Review Detail

0.9 20 0.5
Top tier absinthe from Matter-Luginbuhl
Overall rating
 
4.8
Appearance
 
5.0
Louche
 
5.0
Aroma
 
4.5
Flavor / Mouthfeel
 
5.0
Finish
 
4.5
Overall
 
4.5
Jul 2008 Bottle # 294/333 Notes include tastings with and without sugar.

Appearance: A soothing, green peridot hue, second only to Jade Edouard, in my humble opinion. Some sediment present.

Louche: Stubborn, translucent oily trails eventually give way to a milky color change. A wide band of un-louched absinthe seems to hold out for a while.

Aroma: The un-louched aroma fills the room. It's rich, tangy and musky- quite strong, but there does seem to be a veiled delicate side. After the absinthe is louched (not with sugar during this stage) that delicate side shows itself much more. The classic alpine herb trilogy is present, but in this bottle, I get a sense that this is going to pack a punch, and the role of the musky, hemp scent (must be the angelica seed?) is now switched into the background. For my second glass with sugar, the aroma is much more balanced and reminiscent of other great absinthe. Now I can detect the lemon balm as opposed to just overwhelming tangy-ness for example, and I detect the slight mintiness of the melissa mentioned in the product description

Taste: Wow, I was right about it being strong! It begins with an herbal musk, with sweetness in the middle, eventually finishing with bitter wormwood. I think this would benefit from a bit of sugar next time. Second glass with sugar: I definitely prefer it this way, and I think from this particular experience I will start using sugar every time with my absinthe. The sugar takes some of the heat off and leaves me with a more pleasing spiciness with just enough heat. It’s much more balanced and the taste is more intriguing with the subtle aspects showing through without being overpowered.

Finish: It's nice and rich, coating the mouth, something I haven't had in a while and have missed. There is a pulling/numbing sensation as the wormwood lingers on the tongue.

Overall: I really enjoyed this one, especially after I was let down a bit by the Duplais Verte (USA). It may have helped that it was distilled in July 2008 and reviewed when drank a year and a half later. Plus, I reviewed it after the bottle had been open a few days. Promethee is one of my top tier choices along with the Jades, Belle Amie, La Coquette, Eichelberger 68 Limitee, Montmartre.
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