Mohawk Absinthe Vintage US absinthe - Reviewed by Experts and Consumers at The Wormwood Society
Product Details
Available in USA?
Style/Color
Degrees ABV (% alcohol)
Country of Origin
Distillery
Wormwood Society Editor Comments
Little is yet known about this American brand, of which this appears to be the only surviving bottle.
Editor reviews
Rocking the Mohawk
Overall rating
3.4
Appearance
3.5
Louche
4.0
Aroma
4.5
Flavor / Mouthfeel
2.5
Finish
2.5
Overall
3.0
Appearance: Golden hues with hints of green. Attractive.
Louche: Slightly thin, but appropriate.
Aroma: Floral and sweet with hints of underlying wormwood bitterness.
Flavor: Lights of anise. But the wormwood is very assertive. Drying and astringent. Crisp and bracing.
Finish: The wormwood lingers a bit longer than usual and overpowers the more delicate flavors and nuances.
Overall: an interesting look into what might have been available on US shelves alongside the imports. Age has surely helped this one to mellow out. Thanks to Joe Legate for allowing me to sample this interesting treat!
Louche: Slightly thin, but appropriate.
Aroma: Floral and sweet with hints of underlying wormwood bitterness.
Flavor: Lights of anise. But the wormwood is very assertive. Drying and astringent. Crisp and bracing.
Finish: The wormwood lingers a bit longer than usual and overpowers the more delicate flavors and nuances.
Overall: an interesting look into what might have been available on US shelves alongside the imports. Age has surely helped this one to mellow out. Thanks to Joe Legate for allowing me to sample this interesting treat!
The US's very own pre-ban.
(Updated: June 08, 2011)
Overall rating
3.9
Appearance
3.0
Louche
4.0
Aroma
5.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.0
Finish
3.0
Overall
4.0
The absinthe pours lucent gold with a hint of green. There's some sediment, but it's otherwise clear. It has a wormwood-forward aroma, very floral. Citrus, mint, and oak notes. Quite sweet-smelling.
The louche is a bit on the thin side, but more colourful than expected, similar to uranium glass. With water it's still wormwood dominated. Other than some revealed powderiness it's not terribly different than before water, however nothing is lost. It's a rich, full aroma.
Sipping it, the wormwood is upfront and intense with a good bit of bitterness, but the anise is very sweet. Raw mint. An in-your-face, not terribly balanced flavour. Strongly floral, but also earthy and woodsy. Crisp and bright. The finish is long but mostly dominated by wormwood. A few hints of other flavours try to emerge but they're pretty much shouted down.
It's an honour to get to try this rare piece of US absinthe history. I personally love unbalanced, wormwood-forward absinthes, so although this may not meet what we think of as ideal it's exactly my sort of drink. I actually would not even guess it was pre-ban absinthe as it has the explosive character of the recently bottled instead of the mellowness and sophistication of age.
The louche is a bit on the thin side, but more colourful than expected, similar to uranium glass. With water it's still wormwood dominated. Other than some revealed powderiness it's not terribly different than before water, however nothing is lost. It's a rich, full aroma.
Sipping it, the wormwood is upfront and intense with a good bit of bitterness, but the anise is very sweet. Raw mint. An in-your-face, not terribly balanced flavour. Strongly floral, but also earthy and woodsy. Crisp and bright. The finish is long but mostly dominated by wormwood. A few hints of other flavours try to emerge but they're pretty much shouted down.
It's an honour to get to try this rare piece of US absinthe history. I personally love unbalanced, wormwood-forward absinthes, so although this may not meet what we think of as ideal it's exactly my sort of drink. I actually would not even guess it was pre-ban absinthe as it has the explosive character of the recently bottled instead of the mellowness and sophistication of age.
