compensate for their simplicity with an appealing single-flavor.
A
One step up from Pernod and I'm not talking Fils
(Updated: October 07, 2008)
Overall rating
2.7
Appearance
3.0
Louche
3.0
Aroma
2.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
3.0
Finish
2.0
Overall
3.0
A crystal clear, bright green liquid in a clear bottle emblazoned with a huge eye that stares out at you and dares you to lick it. While the colour before louche is clear, it is a heightened and artificial green which makes for fun photographs but doesn't inspire confidence
Neither does the aroma which smells hugely of alcohol with a generous dollop of jelly bean liquorice. After louching, there's not much difference, except for the alcohol being somewhat dimmed
Louching is the best part of this drink. There are some lovely oil trails but it is over all too soon. The final colour is attractive but enough of that eye popping green remains to detract from it. I would have given this 3.5 if the system allowed for it
It's obvious this is an oil mix** as soon as it hits your tongue and the flavour reminds me far more of a less sickly version of Pernod (the pastis), with a possible hint of wormwood bitterness that is immediately washed over by alcohol and jelly beans. The oiliness of the drink lingers like a painful memory.
Given a choice between this and Green Fairy toilet rinse for a night out on the town, I'd easily choose this. It's like the big brother of pastis and has some pleasant and gentle secondaries (but remember kids, drink for the taste!). The problem is that it costs about twice as much as a pastis and isn't anywhere near twice as good.
**Editor's note: according to the brand owner, La Fee Parisienne is 100% distilled, with no added essences or oils.
Neither does the aroma which smells hugely of alcohol with a generous dollop of jelly bean liquorice. After louching, there's not much difference, except for the alcohol being somewhat dimmed
Louching is the best part of this drink. There are some lovely oil trails but it is over all too soon. The final colour is attractive but enough of that eye popping green remains to detract from it. I would have given this 3.5 if the system allowed for it
It's obvious this is an oil mix** as soon as it hits your tongue and the flavour reminds me far more of a less sickly version of Pernod (the pastis), with a possible hint of wormwood bitterness that is immediately washed over by alcohol and jelly beans. The oiliness of the drink lingers like a painful memory.
Given a choice between this and Green Fairy toilet rinse for a night out on the town, I'd easily choose this. It's like the big brother of pastis and has some pleasant and gentle secondaries (but remember kids, drink for the taste!). The problem is that it costs about twice as much as a pastis and isn't anywhere near twice as good.
**Editor's note: according to the brand owner, La Fee Parisienne is 100% distilled, with no added essences or oils.
D
Disappointing Flavor....
Overall rating
2.6
Appearance
2.0
Louche
4.0
Aroma
3.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
2.0
Finish
3.0
Overall
2.0
Color: Fake, bright green. Similar color to that Sour Apple Pucker Liqeur. Clearly unacceptable. What saved it from a 1 is the fact that it is clear, bright, and free of sediment.
Louche: The louche was full and came in quickly even with a relatively quick pour. It took the fake green and made it more attractive, proper degree of opalescence, attractive. A 5 here was out of the question though as it still has an artificial slant to it.
Aroma: Aroma is strongly of alcohol with some anise on the side. Not complex or particularly attractive. No hint of wormwood at all.
Flavor: Sweet licorice candy. I knew this beverage would be a little funky based upon what I had read about it previously, but the flavor itself was even more disappointing that what I had anticipated. One dimensional, not pleasant, wrong flavor. No wormwood detectable. First 'absinthe' I came close to sinking half way through.
Finish: Immediately numbed my tongue, which in a way was good because it made it harder to taste the unpleasant flavor.
Overall: Disappointing. Definitely my least favorite tasting so far. I'm not overly experienced with tasting absinthe, but from what I do know, this is NOT what it should taste like.
Louche: The louche was full and came in quickly even with a relatively quick pour. It took the fake green and made it more attractive, proper degree of opalescence, attractive. A 5 here was out of the question though as it still has an artificial slant to it.
Aroma: Aroma is strongly of alcohol with some anise on the side. Not complex or particularly attractive. No hint of wormwood at all.
Flavor: Sweet licorice candy. I knew this beverage would be a little funky based upon what I had read about it previously, but the flavor itself was even more disappointing that what I had anticipated. One dimensional, not pleasant, wrong flavor. No wormwood detectable. First 'absinthe' I came close to sinking half way through.
Finish: Immediately numbed my tongue, which in a way was good because it made it harder to taste the unpleasant flavor.
Overall: Disappointing. Definitely my least favorite tasting so far. I'm not overly experienced with tasting absinthe, but from what I do know, this is NOT what it should taste like.
D