Lucid's a pleasant drink but value comes into question, considering you can get 3 bottles of the [superior] Duplais Balance for 56 each through LdF at the time of this writing. By contrast I paid $70 for the bottle of Lucid. For someone who only wants a single bottle that price is hard to beat. Update 2014: There's now more competition on the market. Lucid isn't as much of a value proposition anymore.

Regardless, I'll get down to the brass tacks of the review. I'm sure anyone reading this is not interested in budgeting tips. I was on the fence regarding color...3 or 4? I gave it a three because, in my opinion, it has a certain lack of clarity, a kind of very faint white prelouche, if you will, that I don't think should be there. Not unattractive, but if you hold it up to the light it's not exactly clear, and, thus, not exactly a four. No nuclear fluorescents, which is what I was expecting when I first heard of Lucid.

That aside, the actual louche was close to spot on. In fact I'd say this is Lucid's best quality; it puts on quite a nice show. One point shy of the mark because it wasn't quite the epiphany-in-a-glass I'd expect from perfection.

With the aroma, I was again on the fence. When I smelled it neat, it certainly reminded me of the Duplais I've had in the past (ie: it smelled like absinthe should). However, there was something not right. It seemed too simple. In the glass, diluted, there's not much more complexity. One reviewer somewhere mentioned there was a slight odor of Mexican spices. Underneath the peppery scents, I do detect something vaguely reminiscent of cumin. Granted, I don't think Breaux is tossing taco kits into his vats, but this odd smell is still present, if one looks for it. Ultimately, I'm sure it would pass for a four in some cases, but not with me. A solid 3...not terrible by any stretch, but certainly not great. Good on a good day, passable on every other.

Flavor was a dead ringer for a four rating: "correct, pleasant, enjoyable." I really could not have said it better myself. Of course this is about as subjective as it comes, and handicapped by my lack of experience, but I find Lucid to be all of the above. My palate isn't developed to the point where I can identify the individual nuances of the respective herbs, but with Lucid there aren't too many nuances for me to focus on. In this sense, although it is quite pleasant and enjoyable, it falls short of the European varieties. I can't call it one-dimensional, because it's quite a step up from that, but when push comes to shove I'm sure the die-hard absinthe enthusiast would give Lucid a 3, or even a 2 for flavor, but as a casual sipper, I give it a four with no reservations.

With the finish, "present, but unremarkable" sums it up quite nicely. As others have said, fennel bomb. Not out of line for an absinthe, per se, but not distilled genius either. If I were to drop pretensions and be true to my taste buds, I'd give it a 3.5, but as I don't have that option, I'll just keep my nose in the air.

Overall, I think one needs to consider this absinthe is being hocked, first and foremost, to the bar crowd. Second in line come the curious. A distant third are those who actually enjoy drinking absinthe. Fortunately for us here on the third tier, whomever was behind Lucid had Breaux come up with the recipe. It's quite obvious cost, and the apparently degraded American palate, came into effect during its development, but the end result isn't bad.

In fact, when I first got wind of Lucid I dismissed it immediately as a gimmick, but when I heard Breaux was behind it, I had to try it. Now that I have, I can't say I have any regrets. Would I buy it again? I haven't come close to finishing the bottle, so I couldn't really answer that, but who knows? (ie: most probably) It's not bad, like I said, but I'd be so much more willing to spring for this if it was $50 as opposed to $70. I suppose when you stack this against its European counterparts it is of dubious value, depending on several factors. If you like absinthe and haven't spoiled yourself with the top of the range I'd say grab a bottle, you probably won't regret it. Lucid is also ideal for the uninitiated. If you hate Lucid, chances are you won't like any other 'sinthe.

We'll see if it grows on me, but in summation Lucid gets a solid threeish, with no points given for value or any of that. Hovering around three, on a scale where PF 1901 or Belle Amis is approaching five, is not bad at all. Indeed, for the first US absinthe to even be compared to those greats is quite a testament to its validity.