Boggy Absinthe # 4. This sample was given to me a long time ago and I tasted at May 17th, 2014. Sampled at 3:1 without sugar, using a fountain. I don’t have too much experience; my taste buds are very “noob” (not in question of time, but in contact with Absinthe in itself)! But, here we go!!!

Appearance: Looks like an old brandy! Clean and bright.

Louche: Dense (a little less than Zubrsinthe) with clouds in the bottom of the glass. This is beautiful! Opalescent!

Aroma: Aroma of anise and wormwood. Fennel in complement. Angelica further ahead than the previous boggy. Mentholated and very aromatic wormwood. Hyssop like baby powder. There is a little Veronica? Of the three samples that is my second favorite, with Zubrsinthe in first place. A classic absinthe in all aspects.

Flavor / mouthfeel: As always, your recipes are too complex for my novice palate. It has nuances that I cannot describe. The taste is fantastic. There was a noticeable improvement in this version. A bit sweeter than the previous version and more aromatic. Classic with a twist that I cannot describe. I need a whole bottle to describe it better! Heheh ...

Finish: The finish is long. Wormwood, hyssop and A.pontica are three herbs that catch my eye on the finish and the smell of this absinthe remains in the glass even with the empty glass.

Overall: It has nothing to change here. It is a worthy Absinthe top of the list. Classic, intriguing, complex, mature. The mouth asks another sip.

PS: Sorry for the english, this is not my language, I hope you understand...

Sampled at 3:1-ish with no sugar. I pour by eye, and am unable to provide specific ratios. I believe this is from Bogumel's third batch, but it might have been the fourth.

Color: A very mild feuille morte that looks entirely as if it were not intentionally colored at all. While I am fond of the more peridot colors, I am frequently disappointed by attempts to create a color, so the shade of this Boggy is very appealing in that it appears completely unaffected.

Louche: A full louche that - again - does not appear forced. I pour rather than drip, so the most interesting part of this louche is the swirling catseye in the bulb at the bottom of the glass before the absinthe blends. The louche has the right touch of translucence; the color is slightly green, with bluish and clear copper notes. The weak point is that there is not a lot of opalescence to be had here.

Aroma: The aroma is quite the paradigm of absinthe aromas. However, although it's near perfect in a sense, it doesn't stand out or otherwise alert the drinker to the unique flavor within.

Flavor: Very peppery and spicy flavors over a broad but piquant flavor. The flavor is probably low on anise and fennel and strong on wormwood, but the pepper is what really grans my attention. As the first reviewer above mentioned, there is a distinct flavor of pine, with a more subdued note of herbals. It is worth mention that there is none of the 'oily' impact that some very good absinthes (such as Meadow of Love) offer. I think one might argue that there is less complexity in some of the best absinthes, but this is the one absinthe I can think of that is no less off for it.

Finish: The astringent nature of the flavor sweeps most of the taste right off the tongue, leaving one with a strong aftertaste of pepper and wormwood. The effect is quite refreshing, but in the way that begs you to have another sip. The aftertaste remains pleasantly, for a very long time.

Overall: This is not the perfect absinthe, but it's in my top five. It has all the fun of, say, Jade Nouvelle Orleans, but none of the sense that one must take it so seriously. It is an absinthe to be enjoyed and I truly appreciate it. What makes this absinthe exceptional is its drinkability in any circumstance. I am surprised there is so little coverage of it on WS.

Sampled at 3:1 and 4:1 with no sugar, over three sittings. This edit on the stars reflects the changes in the last two releases. It has improved quite a bit.

Color: Neat, a light amber/gold. Clear and natural. It suggests the feuille morte of a pre-ban, but is a bit lighter and thinner. If this were a tad deeper in color like a vintage feuille morte, or had a touch of green, I would have given it a 4. *The color in the later releases was not as amber, leaning toward a ore traditional green.

Louche: The louche builds nicely, with distinct layering. The final result is a slightly translucent dusky white, with edges of copper.

Aroma: Neat, the aroma is clean, crisp, and light. It opens slightly as the louche forms, but is not a powerful room-filling aroma, Wormwood is followed by anise, and herbals that suggest a tasty flavor is pending, as the glass is raised to the nose. The aroma as one is about to sip, is quite nice.

Flavor: This is the absinthe's strongest point; it is nicely balanced, gentle and refreshing. This is not a powerful profile, but light and playful. There is a touch of spice, pepper, and citrus. If you are looking for a strong punchy profile, this is not it...It however, is smooth, has something interesting going on, and is quite enjoyable. It is more powerful at 3:1, but it loses some of its softness and lighter herbal edges at less than 4:1, where I find it best.

Finish: The finish follows the flavor nicely; it too, is gentle and refreshing. There is a light build of elements, a decent linger, and a touch of pepper and citrus that hangs in as it fades. The mouthfeel is smooth and thick enough without being too heavy.

Overall: I think this absinthe is quite tasty and refreshing. The color, balance and smoothness suggests to me that the maker is trying to pay homage to the spirit of pre-ban in a modern commercial absinthe. I'm interested to see how this absinthe evolves past this first offering.