Bottle purchased November 2008, sample(s) louched November & December 2008.

Marteau Absinthe de la Belle Epoque has been a long time in preparation, and the wait has been worth it! I picked up my first bottle at the distillery release party, when I had my first small sample served by the hand of Mr. Stone. It was alluring in small sips, and I couldn't wait to get home and try a full glass.

In the glass neat, Marteau is a beautiful green, somewhere between olive and emerald in color. The pre-louche aroma has notes of orange, cream, and coffee. I take my absinthe sugared, and cold water dripped over the spoon creates marvelous "oil trails" that start at the bottom of the glass and build slowly until a 2:1 dilution is achieved. There is a marked line of separation between the louched/unlouched alcohol, and it fills the room with a creamy, anise-y aroma.

Others have noted that Marteau is an absinthe that can be diluted with varying amounts of water to great effect. This very evening I have had a glass at 4:1 which was spicy and quite enjoyable. Afterwards, I louched up a glass at 5.5:1,. and it was even creamier on the tongue, with a bit less alcohol bite.

The first sip is very intriguing. The expected wormwood bitterness is apparent, yet it quickly recedes and fennel's sweetness moves to the forefront. Mid-palate is a delightful mintiness, while on the finish, I detect the wormwood again, backed by sweetness. There is no end to the flavors, and they work very well in concert.

This is one marvelous beverage to sip. It also is excellent as a rinse for Sazeracs and other absinthe cocktails. Highly recommended!

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!