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.

I found this absinthe on sale for 55$ at my local wine shop and decided to give it a try. I was extremely pleased! Great Flavor, Louche and color for a verte! Not to mention it is made in the good old US of A! What else could you ask for from an alcoholic beverage? This blows Lucid, Grande Absente, Le Tourment and Kubler out of the water. Give it a shot, it wont disappoint...and if it does, move to France and change your name to Pierre.

[editor's note- removed needless disparaging remarks about other brand]

The color is a very attractive feuille-mort. Very clear, bright and natural.



The louche is very fast and the action is not very exciting. A wall of clouds rises up from the bottom, and is complete by about 2 to 1. The louched color, though, is very nice with greener hues than the original color seemed to promise. Looks very rich and creamy to me.



The aroma really knocked me out. There is an amazing bass note of honey, new-mown grass, and clover up front. Later you smell the anise, basil, tarragon, lemon balm. It makes me hungry. I want to eat a giant plate of lasagna and drink the whole bottle. God, I dream about this aroma and wake up wanting more, no kidding.



The flavor is not exactly what the aroma promises. The anise comes on fast with a minty heat and is immediately overtaken by the wormwood. So much for first impressions. If you wait a moment longer the other flavors of basil and tarragon start asserting themselves. The bitterness lingers but is not out of balance. If you believe in the holy trinity of anise, fennel and wormwood, you may find this completely over the top. But I am digging the complexity.



The finish is more abrupt than the aroma. The wormwood bitterness lingers along with a somewhat hot antiseptic taate from the basil, and the alcohol seems a little more predominant at this point than is really desirable.



Overall, this is a *very* interesting departure from the path blazed by the new absinthe distillers. It is astonishingly good with food. Pour an ounce in your spaghetti sauce and you will weep tears of joy. I bought a second bottle right away just to make sure I don't run out. It is definitely quirky, and you may not like it. Or like me, you may find that the aroma penetrates your dreams and drags you back again and again. As others have said, maybe this is a uniquely California take on absinthe, as the Taboo is uniquely Canadian.

I've tried this Absinthe on 2 occasions now, unfortunately neither of which was particularly suited to contemplation, so please take this review for what it is worth.



Among the Absinthes I've tried so far, I will give it a 4-ish. Not the best, but well among the upper-mid Absinthes.



The color is on the brown-green side and I find a stronger green more appealing. The Louche is nice, but not as creamy as some of the others I have tried. The best feature is the aroma. Fills the room with a floral complex bouquet. The flavor is spicy and interesting. On the modern side, with the emphasis on the Star Anise and unusual herbs. It is very well distilled on a pleasant and smooth brandy base. Not harsh at all, making it a bit dangerously enjoyable at a 2 or 3 water to Absinthe ratio.



Reading the details of the "overall" criteria, I have to give it more of a "Shows Promise" than an "Almost Perfect", with the caveat that I would like to enjoy it in a more contemplative setting to properly appreciate and evaluate its qualities. I do stronly agree with Shabba, that this is an interesting and unique start for Absinthes produced in the US.