Pernod Fils Pre-Ban 1910 Cache - Reviewed by Experts and Consumers at The Wormwood Society
Editor reviews
2 reviews
View most helpful
Unbelievable
(Updated: March 21, 2009)
Overall rating
5.0
Appearance
5.0
Louche
5.0
Aroma
5.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
5.0
Finish
5.0
Overall
5.0
Color: A wonderfully deep, pinkish amber.
Louche: Using ice cold water from a fountain and my Simon Pierce bubble glass, the louche began building almost immediately. The tendrils of milky pink louche wound its way from the top of the glass into the globe in an intoxicating dance. A beauty to behold.
Aroma: Sweet with the hint of very old cognac and leather. Flowery anise with a touch of pepper and minty wormwood. Just from the nose, you realize that sugar would be overkill. Not that I sugar my absinthe anyway.
Flavor: It's truly amazing what 100 years of aging can do to an absinthe. Even still, you can tell that this product was representative of what would have been the gold standard of absinthe during the Belle Epoque. Something that has aged into a flavor this good had to have started out amazing to begin with. It was so silky on the tongue and so smooth as it went down. The aging has melded the flavors so well that it's difficult to pull too much out other than the anise and wormwood, but those were obviously of top quality. Even without sugar, there was a 'juicy fruit' sweetness that danced on the tongue from the first sip to the last. Absolutely wonderful stuff.
Finish: The finish lingered, but was light and ephemeral, just hinting at an urge to take the next sip. Just a touch of anise and a maple sweetness that played with the heavenly mustiness of the grape base.
Overall: I don't know what else to say. It's awe inspiring. There's no other like it. I want to break into my entire stash now. Must...resist...
Louche: Using ice cold water from a fountain and my Simon Pierce bubble glass, the louche began building almost immediately. The tendrils of milky pink louche wound its way from the top of the glass into the globe in an intoxicating dance. A beauty to behold.
Aroma: Sweet with the hint of very old cognac and leather. Flowery anise with a touch of pepper and minty wormwood. Just from the nose, you realize that sugar would be overkill. Not that I sugar my absinthe anyway.
Flavor: It's truly amazing what 100 years of aging can do to an absinthe. Even still, you can tell that this product was representative of what would have been the gold standard of absinthe during the Belle Epoque. Something that has aged into a flavor this good had to have started out amazing to begin with. It was so silky on the tongue and so smooth as it went down. The aging has melded the flavors so well that it's difficult to pull too much out other than the anise and wormwood, but those were obviously of top quality. Even without sugar, there was a 'juicy fruit' sweetness that danced on the tongue from the first sip to the last. Absolutely wonderful stuff.
Finish: The finish lingered, but was light and ephemeral, just hinting at an urge to take the next sip. Just a touch of anise and a maple sweetness that played with the heavenly mustiness of the grape base.
Overall: I don't know what else to say. It's awe inspiring. There's no other like it. I want to break into my entire stash now. Must...resist...
User reviews
3 reviews
Overall rating
4.9
Appearance
5.0(3)
Louche
4.7(3)
Aroma
4.7(3)
Flavor / Mouthfeel
5.0(3)
Finish
4.7(3)
Overall
5.0(3)
Pernod Fils Pre-Ban 1910
Overall rating
5.0
Appearance
5.0
Louche
5.0
Aroma
5.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
5.0
Finish
5.0
Overall
5.0
The color before water of this nearly 100 years old absinthe, is the color “Feuille Morte†with an obvious orange tinge. It has aged remarkably well.
The louche began almost immediately and was of a greater magnitude than I expected. There were gorgeous gradient lines in the glass that swirled until the contents became opaque, again with the slight orange tinge, then thickening to a absolutely beautiful louche.
The aroma was very fragrant, sweet anise and full of spice, with a wormwood background. It was well balanced with a faint musty presence, quite nice. The nose of the bouquet was outstanding and filled the room.
