Review Detail

4.9 3 0.5
One of a kind.
(Updated: October 29, 2024)
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.
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