Père François - Reviewed by Experts and Consumers at The Wormwood Society
0
Product Details
Available in USA?
Style/Color
Degrees ABV (% alcohol)
Year of Make (if known)
Country of Origin
Distillery
Wormwood Society Editor Comments
According to the distiller, this product is the US version of a product available in Europe: Elixir du Pays des Fees
Editor reviews
2 reviews
View most helpful
A second blanche from Bezençon
(Updated: October 29, 2024)
Overall rating
3.5
Appearance
4.0
Louche
4.0
Aroma
4.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
3.0
Finish
3.0
Overall
3.0
Color: Clear and natural. Disclosure: For blanches, if there are no visible defects, I give a 4 instead of a 5. I only reserve a 5 score for perfectly colored Vertes, as it's more difficult to achieve and I like to reward that.
Louche: Quicker to louche than the La Valote. Attractive but not a lot of layering, more general clouding. Fully louched around 1:1. A tad bit thicker than the La Valote, but not as thick as CLB.
Aroma: More earthiness than the La Valote. Maybe some Genepy? Quite nice.
Flavor: Lighter and less spicy than the La Valote. Everything is in balance, but nothing is really popping out at me. Almost a little watery at 2:1. I think sugar would totally overwhelm this absinthe.
Finish: Pleasant and correct. What I would expect from a blanche. I'd like the flavor to linger more, but it's not bad in the slightest.
Overall: As with the La Valote, this blanche is pretty straight forward. I'd put it in the same class as (maybe a bit higher than) Kubler. Based on a price point of around $40, this is a very good buy for a blanche. My recommendation: If you like a spicier blanche, check out the La Valote. If you like a lighter, sweeter blanche, check this one out.
Louche: Quicker to louche than the La Valote. Attractive but not a lot of layering, more general clouding. Fully louched around 1:1. A tad bit thicker than the La Valote, but not as thick as CLB.
Aroma: More earthiness than the La Valote. Maybe some Genepy? Quite nice.
Flavor: Lighter and less spicy than the La Valote. Everything is in balance, but nothing is really popping out at me. Almost a little watery at 2:1. I think sugar would totally overwhelm this absinthe.
Finish: Pleasant and correct. What I would expect from a blanche. I'd like the flavor to linger more, but it's not bad in the slightest.
Overall: As with the La Valote, this blanche is pretty straight forward. I'd put it in the same class as (maybe a bit higher than) Kubler. Based on a price point of around $40, this is a very good buy for a blanche. My recommendation: If you like a spicier blanche, check out the La Valote. If you like a lighter, sweeter blanche, check this one out.
B
User reviews
1 review
Overall rating
3.6
Appearance
3.0(1)
Louche
4.0(1)
Aroma
4.0(1)
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.0(1)
Finish
4.0(1)
Overall
3.0(1)
Crisp and clear
(Updated: October 29, 2024)
Overall rating
3.6
Appearance
3.0
Louche
4.0
Aroma
4.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.0
Finish
4.0
Overall
3.0
Color: This was the first blanche I've tried, so I had no means of comparison at the time of my original review. The absinthe was clear when poured, with only the slightest amount of any haze or diffusion, but I've since tried three other blanches and am dropping this one from a 4 to a 3 on that count, since the clarity was not as sharp in comparison.
Louche: The louche was a bit too greasy-looking, compounded by the fact that there was little activity beyond the oily trails themselves. It picked up some pleasant-looking billows eventually, but it didn't last very long via the fountain method. However, with a carafe-style stream of water, the louche lasts to at least 4:1, which is notable.
Aroma: This one seems to have a crisp, rich wormwood with some sweetness that captures your attention immediately without being overbearing. There was just the tiniest bit of sourness and grassiness prior to loucheing, but the aroma rounds out in mid-louche.
Flavor: PF is light and refreshing without being simple or one-dimensional, even if the nice minty bitterness of the wormwood grabs your attention immediately. Unlike the other blanches I've tried, this one is noticeably sweet already, but a half teaspoon of agave gives it a more luxurious mouthfeel.
Finish: The finish is not too heavy nor extremely long-lasting, but leaves a pleasant aftertaste.
Overall: Pere Francois is a welcome glass of Alpine-inspired refreshment that is a perfect counterbalance to the heat of summer. I had initially expected blanches to be weak compared to the vertes, but in fact the flavor of this one was light, sharp, and very tasty. This is my girlfriend's favorite of the blanches, and I would recommend it to anyone who has a bit of a sweet tooth. Since I didn't find this one to be as pleasantly complex, I dropped my original "overall" rating from a 4 to a 3.
Louche: The louche was a bit too greasy-looking, compounded by the fact that there was little activity beyond the oily trails themselves. It picked up some pleasant-looking billows eventually, but it didn't last very long via the fountain method. However, with a carafe-style stream of water, the louche lasts to at least 4:1, which is notable.
Aroma: This one seems to have a crisp, rich wormwood with some sweetness that captures your attention immediately without being overbearing. There was just the tiniest bit of sourness and grassiness prior to loucheing, but the aroma rounds out in mid-louche.
Flavor: PF is light and refreshing without being simple or one-dimensional, even if the nice minty bitterness of the wormwood grabs your attention immediately. Unlike the other blanches I've tried, this one is noticeably sweet already, but a half teaspoon of agave gives it a more luxurious mouthfeel.
Finish: The finish is not too heavy nor extremely long-lasting, but leaves a pleasant aftertaste.
Overall: Pere Francois is a welcome glass of Alpine-inspired refreshment that is a perfect counterbalance to the heat of summer. I had initially expected blanches to be weak compared to the vertes, but in fact the flavor of this one was light, sharp, and very tasty. This is my girlfriend's favorite of the blanches, and I would recommend it to anyone who has a bit of a sweet tooth. Since I didn't find this one to be as pleasantly complex, I dropped my original "overall" rating from a 4 to a 3.
J