Maison Alandia - Reviewed by Experts and Consumers at The Wormwood Society
0
Editor reviews
2 reviews
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Significant improvement since last review
(Updated: October 29, 2024)
Overall rating
3.7
Appearance
3.0
Louche
3.0
Aroma
4.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.0
Finish
4.0
Overall
4.0
Updated Review 5-24-10
Got a new bottle a couple of weeks ago, so I decided to update the review.
Color: A light green with hints of yellow. Old Score:3, New Score:3.
Louche: Lots of nice trails and a decent layering. Opaque with yellow and green hues. Old Score: 3, New Score: 3.
Aroma: Sweet with hints of anise, cotton candy and even touches of cinnamon. Old Score:4, New Score:4.
Flavor: Heavier handed with the wormwood, compared to the Epoque, but not at all in a bad way. The Epoque is sweeter, where this one is a bit more minty and bitter. However, the bitterness comes from distilled wormwood, which is enjoyable. The anise is subdued, but present. No detectable acrid bitterness, compared to the last tasting. Old Score: 2, New Score: 4.
Finish: Minty wormwood, some fennel, and hints of anise. Worlds different from the last review. I don't understand how they couldn't have made any changes. Maybe the original batch I tasted was too young, or possibly flawed? Old Score: 1, New Score: 4.
Overall: This isn't the same absinthe I tried several years ago! Between Alandia's Epoque and Maison, I prefer the wormwoody goodness of the Maison. I'll continue to stock this one in the bar. I can't say it's 'almost perfect' as the definition of a 4, states, but I can't in good conscience give it a 3, because it's not solely 'acceptable. Four it is. Old Score:2, New Score: 4.
OLD REVIEW
The color was a yellowish green. Natural, but rather drab.
The louche had great color and thickness, The color turned into a murky greenish white. Kind of swampy.
Aroma wasn't too bad. Distinct smell of cinnamon and anise with a punch of wormwood. Its drawback was a harsh alcohol note that really opened the sinuses!
Flavor was a definite wormwood bomb. Hints of fennel but everything was overpowered by the bitterness. It has quite a 'burn' to it as well
Overall, at first glance, this could pass as a real absinthe, but after tasting it, it's much more like a Czech brand that has a nice louche. I feel this may be what their goal of this absinthe was, since many of their products are styled after the Bohemian style absinths.
Got a new bottle a couple of weeks ago, so I decided to update the review.
Color: A light green with hints of yellow. Old Score:3, New Score:3.
Louche: Lots of nice trails and a decent layering. Opaque with yellow and green hues. Old Score: 3, New Score: 3.
Aroma: Sweet with hints of anise, cotton candy and even touches of cinnamon. Old Score:4, New Score:4.
Flavor: Heavier handed with the wormwood, compared to the Epoque, but not at all in a bad way. The Epoque is sweeter, where this one is a bit more minty and bitter. However, the bitterness comes from distilled wormwood, which is enjoyable. The anise is subdued, but present. No detectable acrid bitterness, compared to the last tasting. Old Score: 2, New Score: 4.
Finish: Minty wormwood, some fennel, and hints of anise. Worlds different from the last review. I don't understand how they couldn't have made any changes. Maybe the original batch I tasted was too young, or possibly flawed? Old Score: 1, New Score: 4.
Overall: This isn't the same absinthe I tried several years ago! Between Alandia's Epoque and Maison, I prefer the wormwoody goodness of the Maison. I'll continue to stock this one in the bar. I can't say it's 'almost perfect' as the definition of a 4, states, but I can't in good conscience give it a 3, because it's not solely 'acceptable. Four it is. Old Score:2, New Score: 4.
OLD REVIEW
The color was a yellowish green. Natural, but rather drab.
The louche had great color and thickness, The color turned into a murky greenish white. Kind of swampy.
Aroma wasn't too bad. Distinct smell of cinnamon and anise with a punch of wormwood. Its drawback was a harsh alcohol note that really opened the sinuses!
Flavor was a definite wormwood bomb. Hints of fennel but everything was overpowered by the bitterness. It has quite a 'burn' to it as well
Overall, at first glance, this could pass as a real absinthe, but after tasting it, it's much more like a Czech brand that has a nice louche. I feel this may be what their goal of this absinthe was, since many of their products are styled after the Bohemian style absinths.
B
User reviews
1 review
Overall rating
2.9
Appearance
3.0(1)
Louche
3.0(1)
Aroma
3.5(1)
Flavor / Mouthfeel
2.5(1)
Finish
2.5(1)
Overall
3.0(1)
Oddity
(Updated: October 29, 2024)
Overall rating
2.9
Appearance
3.0
Louche
3.0
Aroma
3.5
Flavor / Mouthfeel
2.5
Finish
2.5
Overall
3.0
This absinthe pours very light in color - though you can tell it is a verte, distinctly.
I found it holds what I consider a strange louche action - kind of flat...
The louche itself is acceptable - could be a bit thicker but I wouldn't consider it thin.
At 72% I found it can take 5:1 easily. -Good mouthfeel overall but an odd, odd taste is present that I cannot identify. This same taste lingers in the finish making it a bit difficult to finish the glass.
Overall this doesn't really have much of what I look for in an absinthe. Perhaps a good fit for others though.
[sampled as part of a set of 5 absinthe samples from Alandia...]
I found it holds what I consider a strange louche action - kind of flat...
The louche itself is acceptable - could be a bit thicker but I wouldn't consider it thin.
At 72% I found it can take 5:1 easily. -Good mouthfeel overall but an odd, odd taste is present that I cannot identify. This same taste lingers in the finish making it a bit difficult to finish the glass.
Overall this doesn't really have much of what I look for in an absinthe. Perhaps a good fit for others though.
[sampled as part of a set of 5 absinthe samples from Alandia...]
J