This is a solid absinthe with a nice aroma, a reasonably well-rounded flavor and a decent louche.

Prepared 3:1 (water: absinthe), one sugar cube on a slow drip.

The pre-louche color is a bit yellow; fairly unremarkable, but not off-putting by any means. One thing I will say is that, to their credit, Lucid does not use artificial colorings as some new absinthe makers seem to be doing.

The pre-louche aroma indicates a healthy dose of fennel with a well-balanced anise scent, a powerful, sweet, nutty overtone, - almost caramel - and a nice, detectable waft of wormwood; some subtle spice and a pleasing bouquet of meadow herbs. Overall a very pleasing aroma. Post-louche the scent mellowed out a bit, and was more balanced, but also more subtle. Personally, I enjoyed the strength of the pre-louche aroma.

The louche begins with a delicate, oily “dance” and is not too quick. End result is a traditional looking opalescent with some nice subtleties in the light. Nice, even, heavy legs.

The flavor is well-rounded with plenty of detectable wormwood, some lingering anise and a bit of spice in conclusion at the back of the tongue. All told, a balanced, ‘fresh’ taste, light and crisp.

The finish is smooth, with no abuse to the tongue. I did, however, detect a somewhat strange, unidentifiable aftertaste accompanying the anise after about ¾ of the glass had been finished. This didn’t ruin the drink by any means, but caused the raising of an eyebrow. I can’t place what the taste is, but it’s ever so slightly “rubbery.”

I would say that this is definitely a strong absinthe for the US market at this point – probably the best verte widely available in the States. The other labels most commonly available now in the US – as of 12/2008 – are the Kubler (a good blanche, though I am personally not a huge fan), the pathetic Pernod remake, and the highly offensive Le Tourment Verte. If you’re buying locally somewhere in the States, are partial to vertes, and this is the lot you have to choose from, Lucid is certainly your best bet. As others have noted, this is a good introduction for the US market, and will hopefully become a baseline standard for American absinthe drinkers. We may all pray that US liquor stores start stocking Jade PF or Eichelberger at some point, but until then Lucid is a better-than-acceptable placeholder.

I haven't had a bottle of Lucid in the house for some time, so I took the occasion of its new local availability to buy some and hence, to review it in the light of some other similarly priced absinthes I've had recently.



Color - Lighter than I remember, but certainly the correct hue for a verte.



Louche - One of the strong points of this absinthe, Lucid produces a substantial louche that rolls like the fog over the bay, just like it should, while leaving a clearly defined green layer just until the very end.



Aroma - Perhaps the weakest aspect of this absinthe, it has an appropriately spicy nose that hits the right fresh herbal notes, marred only by the occasional whiff of something akin to burnt plastic.



Flavor - Ultimately I drink Lucid for the flavor, which as many have said by now, is "Jade-light" in nature. Well balanced and clean, without any surprises for me.



Finish - Dry, light, and, although clean, presents the merest hint of a "funk" that I can easily look past.



Overall, if Jade Edouard represents to me the essence of what an absinthe should be, then Lucid reflects, through it's maker perhaps, enough of that essence to be a good value given it's ready availability.

Without comparing Lucid to any other absinthe I really enjoyed it. The color neat was a pale yellowish-green. When water is added to Lucid you can see trails from the water it is almost fully louched at 1:1. I like my absinthe without sugar or very little up to one cube and about 3:1 or 4:1 water ratio, overall the flavor of Lucid is very good, I taste mostly anise, not overly complex but to me still has a good flavor and I enjoy the finish, it has some mouth numbing. Now Lucid compared to another absinthe like Kubler, it is nowhere close to the complexity of Kubler and has a lot more of an anise flavor than Kubler and Lucid ends thinner than Kubler, Kubler has more of a milky ending to me. Also not nearly aromatic as Kubler. But on its own Lucid is a good everyday absinthe.

