Preparation
I filled my fountain with ice cold filtered water and ice, I gave the bottle a good half hour to breathe while I set up. I used a very slow drip of about one drop every two seconds. No sugar and I stopped the drip when I had a nice demarcation line of the of the Absinthe green on top. I then sped up the drip a bit until the line was gone, stopped the water and gave a quick stir.

Color Before Water
Murky at best, drab and disappointing. In the video located on the St. George web site - master Distiller Lance Williams says "it was either go for color or go for taste ~ I went for taste" I do admire him as an artist but take issue with his disregard for color. We dine and drink with our eyes as much as our bellies. Now maybe a disregard for the color of a Verte is easier, but easier doesn't mean better.

Aroma Before Water
I was a bit disappointed as it seemed weak and a bit off putting. Any trace of Anise is over shadowed by a "grassy" aroma, kind of like the way the smell of a fresh cut lawn would taste. The brandy base is nice and smooth - but any distinctive aroma seems hidden behind a heavy citrus note and the eclectic and unconventional assortment of herbs.

Louche
Sluggish, dull and in no way awe inspiring.

Aroma After Water
Faint and diluted. It's not offensive by any means but nor is it appetizing. The aroma seems to lack the fragrant bouquet I've found with most every Absinthe I've tried thus far from the Lucid to the Jades both the 1901 and the Edouard

Flavor
In my opinion the lemon balm is a too bright, I think of Absinthe as an Anise based drink but you really have to search your taste buds to find it. Perhaps Star Anise doesn't have the impact needed or perhaps the odd selection of herbs - especially the tarragon and Basil lend to it's unusual and to me anyway, off putting flavor. Mr. Williams attests that he's "not interested in Mass appeal and looks to find a small population of admirers for his new Absinthe" I certainly respect that, and have little doubt he'll find his fan base. What puzzles me is why, given the chance to produce one of the first legal Absinthe in the US one would choose to deviate so far from recipes that have defined Absinthe for centuries.

The Finish
Decent at best, a bit of a peculiar after taste, but the lingering notes of citrus are quite nice actually.An interesting drink no doubt - just not for me.

Final Impression
Great bottle, Great label and web site http://stgeorgespirits.com and although after a while it did grow on me ~ just not to the point I would buy it again. I think St. George will definitely find it's niche. It's a quality, well made product. Made with love and great affection. However it's attributes were lost on me. I'm sure St George will find it's place on the shelves of those who delight in unconventional - even odd offerings. I wish them luck

Color: A nice greenish amber. Very nice. After louche, a thick completely opaque green, not the most attractive, but I am not bothered by this.

Louche: Some nice oil trails end quickly with a thick cloud-forming louche. Drink ends up quite opaque. Not as delightful as say, Pacifique or Absinthe Duplais Verte, but so what? The show is only a small part for me.

Aroma: Wonderfully complex. Peppery basil up front, some sweetness from a very high quality brandy. Non-offensive, classic brandy/alcohol odor, but it's clearly not overpowering.

Flavor: The very nice combination of the herbs listed on the label — "Star Anise, Mint, Wormwood, Lemon Balm, Hyssop, Meadowsweet, Basil, Fennel, Tarragon, and Stinging Nettles" — would seem to be all apparent; admittedly, I forget what Meadowsweet tastes like. This is an original recipe and I think it's very special. Certainly, the star anise, mint, lemon balm, basil and fennel are apparent, and the wormwood, which I tend to feel more than taste is certainly apparent. The fact that this is an original American recipe should be celebrated. What makes it sooooo American? The stinging nettles. It's native plant. (It's also native in other areas of the world, too). I consider St. George Absinthe Verte to be on a par with Pacifique, only different. Pacifique is an excellent American take on the classic French absinthe. It's the most "French" of the absinthes that I've tasted, even considering some supposedly authentic French ones. But this St. George has fine qualities, and would seem to go better with Italian food than anything I've tried. I'm not thinking red sauce, but perhaps sauteéd garlic, olive oil and then fresh Parmesan cheese over linguine, with a side arugula salad? It would be fab no doubt. St. George is a superior spirit in general — and it IS true absinthe!

Finish: One is not left with as intense of a wormwood numbness after imbibing St. George, as compared with some of the other higher rated brands. But sometimes such an overpowering feeling is not desired. The herbs are fresh and clean and leave no bad aftertaste. The brandy is quite fine. Very good, but could it possibly benefit from a bit more grand wormwood? Too much wormwood is not desirable for me!

