Bottle purchased April 2008, review based on sample consumed December 2008.

This is an entertaining, if not authentic, drink. My wife brought it home from the liquor store, her having been talked into it by an employee that I assume has since been sacked. I read the reviews before I opened it up, and had a sense of gloom that my wife had been taken for a ride.

Tasting this "absinthe" didn't allay my fears. As many others have noted, it presents a blue-green Scope mouthwash homage. The pre-louche nose is bright peppermint, a very slight touch of anise, and sweetness. Nothing traditional in the nose at all.

A very weak louche can be coaxed out of the LTV with a super-slow drip of very cold water. The louche is very thin, and the color ends up a muted blue-green, as you might expect. The nose post-louche turns mainly mint, with all of the anise disappearing. Sweetness continues to present itself, and you continue to think of Scope mouthwash.

The taste is mint, with a fullness in the center of the tongue that reminds me of the "fifth taste" - umami. It's not definable, other than saying it's a full, round taste that fills out the mint. It's not an absinthe taste by any stretch of the imagination, but it's not unpleasant, either. It's just... weird.

Overall, you can't characterize this as an absinthe. It belongs, perhaps, in the liqueur category, because of the sweetness and the odd flavor. It also has a relatively low ABV (50%), which is obvious, as you never notice the alcohol. Perhaps this would make an interesting cocktail ingredient for something presented in a martini glass - the weak louche and minty taste might compliment a chocolate or lemon vodka?