The Berthe de Joux is an absinthe which I can't pretend I didn't receive with some level of expectation, based on its glowing early reviews. Nonetheless, here is my objective review.

The color was acceptable, though not exceptional. I found it to be a composite of green with a strong citrine yellow overtone. All in all, it was fine, but not perfect.

Likewise, the louche was active, but rather short-lived. Again, it certainly didn't set the bar for the category, but neither was it disappointing.

The aroma and flavor are both categories where the BdJ's uniqueness comes into play. The aroma is noteworthy for sure, being far more flowery than anything else which I've experienced. It was nonetheless balanced, but I found the profile to be of narrow appeal, meaning that it would be quite welcome on a warm spring or hot summer day, but certainly not an everyday favorite.

As for the flavor itself, it took me a long while to warm up to it. Fresh out of the new bottle, I found it to be skewed heavily toward an aromatic floweryness, but as the open bottle aged a bit, it mellowed out into a nicely-balanced absinthe in which the fine wormwood was finally able to emerge.

Overall, while the BdJ wasn't able to live up to the gargantuan expectations which early reviews imbued it with, it's still a fine absinthe.