A
A taste of Pre-Ban America
Overall rating
3.9
Appearance
4.0
Louche
4.0
Aroma
5.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
3.0
Finish
3.0
Overall
4.0
It is quite good, not 1914 Cache good but still very tasty. Once louched, the aroma was pleasantly floral. The mouth feel was perfectly lovely. The taste had ample anise and fennel if somewhat light and a strong Wormwood after-taste that was more than a little out of balance. The Wormwood hung on long after the other herbs faded away, leaving a sharp astringency.
It doesn't hold a candle to Marteau or Pacifique Jura and it isn't as good as the Jades or the Duplais. However, there is no denying what 90+ years of age will do for an absinthe. It has a mellowness that I've yet to taste in any modern absinthe and I'm left wondering if this is what might happen to Lasala or Deva, given time. And if that's true, what indeed might happen to Marteau, Pacifique and all the others?
There are many missing pieces of the American absinthe puzzle but thanks to our absinthe friend Chris, at least one piece has been salvaged.
It doesn't hold a candle to Marteau or Pacifique Jura and it isn't as good as the Jades or the Duplais. However, there is no denying what 90+ years of age will do for an absinthe. It has a mellowness that I've yet to taste in any modern absinthe and I'm left wondering if this is what might happen to Lasala or Deva, given time. And if that's true, what indeed might happen to Marteau, Pacifique and all the others?
There are many missing pieces of the American absinthe puzzle but thanks to our absinthe friend Chris, at least one piece has been salvaged.
J
User reviews
3 reviews
Overall rating
4.2
Appearance
4.0(3)
Louche
4.0(3)
Aroma
4.7(3)
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.3(3)
Finish
3.7(3)
Overall
4.0(3)
Very nice indeed!
(Updated: July 10, 2011)
Overall rating
4.4
Appearance
5.0
Louche
5.0
Aroma
5.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.0
Finish
3.0
Overall
4.0
I had this glass of absinthe without sugar at 4 parts water to 1 part absinthe.
The color was a very bright emerald green, very surprising considering the age.
The louche was perfect, solid, thick, a jade green color. Very appetizing looking.
The aroma was very wormwood heavy, with some sweet anise/fennel as well.
The flavor was very strong on the wormwood, almost too strong. It was kind of astringent and almost unpleasant after several sips. It definitely could have used some sugar.
The finish was a little too strong and bitter for my preference.
Overall, this was a wonderful absinthe and I'm grateful for the opportunity to try it. I don't think I could finish an entire glass, let alone a full bottle back in the day. I can only imagine how the aging process improved it, and can certainly understand some of the reasons why there are photos of some people using three or more sugar cubes. However unlikely, I hope that some more bottles turn up.
The color was a very bright emerald green, very surprising considering the age.
The louche was perfect, solid, thick, a jade green color. Very appetizing looking.
The aroma was very wormwood heavy, with some sweet anise/fennel as well.
The flavor was very strong on the wormwood, almost too strong. It was kind of astringent and almost unpleasant after several sips. It definitely could have used some sugar.
The finish was a little too strong and bitter for my preference.
Overall, this was a wonderful absinthe and I'm grateful for the opportunity to try it. I don't think I could finish an entire glass, let alone a full bottle back in the day. I can only imagine how the aging process improved it, and can certainly understand some of the reasons why there are photos of some people using three or more sugar cubes. However unlikely, I hope that some more bottles turn up.
B
Mohawk the American Pre-Ban
Overall rating
4.0
Appearance
4.0
Louche
4.0
Aroma
4.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.0
Finish
4.0
Overall
4.0
To taste a genuine pre-ban American absinthe was something extraordinary.
The color was pale yellow/green depending on the lightsource. I felt it was just right for the age after seeing other pre-ban absinthes. Pretty nice.
As for the louche, it started with nice oil trails but didn't quite thicken but it sure was pretty.
The aroma struck me as fresh and lively. Very pleasant.
Mohawk had a unique flavor that was very full but different than most any absinthe I've had. The taste that struck me right away was pine/cedar and maybe mint, almost north woodsy. It was there on the second taste and was not a bit offensive.
