Prepared 3:1 (water:absinthe) with one sugar cube on a slow drip.

The pre-louche color is a deep, rich jade. Well accomplished, to be certain. In examining the bottle there is a bit of visible sediment, which, for me personally, lends to the overall impression of this absinthe as a very ‘earthy’ creation.

The pre-louche aroma is fairly intense, with a fair bit of heat on the nose, but with some pleasant, readily detectable wormwood and an array of other herbs and spices. I wouldn’t describe these as ‘meadow herbs,’ per se, but the overall aroma is something more dark and earthy than woodsy. My guess is that the tarragon is a key component of this.

The louche was speedy, with some decent swirling, but a very quick dissipation – a little too quick for my taste. Nothing remarkable in this department, I’m afraid. The ending color is a decent milky green.

The aroma opens up a bit and softens, post-louche. Some of the more unusual herbs in this earthy concoction are then fairly readily distinguishable.

This absinthe has a truly unique flavor. While it is not at all traditional, it is definitely intriguing. The basil and tarragon are both definitely detectable (perhaps a little too much so), and unfortunately much of the wonderful wormwood I expected based upon the initial aroma gets lost amidst these other herbs in the tasting. Throughout the glass I kept wondering at a particularly mysterious herb flavor, which I could not place. It was almost musty, but not in a bad way. I don’t know how else to describe it other than truly unique, as I had not tasted this in any absinthe before (or in anything else, for that matter). After I finished the glass I went to the bottle to read the list of herbal ingredients – which, by the way, are conveniently printed in nice, bold font on the side of the bottle – in order to determine what this mysterious flavor was. The last herb listed there was ‘stinging nettle,’ and, since I am familiar with the flavor of all the other herbs listed save this one, I can only assume that the unique flavor of this verte comes from the inclusion of the nettle, in addition to the basil and tarragon. The overall flavor, after letting it sit on the tongue a bit, is somewhat rounded out with hyssop, lemon balm and star anise, but, again, the wormwood is buried, which to me is one of the primary faults of this absinthe.

The finish is, unfortunately, rather poor. The tongue-numbing is substantial – a little too substantial to warrant an acceptable rating in this department. The only thing I found at all pleasant about the finish was the aftertaste of that mysterious herb – presumably the stinging nettle. Personally, I found this intriguing enough for it to be enjoyable, despite the otherwise slightly over-heated and excessively numbing components of the finish.

In conclusion, though it certainly has its drawbacks, this is a truly unique absinthe, and worth trying at least once. For me the experience was enjoyable, and while I would not likely spring for a bottle, this seems like a verte that could be well enjoyed from time to time, simply for its unique – if not occasionally puzzling – attributes alone.