Tasted with & without sugar, 3.5:1 water ratio

Color: A few shades darker than lime. A clean green hue, like a gemstone... beautiful.

Louche: Strong point in the perceived oiliness with trails visible right away. Very slow to turn with a visible band. Looking relatively thick at the end. Close to the best but not quite- It seems like the absinthe appears a little less 'milky' than what I would give a 5...

Aroma: Probably the most complex I have ever drawn in my nostrils! I can sense the classic alpine herb bill, a fresh talc scent, and strong citrus. There is something I pick up that is reminiscent of La Coquette & it's the Pdv. quality I like. It smells rich & strong neat. The aroma remains complex after the ice water is added, with the 'fresh' aspect dominating. I can't wait taste this!

Taste: Very balanced - Tastes just like the aroma - perfect! No one thing dominates, such as anise or wormwood, however their presence is noted. I actually prefer to have a little sugar in this one. There's a little heat & punch at the start... a good strong drink! I tried different amounts of water - it doesn't seem possible to ruin it!

Finish: Nice and lasting, very full, great feel. It has a subtle & seductive pull on my palate.

Overall: I approached this tasting with an impartial head - I did not want to have unrealistically high expectations about it just because G. Stone also happens to be the founder of the web's best forum for absinthe education. Group mentality would state that one has to love this absinthe. Well, with that out of the way, I can honestly and safely say I absolutely love it, it's worth every penny, and is one of the absolute best absinthes that I have ever had - that's saying a lot! I look forward to tasting the handiwork of other U.S. craft distillers as well!

The Marteau is a very, very nice absinthe. It begins a natural olive green and louches to a very attractive jade, with golden undertones. The louche builds very gradually, with the expected heavy "oil trails" and associated visual effects. Before water, the aroma is surprisingly faint and indistinct, but as the louche forms the absinthe releases a wonderful and complex herbal fragrance. Indeed this may be the nicest scent from any glass I've ever louched.

The flavor is likewise very excellent, blending the herbal complexity of the aroma with an underlying bitterness that I found very enjoyable. There is also a spiciness there, but not too much. The finish is quite complex, lingering, and interesting, and I have learned that a little extra water (say 4:1 rather than my usual 3-3.5:1) eliminates most of the grassiness that occurs in the finish.

This absinthe ranks both at the top of US products and can stand up with anything coming from Europe as well. It is good just minutes out of the bottle, and I expect it will become even better with time.

INTRODUCTORY NOTE: I found this Absinthe best experienced at 4.5:1 with no sugar. Thanks go out to the generous provider of this sample, for review purposes.


Color - 5/5 : Crystal clear, light, radiant peridot. No flaws, beautiful.

Louche - 4/5 : Started with a slow icy drip and watched oily bursts begin to pool at the bottom. Around .5:1, very beautiful snow-globe effect. Layering beginning at 1:1 and fully louched at 3-3.5:1. Louche is a tad thin (balancing the flavor w/ more water can exacerbate this thinness).

Aroma - 4/5 : While louching, alcoholy. Fennel on the front of the nose, alpiny-mint with a hint of a floral bouquet just behind that. Louched, very balanced, A.a. smells so good!

Flavor - 4/5 : Somewhat of a strong alcohol-heat presence, even at 4:1. As mentioned, balancing this out w/ more water is only deleterious to the louche and finish, so pick your poison. This is indeed a very spicy and complex drink, the flavors of the herbs are dancing round, here. Natural sweetness wraps things up.

Finish : 4/5 - Spicy, sweet/floral, spicy again, in that order. Nice, smooth sweetness after swallow, then a bitterness on the back of the tongue, and some peppery heat. Despite having a tad thin of a louche, the mouthfeel is excellent.


Overall : 4/5 - Very, very good drink. Drink this one only with the time to contemplate it. My only qualm is the amount of detectable heat, if that mellowed with some aging, this would be a top-shelf

Final weighted score: 4.16

Okay, so I've been waiting, and waiting and..... Now I have died and gone to absinthe heaven. From my understanding, it wasn't easy to get this off the ground and on the shelves with all the government red tape. But good things come to those with patience, and there is already a loyal following, well at least here in New Orleans. It's hard for stores to get past that eighty dollar plus price tag. My store made me prepay, but they gladly ordered and got it in for me quickly.

Color. Is a remarkable resemblance to a peridot gemstome. A light green hue which is very appealing, and is that of a true naturaly colored absinthe.

Louche. Slowly building nice layers with a healthy oil trail. Nice opalescence, and when finished was slightly milky with a light jade color.

Aroma. Robust and very aromatic. Pleasantly fills the room and I can keep my nose away from the open bottle.

Taste. Okay, here's where it really got a hold of me. My first sip exploded on my taste buds like a million new flavors and I was so taken back by it that I couldn't even sort them all out! Very rich and spicy. The spices are explosive, and mind boggling, with different flavors coming out at different times from the first sip, to the after taste. Absolutly amazing.

Finish. I don't want to finish! Overall a wonderful "experience", standing apart from the others. Truly lagniappe!

Color: The pics show an olive green goodie that I would definitely score highly, the one I have is pale green. What is going on?

Louche: delicate, nice and natural. Could be thicker just a bit.

Aroma: intriguing, interesting is the word. Not off-putting. Something new and unique. It might be the orris root-something like woody/rooty veronica with a dash of melissa

Flavor: initially, it is a bit too heavy, but then opens up. Wormwood is accentuated enough, so is hyssop, anethole have their discrete say, so it is good that it is not anise bomb, after all.

Finish: spiciness, rounded, slowly developing.

Overall: Traditional Pontarlier it is not, but a Pontarlier with some intriguing enhancements. If that was Gwydion’s aspiration, then it has been achieved. Of course, people will appreciate of it more, when its price is not that prohibitive.