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: Dark iced-tea color Definitely a deep green-amber hue, as compared to a gold-amber.

Louche: With a slow drip, it transforms without any of the typical louche mechanics (like swirling or clouds, just kinda *becomes* louched.) It layers itself slowly to a opaque, blondish-brown roux color. If louched slightly faster, it develops a bit too fast, and has an olive oil and milk type of appearance.

Aroma: Definitely peculiar. Lots of interesting spice elements, it's not unpleasant, but it's hard to find anything familiar with certainty because of how much is going on with the scent. There's a gravy-like essence (perhaps the tarragon?) and aromas of mint and a bit of mallow.

Flavor: There's definitely an anise "tongue" to it that feels correct, spice and basil...the difference with the star anise is noticeable,

Finish: Not at all unpleasant, feels good in the mouth, but it takes a few seconds for the "whoa!" flavor to subside. The rest of the finish is numb and minty.

Overall: I like it, and it really does taste good...just not like an absinthe. It doesn't seem like a good introduction to absinthe for newbies who don't know what absinthe tastes like just yet...definitely a better 4th or 5th absinthe, just for the sake of tasting something wildly different.

EDIT: After sampling this more, I raised the finish to a 4.


The color was bit dark..a medium/dark olive oil green. When louched, it was a bit of murky yellow/white with a drab hint of green. Thick.

Louche was interesting, but very fast. Strong trails were quickly obscured by clouds that went to a thick heavy solid very fast. Like watching a great louche in fast motion.

Aroma...strong Italian herb up front...basil? Sage? I'm guessing basil. A nice floral element, but I had to hunt for the subtler details. Also an edge of citrus (a soft lemony trace?) Before louche, a strong alcohol up front.

Flavor was interesting. Different, yet drinkable. The anise was a bit too sweet for me, and again I got the feel of basil. There is a slight sour citrus edge as well...again that soft buttery lemon... This isn't going to be for everyone. My guess is you'll like it or you won't. I'm struggling on a 3 or 4 here, I'm going with a 3 because it isn't bad, but it isn't great. There can be conceptual variances in absinthe as long as they aren't ugly. I personally find the basil edge a bit much, and there's almost a dentyne gum flavor (am I dating myself?) a spicy cinnamon edge aftertaste that is a bit too much. Hey...it's a big world.

The finish was not as long or interesting as I'd like. Just a tingle on the tongue,
strong anise, spices, and again that tang of citrus. The finish was one of its highlights

Overall, I missed the lovely alpine aroma and herbs I've come to love in other absinthes. These were replaced by that Italian herbal edge. Not bad at all, just not what I would reach for on a regular basis. Bear in mind, as an apperitif, it might go wonderfully with certain food flavor profiles.

Color- Light brown, looks slightly like watered-down brandy. Darker then any absinthe I've seen. No sediment. Probably not to everyone's liking but I think it's pretty nice.

Louche- Thick, swirling clouds developing from the top. Thin meniscus lasts till about 1.5 OZ of water.

Aroma- Very very bad representation of this absinthe. There is a decent mixture of herbs but I continually take in a fake "plasticy" cinnamon-like smell. This may be to the extensive amount of herbs used.

Flavor- Much improved over the aroma. Anise starts off on the tip of your tongue and a multitude of vegetable spiciness coats your mouth during the finish. A bit of wormwood pinch at the end. I like this.

Finish- Basil, fennel and a mixture of other herbs are present. There is a bit of tongue numbing and the finish is VERY savory. Kind of like a quality mixture of spices on a roast. What didn’t work well for the aroma and flavor worked perfectly for the finish. Very long. I’m impressed.

Overall- This is a good American-made absinthe. It is very unique and the flavor profile is creative. However, this stuff is way overpriced compared to other offerings available on the internet. If you find it for a good price add it to your cabinet.

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.