The finish was long with a nice wormwood bitter that has rounded over the years.
Overall I found this a truly delightful drink. The mouthfeel was just the way I like my drinks, kind of creamy but not to thick. I don't know what the makers had in mind about the way this was supposed to turn out but it was very special. I could have given higher grades but it wasn't quite what I had expected. The Mohawk, in my opinion, would hold it's own in a competition. The pesky evergreen flavor may keep it out of the gold though. A piece of American history I never expected.
Thank you for the wonderful drink.
The color was pale yellow/green depending on the lightsource. I felt it was just right for the age after seeing other pre-ban absinthes. Pretty nice.
As for the louche, it started with nice oil trails but didn't quite thicken but it sure was pretty.
The aroma struck me as fresh and lively. Very pleasant.
Mohawk had a unique flavor that was very full but different than most any absinthe I've had. The taste that struck me right away was pine/cedar and maybe mint, almost north woodsy. It was there on the second taste and was not a bit offensive.
The finish was long with a nice wormwood bitter that has rounded over the years.
Overall I found this a truly delightful drink. The mouthfeel was just the way I like my drinks, kind of creamy but not to thick. I don't know what the makers had in mind about the way this was supposed to turn out but it was very special. I could have given higher grades but it wasn't quite what I had expected. The Mohawk, in my opinion, would hold it's own in a competition. The pesky evergreen flavor may keep it out of the gold though. A piece of American history I never expected.
Thank you for the wonderful drink.
O
Mohawk - Not Just a Silly Hair Style
Overall rating
4.1
Appearance
3.0
Louche
3.0
Aroma
5.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
5.0
Finish
4.0
Overall
4.0
I was afforded the wonderful opportunity to taste the pre-ban American Absinthe, Mohawk. The tasting conditions were ideal. It was the first glass of the night and I was, therefore able to sample it's aroma with a clean nose (so to speak) and taste it with a fresh palate.
The weakest points of this Absinthe in my opinion were its color and its louche. The color was a light straw yellow and neither Verte nor Blanche. It may have been incorrect or it may be showing a color change over time, then again it may be exactly what the distillers were after, I don't know but for me, personally, it was weak. The louche was very distinct in the beginning as the water created vibrant pearly streaks in the Absinthe but once it began to cloud it was a bit thin and weak in color.
The aroma was fantastic, one of the most room filling ever. It was sweet and warm smelling with just a slight floral peeking through. The flavor was very nice. Again, warm, round, not very complex but well balanced. Sugar made a significant difference throwing the balance off and amplifying the wormwood in the finish to a distinct bitterness that was not present without sugar (I typically sugar my Absinthe).
Overall, I loved it. I wish it were prettier to look at but what it did not do for my eyes, it made up for with my nose and tongue. Not as complex or as floral as the 1914 cash but similar to it in may ways. I found it reminiscent of the PF 1901 and, in a strange way to the Francois Guy, especially in color and louche but also in flavor profile.
The weakest points of this Absinthe in my opinion were its color and its louche. The color was a light straw yellow and neither Verte nor Blanche. It may have been incorrect or it may be showing a color change over time, then again it may be exactly what the distillers were after, I don't know but for me, personally, it was weak. The louche was very distinct in the beginning as the water created vibrant pearly streaks in the Absinthe but once it began to cloud it was a bit thin and weak in color.
The aroma was fantastic, one of the most room filling ever. It was sweet and warm smelling with just a slight floral peeking through. The flavor was very nice. Again, warm, round, not very complex but well balanced. Sugar made a significant difference throwing the balance off and amplifying the wormwood in the finish to a distinct bitterness that was not present without sugar (I typically sugar my Absinthe).
Overall, I loved it. I wish it were prettier to look at but what it did not do for my eyes, it made up for with my nose and tongue. Not as complex or as floral as the 1914 cash but similar to it in may ways. I found it reminiscent of the PF 1901 and, in a strange way to the Francois Guy, especially in color and louche but also in flavor profile.
S