Preparation



Lucid was my first Absinthe and I suppose for that alone it will always have a place in my heart as perhaps not an extraordinary drink, but a damn fine good one. With company we'll break out the fountain. However as an "every day Absinthe" a slow drip from the Poland Springs cooler or carafe of ice water works just dandy.



Color Before Water





Lucid isn't as green as any of the Jades I've tried. It leans more towards a yellow. It's pale and crystal clear - pretty enough but by no means gorgeous nor eye popping. It's also incredibly consistent, I have yet to notice any variance of the slightest shade. And although I find the bottle itself rather silly and unfortunate in the sense it plays to the propaganda of Absinthe, perhaps the use of dark glass keeps the light at bay and from changing the color. Just a theory.



Aroma Before Water



If you love Anise, you're in for a treat.Many a time I've opened a bottle only to find my partner or friends arrive shortly thereafter and announce "I could smell that before I reached your front door" Some people might find the aroma a bit too candy like ~ especially when compared to higher end brands but it suits me just fine. If the bottle is left to breathe, more complex notes will blossom most definitely of Fennel with slight under tones of floral and herbs.



Louche





Lightening fast. But non the less interesting. Appealing strands of oily goodness cascade from the top down and a puffy white cloud forms at the bottom. The Louche becomes turbulent with wonderful movement as it encompasses the elixir within. The final completion is an off white with a very decent opalescent quality. This makes it appear thicker than it actually is ala mouth feel but again, it's very decent and never disappoints.





Aroma After Water





Still heady with Anise but the more complex aromas have a chance to shine through. I would say Lucid shoots from the hip, no odd herbs, no peculiar deviations as with some of the odd ball Absinthes such as the ST George. Purists may find it in fact to direct and too simplified but I would counter and say it's consistency bottle after bottle is a good thing indeed. The heat of alcohol gives way too a more complex fragrance than from the bottle alone. Albeit it never loses the wallop of Anise and Fennel.









Flavor





Perhaps a bit too sweet, I can't imagine using sugar with Lucid. And I do miss the sharp tone of Wormwood and that "bite" of lovely bitterness that I have found with other, more complex and certainly more expensive bottles of Absinthe. But that aside I find it delicious and although a bit thin on mouth feel a very pleasant drink in every way. The after taste can be a bit sticky sweet but there are herbal complexities that shine on.



The Finish





Again a bit too sweet perhaps. But it's absolutely devoid of any funky or strange aftertastes.The Anise and Fennel linger on the palate which isn't at all bad, but I do miss a bit of a bite from the more bitter ingredients which if in tact would balance Lucid out beautifully.





Final Impression





Lucid is a fine "first Absinthe" and an equally decent daily Absinthe to have around the house. I don't hesitate to recommend it ~ silly bottle and all. It was close to what I imagined Absinthe to be. Is it wonderfully complex? no, not really. But it's a lovely drink, it's affordable, available and again consistent. I would say the positives here far outweigh the negatives - There will always be place on my bar for the black bottle with two silly glaring cats eyes.



Peter

Lucid is a great starter Absinthe. It is perfect for showcasing the flavor and aroma of Anise, Fennel, and Wormwood in good balance. It may not be the balance I would choose if I crafted my own but the levels are appropriate and well done if a bit light.



Let's face it, not everyone falls in love with the flavor of Absinthe from the first sip. I started with the Jade Verte Suisse 65 and there were quite a few involuntary shudders in the first few glasses. The Verte Suisse is a powerful and complex Absinthe, sometimes one may want something lighter. Lucid is lighter.



The color is a very pretty green (but lighter than even the PF 1901). The louche is pretty but fast and less complex. There was a sharpness to the aroma that put me off a bit but I believe that had to do with the beet base. The flavor is sharper and lighter than more complex warm spice Absinthes and, in my opinion benefits from sugaring.



Lucid is probably at the top of my list for recommending to a US newbie. It's a solid Absinthe to cut one's teeth on yet allows room to progress into the wide world of the Green Fairy.