No sugar, 3.5:1 water ratio, absinthe rested in cool, dark place for 6 mos. prior to opening.

Color: Very deep olive green. My bottle has some sediment in it - which is not a big deal.

Louche: The icewater creates trails immediately as it hits the absinthe. The color turns a bit yellow as it is nearing the breaking point. I get the 'line' at the top of green absinthe. Finally, it turns a light green hue, as thick and creamy as they come. Lighter clouds rise up from the bottom of the glass mingling with more stubborn darker green streaks.

Aroma: The aroma has the subtle unidentifiable characteristic of the Paul Devoille absinthe - which I am positive I could call in a blind tasting. I like that aspect - I'll call it wine-like. I think it's the coloring herbs that really create a full aroma of fruit and flowers, although I can tell this is a very strong concoction.

Taste: Its actually a huge challenge for me to review the taste of this. At first, my impression was that this was a pretty darn bitter absinthe with most of the sweetness in the aroma, however, as I continue to sip, I notice it's just that it packs such a punch & has that aforementioned tart wine-like velvety feel. It's so well rounded in my opinion, it's difficult to say which is more forward, the wormwood & anise, or the other sweeter herbs.

Finish: The mouth feel is thick, coating my mouth with an 'classic' anise & wormwood bitterness. It is clear that there is only a little of that spicy/sweet additional herb in the finishing flavor. The alcohol punch & the sweetness in this absinthe seems to be in the beginning, not so much in the end.

Overall: I want to comment about the Paul Devoille aspect that some find off-putting. I mentioned I sensed an aspect present here that is characteristic of his work. What I call the tart and earthy, wine-like characteristic. I guess that's what some are calling 'vegetal.'(or perhaps that aspect coupled with angelica?) I know that Paul Devoille uses a unique method of distilling, and this reviewer is saying that it must only add to the overall quality, because I like this absinthe very much along with BDF & VDF. It is indeed very complex and a pleasure to drink.