The taste and flavor was subtle and subdued, dancing on the tongue with a rush of wispy alpine flavors, difficult to distinguish. The taste was balanced, herbal and sweet. There were no overpowering flavors. The unification of the absinthe made it difficult to pick out any ingredient that stood outside the rest.
The finish was light, and extended. Prompting you to relish each sip. Enjoyable musty, with that present sweetness and delicate wormwood on the palate.
My overall impression was outstanding. It exceeded my expectations for this aged treasure, and has given a more focused view of absinthe. Simply delightful…
The louche began almost immediately and was of a greater magnitude than I expected. There were gorgeous gradient lines in the glass that swirled until the contents became opaque, again with the slight orange tinge, then thickening to a absolutely beautiful louche.
The aroma was very fragrant, sweet anise and full of spice, with a wormwood background. It was well balanced with a faint musty presence, quite nice. The nose of the bouquet was outstanding and filled the room.
The taste and flavor was subtle and subdued, dancing on the tongue with a rush of wispy alpine flavors, difficult to distinguish. The taste was balanced, herbal and sweet. There were no overpowering flavors. The unification of the absinthe made it difficult to pick out any ingredient that stood outside the rest.
The finish was light, and extended. Prompting you to relish each sip. Enjoyable musty, with that present sweetness and delicate wormwood on the palate.
My overall impression was outstanding. It exceeded my expectations for this aged treasure, and has given a more focused view of absinthe. Simply delightful…
O
One of a kind.
Overall rating
4.6
Appearance
5.0
Louche
4.0
Aroma
4.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
5.0
Finish
4.0
Overall
5.0
Color
In one word, Amber. In more words, a very attractive, golden blend of orange and brown. Clear of any sediment.
Louche
Swirling trails starting at the bottom leading to fully cloudy a bit too fast. I would've liked the louche to take a little longer. It wasn't as fast as the vintage Edouard, but this must be a common trait in the old Pernod absinthes. This was the first absinthe I’ve had that turned a pink color after louching. Unfortunately, my digital camera wasn’t up to the challenge of capturing the color correctly. Once the glass was ready for drinking, it had a perfect opacity level and an attractive opalescence.
Aroma
The smell neat was mind blowing. There’s no absinthe out there yet that can match the smell of pre-ban. It was very floral and clean, but after louching it was very subdued. I would have preferred the smell to be a bit stronger.
Flavor
I can now see why this is the standard to which all other absinthes are compared to. The taste was floral, smooth, and mellow. This was a very delicate and feminine absinthe to me. None of the different herbs stand out over the other. They blend together seamlessly. This absinthe goes down very easy and smooth, without any sugar needed. The French must have had quite the sweet tooth to want to put sugar in this drink. The only fault I can think of would be that I could barely detect any wormwood bitterness at all. That may not be a fault for everyone, but it is for me.
Finish
The finish had the perfect level of creaminess for me, with just a hint of tongue numbing. I didn’t give the finish a five, because the aftertaste didn’t linger very long at all. As I got to the end of my glass, the finish seemed to last a bit longer then at first, but it still didn’t stick around too long.
Overall
This was one tasty beverage, and the experience of drinking history in a bottle is one that’s hard to put into words when you’re an absinthe nut, like me. That said, in a blind review, I think I’d probably have rated this lower. Everything about the experience was subtle, and the flavor lacked the kick of wormwood that I love. I tend to gravitate towards more masculine absinthes. Still, this was an eye opener for me as to what absinthe could/should taste like. There’s really nothing out there that tastes like this. Finally, I wouldn’t recommend this absinthe to anyone new to the drink, as I think much would be lost on them, and they’d be let down when the price is factored in.
In one word, Amber. In more words, a very attractive, golden blend of orange and brown. Clear of any sediment.
