After having learned about Absinthe from the movie From Hell starring Johnny Depp, Ive long had a burning curiosity to try this mysterious spirit. I did a modicum of on-line research and learned to my chagrin that it was not available for purchase in the United States. As I am one who greatly prefers make my purchases from actual stores, that ended my exploration almost as suddenly as it began. Then quite serendipitously while perusing here, I learned that quite recently Absinthe is now legally sold in the U.S. The next day, I stopped on my way home from work and was faced with a decision as they had two different labels to choose from. One was Lucid, the other was Absente. Not knowing one from the other, I chose the Absente. Ive since learned that this label is considered by some die hard Absinthe connoisseurs to be a pastis and not be true absinthe, however from the perspective of a newbie, I will say that it does have the key ingredients and is made from wormwood (albeit a different type, yet not all whiskies and beers use the same hops and barley do they) but contains lower (almost insignificant) levels of thujone. In my humble but correct opinion, it should still count. On to my review.
My first impression upon opening the bottle was the very pungent anise scent. I poured about a jigger into my glass and swirled it around and tested the nose again. The whiskey glass I used funneled the aroma nicely and the more subtle characteristics became apparent. The color (which the bottle freely admits to being artificial) was a pleasant green, which I found to be most appealing. Not having an absinthe spoon or sugar cubs at hand, I simply took a teaspoon of sugar and slowly poured ice cold distilled water over the spoon until it had dissolved away and there was about a 3 to 1 water to absinthe ratio in the glass. I then noticed the louche effect which was a wonderful progression from the bottom of the glass to the top of the spirit. Small trails of the oils present also swirled at the top of the mixture and slowly dissipated. I swirled the glass again to dissolve the sugar a bit more and even out the mix. Finally, the taste. The anise flavor was of course the first thing that I noticed, but the other subtleties soon made their presence known. A tad sweeter than I would have expected the overall experience was very nice and before the night was over I had indulged in two more glasses.
In conclusion I found my first dance with the green fairy to be most agreeable. While I am a whisky connoisseur first an foremost, I do enjoy indulging in the complexities of wine and beer from time to time and now I have another option to enjoy as well. I will be interested to try a different label (probably Lucid) just to compare the differences between what die hard absinthe drinkers call true absinthe as opposed to the Absente, but this bottle must be completed first, somehow I dont think that will be a problem. For any other newbs out there who are curious to try this spirit, I highly recommend it, but be warned, the alcohol content is high so it isnt for the faint of heart.
Take Care !
80s
My first impression upon opening the bottle was the very pungent anise scent. I poured about a jigger into my glass and swirled it around and tested the nose again. The whiskey glass I used funneled the aroma nicely and the more subtle characteristics became apparent. The color (which the bottle freely admits to being artificial) was a pleasant green, which I found to be most appealing. Not having an absinthe spoon or sugar cubs at hand, I simply took a teaspoon of sugar and slowly poured ice cold distilled water over the spoon until it had dissolved away and there was about a 3 to 1 water to absinthe ratio in the glass. I then noticed the louche effect which was a wonderful progression from the bottom of the glass to the top of the spirit. Small trails of the oils present also swirled at the top of the mixture and slowly dissipated. I swirled the glass again to dissolve the sugar a bit more and even out the mix. Finally, the taste. The anise flavor was of course the first thing that I noticed, but the other subtleties soon made their presence known. A tad sweeter than I would have expected the overall experience was very nice and before the night was over I had indulged in two more glasses.
In conclusion I found my first dance with the green fairy to be most agreeable. While I am a whisky connoisseur first an foremost, I do enjoy indulging in the complexities of wine and beer from time to time and now I have another option to enjoy as well. I will be interested to try a different label (probably Lucid) just to compare the differences between what die hard absinthe drinkers call true absinthe as opposed to the Absente, but this bottle must be completed first, somehow I dont think that will be a problem. For any other newbs out there who are curious to try this spirit, I highly recommend it, but be warned, the alcohol content is high so it isnt for the faint of heart.
Take Care !
80s
It was not the St. George I had but the Canadian made Taboo, a very nice absinthe.
