Color: Shabba's description as a deep emerald/forest is dead on. I had to penalize it a bit for the sediment though. I believe absinthe's should be rewarded for being clear and free of sediment or haze.

Louche: I prefer this absinthe at 2.5:1, so naturally my louche was thick. It acquired that opalescence and was attractive. I'll nitpick though and say it could have built a bit better and more slowly. My barometer for a 5 in this category are the Edouard & Marteau, so it's a high bar.

Aroma: I found this to be complex, interesting and delightful. I really had trouble picking out what was going on in there outside of the holy trinity. I had to cheat and ask for the herb bill, and was surprised when I found out all but 1 ingredient (genepi) were common absinthe ingredients. I thought there were very unique things in here. Again though, my benchmark for a 5 in aroma are quite high, and to me Jade N-O & Belle Amie are a rung above all other commercials in this category. Like the L'Italienne, consider is a strong 4.

Flavor: Delicious. Like I said, my personal sweet spot for this absinthe is 2.5:1. At that ratio you still have a touch of alcohol heat, some (desirable) astringency from the genepi, and the flavors are robust. As you water this absinthe to more than 3:1 it falls apart IMO. It flattens out and there is a subtle note not unlike chlorine or bleach that becomes noticeable. It doesn't take well to over-watering, but then again, I've yet to meet an absinthe that does.

Finish: Semi-long and enjoyable with cooling, minty wormwood and creamy fennel.

Overall: This stuff has turned into my go-to absinthe because it's readily available on the shelves where I live, priced reasonably, and (above all else) I like it quite a bit. It also works well in cocktails, I think. I will always have a bottle of this on hand.