Louche
Swirling trails starting at the bottom leading to fully cloudy a bit too fast. I would've liked the louche to take a little longer. It wasn't as fast as the vintage Edouard, but this must be a common trait in the old Pernod absinthes. This was the first absinthe I’ve had that turned a pink color after louching. Unfortunately, my digital camera wasn’t up to the challenge of capturing the color correctly. Once the glass was ready for drinking, it had a perfect opacity level and an attractive opalescence.
Aroma
The smell neat was mind blowing. There’s no absinthe out there yet that can match the smell of pre-ban. It was very floral and clean, but after louching it was very subdued. I would have preferred the smell to be a bit stronger.
Flavor
I can now see why this is the standard to which all other absinthes are compared to. The taste was floral, smooth, and mellow. This was a very delicate and feminine absinthe to me. None of the different herbs stand out over the other. They blend together seamlessly. This absinthe goes down very easy and smooth, without any sugar needed. The French must have had quite the sweet tooth to want to put sugar in this drink. The only fault I can think of would be that I could barely detect any wormwood bitterness at all. That may not be a fault for everyone, but it is for me.
Finish
The finish had the perfect level of creaminess for me, with just a hint of tongue numbing. I didn’t give the finish a five, because the aftertaste didn’t linger very long at all. As I got to the end of my glass, the finish seemed to last a bit longer then at first, but it still didn’t stick around too long.
Overall
This was one tasty beverage, and the experience of drinking history in a bottle is one that’s hard to put into words when you’re an absinthe nut, like me. That said, in a blind review, I think I’d probably have rated this lower. Everything about the experience was subtle, and the flavor lacked the kick of wormwood that I love. I tend to gravitate towards more masculine absinthes. Still, this was an eye opener for me as to what absinthe could/should taste like. There’s really nothing out there that tastes like this. Finally, I wouldn’t recommend this absinthe to anyone new to the drink, as I think much would be lost on them, and they’d be let down when the price is factored in.
P
This is what I'm talkin' about
Overall rating
5.0
Appearance
5.0
Louche
5.0
Aroma
5.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
5.0
Finish
5.0
Overall
5.0
COLOR--a vibrant amber Fuille Morte, actually lookin' straight-up Orange in the right light. Crystal clear, an easy 5 out of 5.
LOUCHE--Quick to form but not without subtlety and theatrics, given a nice slow drip. A really nice peachy color when done. I give it a 5 for the color novelty alone.
AROMA-- A pronounced "old books and leather" undertone, opening up considerably with the addition of water. Very nice. I was outside with a breeze going on and had no trouble smelling it. 5.
FLAVOR--A delicious progression of flavors smoothly blended. Well balanced, harmonious across the board. Not so much an arpeggio as a chord. Really nice mouthfeel, creamy without being too heavy. Sticks in the back of the nose. 5.
FINISH--Long and lingering. Strange tongue-numbing mixed with Old BooksTM in the nose for, I kid you not, 3 or more hours. 5.
OVERALL--I knew it got better than PF 1901 but couldn't really picture how until this tasting. If I were to win some cosmic LottoTM tomorrow I would drink nothing else.
LOUCHE--Quick to form but not without subtlety and theatrics, given a nice slow drip. A really nice peachy color when done. I give it a 5 for the color novelty alone.
AROMA-- A pronounced "old books and leather" undertone, opening up considerably with the addition of water. Very nice. I was outside with a breeze going on and had no trouble smelling it. 5.
FLAVOR--A delicious progression of flavors smoothly blended. Well balanced, harmonious across the board. Not so much an arpeggio as a chord. Really nice mouthfeel, creamy without being too heavy. Sticks in the back of the nose. 5.
FINISH--Long and lingering. Strange tongue-numbing mixed with Old BooksTM in the nose for, I kid you not, 3 or more hours. 5.
OVERALL--I knew it got better than PF 1901 but couldn't really picture how until this tasting. If I were to win some cosmic LottoTM tomorrow I would drink nothing else.
B