Color: Pacifique has a natural-looking peridot color that is a little bit lighter than what I believe could be considered 'perfect' for a verte. Nevertheless, it is very appealing, with no visible sediment nor much in the way of haziness. The green edges toward a golden straw color as it is louched.

Louche: Oily curls evolve into bell-shaped cascades about the time that the water-to-absinthe ratio reaches 1:1. After that, the bells thicken and blossom briefly into opalescent clouds which beatifully refract blue and green hues, remaining active until nearly 3:1. The entire process is engaging, but not easily seen without good lighting.

Aroma: The green anise in Pacifique is most notable for its restraint, with herbs such as fennel and coriander being more prominent. The overall aroma is complex but unified, with no simple scent of alcohol to distract from it.

Flavor: Pacifique has an excellent, well-balanced flavor. The bitterness of the wormwood and (to a lesser extent) the hyssop blends wonderfully with the comparitively subdued anise and fennel, with hints of melissa. There is a slight mintiness that I would also attribute to the hyssop, with coriander acting as the fulcrum over which the entirety hinges.

Finish: The mouthfeel leaves a pleasant aftertaste of coriander that lingers just long enough to make you want another sip.

Overall: Pacifique is a marvelous absinthe full of subtle complexity that I would heartily recommend to anyone. The fact that it is produced using organic botanicals is a testimony to the dedication to quality that is apparent in every sip. I've sampled this on three separate occasions over the past three days, and am still working on the full flavor profile, but that's partly because I'm new at tasting absinthe. To date, though, this is the best absinthe I've had, being noticeably better than Lucid and Obsello.

-Color-
Before Water: Pale, amber with just a hint of green. Perhaps on the side of too pale, but still vibrant. Most doses are perfectly clear, but some do have tiny specks of particulate.

After Water: The green comes out a bit more in a light lime straw hue. To me this is a perfect balance between opaque and translucent- truly opalescent, has a way of glowing with whatever light is in the room.

-Louche-
Trails are not thick, but finely detailed, forming mini layers of clear jellies. A slow forming, but well defined fog-bank displays a nice bit of bounce and grows at a perfect measured pace. With good light, I can actually see the louche action roiling away UNDERNEATH the fog at the bottom of the glass. From start to finish, the louche is on the delicate side- but in a complex and pleasing way.

-Aroma-
Before Water: A brisk sweetness with earthy, vaguely cinnamon notes.

After Water: The alpine briskness is here, but there are also fruity herbal notes and a big background of powdery floral sweetness that I believe comes from the hyssop. It’s clean, refreshing and rich all at the same time.

-Flavor-
Not knowing what Pacifique or what the Montpelier style tasted like before this release, I was expecting a wormwood bomb. However I was also surprised by the initially powerful and strident, yet paradoxically transparent anethole section of the trio.

With only a short period of breathing, the supporting herbal hymns and baby powder hyssop come forth. It is amazing how well balanced the ingredients are, yet I am constantly getting glints of nuances from each of the flavors. This is also one of the freshest, most “alpine” tasting absinthes I’ve had.

Not the creamiest mouthfeel, but very smooth and refined, it has more of a satin character. Seamlessly transitions into the softly dry finish.

-Finish-
The wonderful lingering finish caries the alpine and floral notes for a long time. Here the excellent wormwood blend is showcased not only as minty on the high end with a savory bitterness in the back, but also a tasty herbaceous quality right before the bitter kicks in.

-Overall-
A learned colleague of mine described this absinthe as elegant. I could not agree more- alpine elegance in a glass. With the possible exception of pre-ban vintage, it doesn’t getter better than this folks.

Notes: Various ratios from 3:1 to 4:1. Multiple glasses louched with fountain and brouille drips, as well as poors via sports bottle, carafe and pitcher; no sugar.

Pacifique

Color: limey green, assuming its low strength its initial beauty has survived the dilution.

Louche: really spectacular, haven’t seen such a beautiful louche for ages.

Aroma: very crisp and inviting, fennely.

Flavor: robust and bold, the herbs themselves present in a staccato sequence that finishes as
a soft balance.

Finish: long-lingering, not to too heavy, spicy-dry-bitter in that order.

Overall impression:

Perfect representation of Montpellier. Has a character and very strong, concentrated personality. Reasonably-priced it should become an absinthe chosen over others on the American market.

Where to begin?

Although just a wee bit on the pale side, the color is a vibrant, refractive peridot green that I find immensely appealing.

The louche is a beauteous unfolding thing with lots of delicate snow globe action, which eventually clouds over to a fairly thick luminescent opalescence.

The aroma neat is like an alpine meadow with relatively soft alcohol showing through. As the louche commences, this fragrance opens up wonderfully, revealing an incredibly balanced, and rounded herbal perfume (not a literal perfume, as in L'Italienne), and one can discern beautiful Andalusian (and somewhat fruity) anise, fruity fennel, a good hint of angelica, and an absolutely amazing soft talc-like hyssop. These aromatics carry over into the flavor almost seamlessly, and while each herb can be savored on its own, one has to taste "hard" because the flavors quickly blend back into a (at the risk of repeating myself) seamless whole. The finish is long, but could have a bit more duration and intensity. The mouth feel is not the creamiest I've ever experienced, but it is perfect for the flavors that it supports, and there's an exquisite "softness"to the Pacifique that I find adds even more to its appeal.

This would be my idea of the perfect absinthe, if it were only a bit less delicate. It is like sipping, and savoring a bright, happy, alpine meadow in May, and every time I louche a glass, it awakens my senses teasingly, and leaves me quite happy, but for the slight desire that it was a tad fuller, and richer.

Thank you, Marc, for bringing this elegant and beautiful rendition of the Montpelier style to fabulous fruition!

Edit...Having recently tried the latest run of Pacifique, I must upgrade my score to a 5.0. The color has become a more vibrant peridot, the louche is definitely fuller (not quite thick, but perfect for the style), and the flavor is livelier, and richer while also being smoother, and even more seamless. If I had to choose between the superlative Edourd Pernods I have tasted, or this latest bottling of Pacifique, I would honestly choose the latter.