This first tasting of Obsello was prepared with no sugar and ice cold water at a slow drip.

Aroma pre-louche: Uncorking the bottle--after fighting with devil wax for about ten minutes--offers a soft, pleasant aroma that does not scream of one particular ingredient over another. It is rather well balanced, sweet, and at the risk of jumping headlong into a cliche, very much a delicate licorice.

Color: The color on pouring is unremarkable. a faded green, not very pretty. Almost hard to say if green, or yellow is the dominant hue. While there is no sediment, it does appear a bit dull. Not cloudy, but there is no sparkle.

Louche/aroma: There are no oily trails--50% ABV--and the louche develops very quickly. One second its not there, the next second it is. It stays separated for a while, and then seems to collapse on itself. Unspectacular. The aroma is strong, but not not powerful--if that makes sense. It smells wonderful, and is so far the best part of the experience. Very subtle and inviting. I'm afraid it could be easy to over water this absinthe and stopped it at just barely 3-1. It finishes a pale jade.

Flavor: Subtly sweet, with a forward wormwood character. There is an unusual flavor that, while I cannot place, is very tasty. The mouth feel is thin, but the flavor holds up well. Very little anise or fennel, but there is something pairing with the wormwood that provides a distinct flavor. AS un-useful as it might be to compare one absinthe to another in a review, this is not dissimilar to Lucid; only more sophisticated and pleasant. The sweetness is definitely there so sugar might not be necessary.

*EDIT* With sugar, the flavor profile changes towards anise. The wormwood subsides, and fennel is still almost nonexistent. Good, but perhaps better without sugar; too sweet.

Finish: Clean, fresh, sweet. It lingers on the tongue and coats the inside of the mouth with an almost grassy memory. The finish is hardly different than while it sits in the mouth; a very nice characteristic. You never loose sight of the flavor.

Overall: This one seems strange to me. Above all else the taste reins supreme here, as the color both before and after louche are insignificant. A delicate, sweet aroma suggests at a delicate, sweet taste. This is a very good absinthe--worth more than the price. It is the perfect substitution for Lucid as they are not dissimilar. But Obsello is a much more refined product. Perhaps a perfect starter absinthe, and at its insanely low price, worth buying two bottles at once. The wax is a monster and I was terrified I'd get some in the bottle or my glass, but it can be dealt with using a pocket knife. Think sweet grass laced with wormwood!

This was my first time trying a Spanish absinthe, and I went into it a bit concerned about the purported "mint" flavor of this drink. In that regard, however, my concerns were misplaced.

The color before water was a nice but unremarkable green, somewhere between peridot and olive. After water, the drink louches to an equally unremarkable yellow jade. The louche itself forms very rapidly, without the thick, rope-like oil trails of other brands, and my sense was the louche developed somewhat too quickly to be entirely proper.

The aroma, flavor, and finish are all good. I found this absinthe heavier on wormwood and with less emphasis on anise than other varieties I've tried. In that regard, it is like Lucid, though overall it's better and does not have Lucid's peppery notes. The finish is also good: a nice, lingering bitterness.

Overall, a good offering and one I'll continue to enjoy.

This review is based on a sample from the same Spanish bottle as Dr. Love's review.



Color: natural and elegant, but perhaps a bit subdued. Clear of sediment though, and pleasing to the eye.



Louche: almost as soon as I started dripping chilled water into my glass the louche began to build. Starting in the depths of the glass and reaching up quickly, the louche clouded up beautifully but quickly. Those who enjoy a prolonged louche will be disappointed.



Aroma: I am anosmic, so I can not comment on this facet, but since I have to give it some rating I have borrowed Dr. Love's choice of a 4.



Flavor: Very creamy indeed and, as noted bt Dr. Love, there is certainly a vanilla flavor up front. This is replaced by a spicy anise flavor that outlasts any other subtle mint or wormwood flavors. Mint was in no way overpowering in my sample and I might have overlooked it if I hadn't been looking specifically for it.



Finish: perhaps too quick, but clean and refreshing in a way that seemed well planned to me. This is why I titled this review as I did; the finish is perfect for a humid nights. There is pleasant numbing of the tongue, but also that lingering spiciness.



Overall: as my first Absenta that was not an oil mix, I found Obsello to be an interesting variation on Absinthe and a tasty treat. If I could change one aspect it would be to increase the wormwood to balance the flavor slightly, but this is a minor quibble. I recommend it and hope it is available in the U.S. very soon.

Presentation (no points): Obsello Absenta comes in what looks like a dark wine bottle, with an attractive label. A healthy amount of wax seals a t-cork. This review is based on a freshly opened bottle imported from Spain.



Color (4 points): A light natural green. Clear and free of sediment. Very attractive and natural looking. It could have been slightly brighter and more vibrant in color which is why I gave it a 4 instead of a 5.



Louche (4 points): The louche was practically instantaneous, as one might expect with the relatively low alcohol percentage. While relatively quick, it was full and attractive, and with bright light in the background some faint orange hues can be seen in the appetizing, light opalescent green cloud.



Aroma (3 points): The aroma smelled neat really took me by surprise. I mean, holy moly this was a strong smell. Rich, minty, spicy aroma. At this point I admittedly began to feel a touch nervous of how this was going to taste. So it was to my utter astonishment that after louche, the character changed completely. Gone was the spice assault, instead was a cool, mellow, sweet aroma of anise. I wasn't sure how to rate the aroma given how unusual an experience it was - smelled neat I must say it was strong enough such that I'm not entirely sure it was appetizing, but conversely after louche it certainly was.



Flavor (4 points): After the aroma experience I did not know what to expect from the flavor, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. There is certainly mint present and you taste it initially, but it fades to the background, and to my palate it thereafter does not overpower the flavor. Instead I was then greeted with a creamy vanilla, and a mouthfeel that was thicker than I expected. This part of the tasting was my favorite, this creamy vanilla coming out of nowhere and blooming. As the vanilla subsides a mellow flavor of anise spreads across tongue. Not a lot of wormwood. Rating this objectively was challenging, as "appropriateness" is one of the standards cited in the rating system, with a "3" being described as "appropriate but unremarkable" - well certainly Obsello is not unremarkable, it's interesting and complex, but the presence of mint may prompt some to question whether it is "appropriate." Meanwhile a "4" would correspond with "correct, pleasant, enjoyable" - once again I'm not sure of how correct it will be considered as I am not the most experienced absinthe taster, but I certainly found it pleasant and enjoyable. Thus, I wound up at a 4.



Finish (3 points): The finish is pleasant, but is primarily made of mint and a touch of anise, but the creamy vanilla that I savor during a sip departs. Very slight numbing of the middle of the tongue. Pleasant but not as good as the taste.



Overall (3 points): I really had fun tasting Obsello, so many different things caught me off guard. Mint in general is such a strong flavor, that I can imagine it was difficult to regulate when making this, and truth be told I could have used a smidgen less of it and a touch more wormwood character, but nevertheless I don't think it compromises the drink. Obsello is a very distinct, enjoyable absinthe that offers a creamy, and yes minty, Spanish alternative to what you may be used to. I would openly encourage anyone to give it a try.