-Color-
Before Water: Clear with a slight yellowish tint. If I didn’t already know it’s because of the intentionally unorthodox light coloring step, it’s possible I’d score it lower out of fear.


After Water: Slightly off-white, good opalescence

-Louche-
Good trails and timely louche action.

-Aroma-
Before Water: Nice floral wormwood fragrance.

After Water: Looses the intensity of the pre-louche aroma, much fainter than before. Gets a 2.5 not for unpleasantness, but for barely being there.

-Flavor-
Enjoyed the flavor more than I remember when I first tried it a while back; the floral notes in the aroma transfer nicely to the flavor, with the backing anise and fennel working well. Kinda like a blanche with half an attitude or maybe like a subdued verte.

-Finish-
As the other flavors trail off, acrid bitterness from the A.A. in the coloring step gradually takes over and leaves the acceptable range of enjoyable flavors for the duration.

-Overall-
This sample was given to me at least two years ago; another middling absinthe that aging seems to have worked well for. Though no matter how many people try to pull it off, using grande wormwood in the secondary maceration seems like a fool’s errand (some might call it a blunder). Unfortunate that it was discontinued but seeing how it tasted when first released, it’s not surprising folks didn’t stick around until the bitter end.

The Color is not green. At all.



The Louche is pretty quick to form; cuts to the chase a bit. Star Anise, perhaps?



The Aroma is licoricey and alcoholic, not unpleasant but the addition of water doesn't do as much as it should. I'd hoped for a more assertive thing goin' on, but it's just more of the same for me.



The Flavour is sweet overall; there is a really nice opening salvo but not complex at all and the what there is of a follow-through is a disappointment.



The Finish is quick, it recedes quickly and has some klunker note in there I can't identify. Bitterish and Icky.



Overall I would say it's not bad but it's not exceptional either.

I really like the bottle that Trillium ships in, but I did have higher expectations, even after reading some of the other comments. In general, this product isn't bad, but nothing really sticks out. It's aroma is very one-dimensional. The louche appears to be on par with most of the other brands I've tried (although this one seems to linger at the bottom of the glass, almost like it's layered). The taste, however, is probably the most disappointing thing about it. It lacks complexity and simultaneously fails to compensate in its simplicity. In other words, Trillium falls short by offering no dominant flavor (unless you consider alcohol a flavor). Other brands, while simplistic, typically offer a dominant anise flavor that makes the product more enjoyable.



All that said, I am not necessarily disappointed with the brand and it wasn't unpleasant. It merely failed to grace the beauty of the bottle it ships in.



UPDATE: 3 weeks later, I reopen the bottle for a second tasting. Apparently, after a breather, the anise flavor does find its way to the forefront a little more. While still not one of the world's greatest, the flavor is definitely more pronounced and the alcohol flavor more subdued.

I am reviewing this from a sample that was sent to me.



As I open the bottle the first thing I notice is the smell of anise (star anise) and alcohol. As it's poured into the glass the aroma opens up and lingers in the glass. It is the smell of licorice and strong alcohol. I really can't pick anything else in the aroma.



At this point I notice the color is closer to a blanche with a straw-yellow tint. It kind of reminds me of Blanchette. This is surprising, since it is described a a verte.



I am louching my drink through a brouilleur at a drop per second. At the fifth drop the louch begins. By the time it is at a ratio of 2:1 the louche is complete. After continuing to a 3:1 ratio, the drinks aroma is still star anise and strong alcohol that lingers in the glass.



My first sip tastes like anise and alcohol with a bitter wormwood in the finish.The wormwood flavor is suspect. It almost seems like there may have been some used in the coloring (what coloring there is).



There's not a whole lot to the finish. Once I get past the alcohol flavor, I am left with a slight numb tongue and a lingering bitterness.



I'm glad I was able to sample Trillium. Unfortunately, I hoped it would be a little better for a small US distiller. Maybe, Integrity will continue to improve their product and will have something better to offer in the future.

The color is very pale, almost non-existent - somewhere between straw and emerald. The louche is very quick, oil trails are present, but there is no line of separation, nor any apparent method to the louche. The nose is fragrant, almost minty, but smells strongly of alcohol. The taste is hot, alcohol forward, with the mintiness continuing. The bitterness is pleasant, but what immediately takes over is the tongue-numbing effect. The finish is extremely short, with only the bittnerness lingering.



The overall impression one gets is that this is a young product, too quickly rushed to market. Perhaps future batches will prove fuller and less imperious.