Absense - Reviewed by Experts and Consumers at The Wormwood Society
Absense is a balanced, floral fruity Absinthe from SaarWhisky Distillery. It is based on a complex recipe of 13+ different herbs. Among them are lemon peel, orange peel, rosemary and lemon balm. These botanicals characterize the top notes of the Absinthe, while the classic components of anise, fennel and wormwood form the base. The Absinthe is naturally colored green. The white-green louche after adding water to the green spirit is pleasantly dense, which is due to the high content of essential oils in the herbs.
The SaarWhisky Distillery
The "Saarland" is a region in the southwest of Germany. It is shaped by heavy mining and crowned with multifaceted natural landscapes. This region is as well home of the SaarWhisky distillery. Since 2015 SaarWhisky is specialized in so-called "Single Cask Bottlings". These are whiskey bottlings from only one single cask, which are offered in small batches. These have the same alcohol strength in the bottle as it was originally in the whiskey barrel (cask strength) and come without the addition of colorants or cooling filtration. For this SaarWhisky imports barrels from Scotland and Ireland, which they personally select from hundreds. In the last years they have expanded their selection as well to exceptional Absinthe, Pastis and Gin which they distill in small batches with eccentric bottle designs.
Editor review
I tasted this absinthe both at 3:1 and 4:1. This absinthe is too delicate for 4:1. It kind of falls apart at that ratio. So my review is based on the 3:1 ratio.
Appearance: golden more than peridot, no visible sediment
Louche: upon starting the fountain, this absinthe began louching immediately, creating a very nice layering effect. Fully louched by a little less than 3:1.
Aroma: Pre-louche - Slightly pine-y with hints of the delicate mustiness of old books. Post louche - resin and woody with green anise and minty wormwood creating a very enticing glass.
Flavor: tons of high quality anise, slight astringence. Just a bit of numbing @ 3:1. Really enjoyable. At 4:1 it gets a bit vegetal, so stick to the lower dilution ratio.
Finish: very pleasant and sticks around for a decent amount of time, inviting you to keep drinking. The numbing is pleasant and not overpowering.
Overall: quite enjoyable at lower ratios. I'd drink this any day. But be forewarned, it's also a bit temperamental at higher ratios. If you keep track of the water ratio, you'll enjoy this immensely.
