Appearance: nothing to say here, crystal clear.

Louche: very thick, even after the very first drops. Some blue and orange. Opalescent when adding water.

Aroma: sweet and balanced, holy trinity well represented, some citrus notes. Mountains in summer.

Flavor: an exercise in balance of the holy trinity. Sweet and delicate. No strong flavor dominating. No bitterness. Aromas and flavors succeed in filling the whole mouth and nose.

Finish: only in the finish some bitterness is revealed and stays long.

Overall: a lovely blanche. Its main characteristics are sweetness and balance. It may be an interesting exercise to compare it to Blanche Neige, that has a more distinct personality because of Genepi and an even stronger aroma of mountains in summer.

Appearance: A very clear blanche with no sediment or hue detected.

Louche: The louche ends up being very thick. An opaque and almost almond-like appearance with not much variation in hue.

Aroma: A very fennel driven smell that is also floral, sweet, and citrus in character.

Flavor: The texture is creamy and silky with a heavy weight on the tounge. Delightful citrus and lavender tones dominate over piques of anise and wormwood. There's a bit of a citrus tang but not so much of a flavor.

Finish: Crisp and slightly bitter finish with an increase in the citrus notes revealing lemonbalm. Not too long lasting and towards the end a surprising amount of star anise shows up.

Overall: A very good and interesting floral blanche. The star anise use is within reason but very pronounced in the finish, which also could last a bit longer. I love the crispness of the finish contrasting with the creamy texture of the flavor. Something as nice as the flavor makes this a great drink, if only it would stay with you longer.

A very nice refreshing blanche. 4:1 prepared with a brouilleur.

The color was perfectly clear with no sediment.

Its aroma is the highlight for certain; crisp yet delicate, herbals and flowers.

The louche was a bit fast, but it ended up in a nice opalescent white with hints of blue and copper flashes.

Its flavor is quite nice; citrus and mint flirt around the anise and wormwood playfully. light and refreshing. Sugar would be way over the top in this absinthe.

Her finish (it's a her) was good, but not stellar. I'm not a fan of star anise, but the light pull and balance of elements made me want more. The build is promising and quality, but It simply fades too soon to be a 5. Still, quite nice.

Overall, this is a very nice blanche that is well balanced and refreshing. For those who want a delicate blanche, this is a solid choice.

-Color-
Before Water: Perfectly crystal clear

After Water: A little on the thick side, but not too much so. Slight blue glow around the edges with deeper copper highlights.

-Louche-
Definitely on the quick side in general, but typical for a blanche. Swirling thick trails with nice blue and copper highlights push this from a 3 to a 4.

-Aroma-
Before Water: Deep woodsy aroma, almost dank, but not over the line into funky.

After Water: Mild fruity and citrus notes up front. The minty wormwood is more prominent here than in most la bleues. On the backside of this is a dusky sharpness that just might be tails- or it could be an herbaceous component from the wormwood that is mixing unusually with the background herbs. It’s not really unpleasant, just not sparkly clean, so instead of assigning a negative connotation, I’m calling it a “down-home Swiss” feel.

-Flavor-
Well balanced anise flavor, the minty wormwood is here, with citrus, chamomile and perhaps some other herbs humming faintly in the background.

The body has decent thickness, but it’s not as rich as Clandestine, for example. However, there is a nice juicy feel that I’ve seen others attribute to the fruity fennel.

-Finish-
The juicy mouthfeel gives way to light citrus and a softly bitter-fresh wormwood. Staying power is not bad, but it would need more depth and sustain to push it to a “5” rating.

-Overall-
A very solid Swiss blanche with a handmade character. The juicy, citrus, and wormwood balance sets it above the average la bleue. If you enjoy Clandestine and are looking for another quality la bleue to experience or add to your collection, I definitely recommend this.

Notes: 3:1 drip, no sugar. Lot No. 2043175 Ab T

As with the Kubler, I found myself at first struggling with how to rate the color of a blanche, but in the end, the beautiful crystal clarity of La Ptite convinced me to give it full marks. From that initial sparkling clarity, it louches rapidly to a creamy alabaster, with intriguing, heavy oil trails coalescing to a thick, uniform louche. The aroma and flavor and very, very nice. The scent is fresh and leafy: very herbal but not overly grassy. The flavor is predominantly bitter, especially in the finish, the but herbal freshness is present as well. La Ptite does not have the "spicy" character of many of the vertes I've tried, but it does not suffer for that. Instead, it's smooth and layered, and very satisfying. This is one that I will order again and again. Wonderful!