Overall: What the heck, there is no 4.5 score here, so I'm going to give it a 5. It's just a very fine drink engineered apparently by a true master. Very clean and fresh, the herbs are all tasty, apparent and desirable. The brandy is absolutely fine. This is an American original! I'm much more impressed than I thought I would be based on the reviews of others. More grand wormwood might help it slightly, but it's debatable point. I am not complaining one bit! Thank you Mr. Winters.

Final note: Drink was prepared in an absinthe glass with brouillier at about 3:1 dilution. Two "dot" sugar cubes were used, but one might do. Sweeten to your own taste. St. George is not so good when it is over-diluted, and it needs at least some sugar to more fully bring out its unique and excellent flavors. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

4/25/10 - Please allow me to preface this review by saying that aside from Absente this is the only other Absinthe/Absinthe-like product I have tried so my palette is very limited.

As noted in one of the listed comments for a YouTube video from this distiller, I kept from adding sugar and I would agree that this absinthe doesn’t really need it. Though, for good measure, I will try it with sugar in the future for a friendly comparison.

The color is of a deep earthly green, though more earth than green I would say. As an artist, if one were to mix a bright orange with an emerald green they would likely get the color of this absinthe which is interesting considering its citrus like over tones to the smell and taste.

The louche was a milky green and it was opalescent, cloudy, and mesmerizing to watch. Many of the other reviews mention the louche being quick which I think I now understand what this means. In regards to the adding of water I added just enough to complete the louche effect, which possibly seemed like a 2:1 (water:absinthe) ratio. And despite not adding any sugar the drink still had legs (coated the walls of the glass), which I imagine is due to its Brandy base.

The aroma seemed to have hints of anise, orange, and lemon and instantly struck me. When I smelled this absinthe I knew exactly where my money went. The distinct difference in aroma to Absente was extremely noticeable (as it should be) and I was pleased to become personally enlightened to this fact. There was much more to the smell of this absinthe than simply licorice, which had been my previous experience. However, I was unable to detect any notion of sage or basil which many other reviews mention about this product, though I realize at this time my palette is limited.

I found the flavor to be peppery with the hint of anise. It also had the taste of an orange rind -if one has ever bitten into one- of which didn’t bother me and I thought this gave it a nice quality. I also found it to be thick and somewhat syrupy, which was possibly due to the small amount of water I added which almost seemed like a 2:1 as I mentioned earlier.

As far as the finish in concerned, it has a unique quality which makes it stand out. To me, the finish was whiskey-like due to its warm, peppery quality which started with the anise flavor. I also found it to be sprinkled with citrus trails. Like I mentioned briefly it was also thick, but I don’t mind this quality. After all, if a drink is meant to be savored why not have it drink slowly, why would one prefer it to be any other way.

Overall, I was extremely pleased by this product, which could be due to my inexperience, but I would purchase a bottle of this Absinthe again and think that the people at St. George have a unique product on their hands. As far as my current local selection goes, this is by far the best absinthe that I will find on the shelf at a local seller and am now finding it difficult to finish my previous purchase or to give any other local option a chance. I say definitely give St. George a try!

I'll keep it short: color before louche is a dead-leaf which tends to bow to orange-ish. The neat scent is off-putting for me. It's probably due to the brandy base but I'm not entirely sure as there are a LOT of botanicals listed on the label. Louche is great though - nice and thick... billowing cloudbanks with a glass dripper which is a kick to watch. Drip too fast and you'll get a thin louche though! Smell and taste after louche is confusing and off-putting :(

I respect this absinthe for what it represents in American absinthe history - but it just isn't my taste at all.

Color: I really liked the color to this one, reminds Me of a pre-ban like color, almost caramel look to it. Didn't give it a five though since it was almost brown though, not as "green" as it could be, but very attractive.

Louche: Awesome louche, from the slow oil trials to the billowing clouds rolling upwards from the bottom, nice and slow just how it should be. One of the best louches I've seen!

Aroma: Not over powering when first poured in the glass, and as soon as you start to louche it up, a wonderful spring-time essence mindful of the floral hills of California itself during that time. You can tell that it produced in that area.

Flavor: This one is really smooth, which I would contribute to the brandy base used. Starts off with a well balanced anise flavor, along with basil and tarragon giving it a "spiciness" to it; which I am a major fan of. Great mouth-feel, nice and thick across the pallet. I believe that is due to the brandy base used as well. The rest of the herbs used are not as detectable as other brands of absinthe I've tried, but still there.

Finish: Great finish, you can really pickup the lemon balm, light wormwood, and the stinging nettles here. Great after-taste, keeps you wanting more!

Overall: Really great for those wanting to try something different, and I think this shows how unique someone can get with absinthe. I wouldn't advise this one as a first timer's absinthe since it is quite different then most, but I don't think you can go wrong with this one. I will certainly keep a bottle of this on hand.