Butterfly - Reviewed by Experts and Consumers at The Wormwood Society
Product Details
Available in USA?
Style/Color
Degrees ABV (% alcohol)
Year of Make (if known)
Country of Origin
Distillery
Editor reviews
Hurts So Good
(Updated: June 18, 2012)
Overall rating
3.5
Appearance
4.0
Louche
3.0
Aroma
3.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.0
Finish
4.0
Overall
3.0
Color
Unlouched, mossy green to olive drab with just some glints of peridot. Clear, bright, and natural looking. A heavy level of color. Any darker, and I would give it a "3"Âť. Louched, milky yellowish olive green, almost no gradients to the color.
Louche
Very thick, very opaque. The handle of a spoon in a Pontarlier glass is visible to only 1/4"Âť in from the surface, and only the edges can be seen through the sides. No real opalescence. One must look hard and under very good light to see the slightest hint of orange at the bottom, and blue at the meniscus.
Aroma
Neat, a quite strong anise/fennel profile with an equally strong sense of finishing herbs, especially the pontica. Louched, somewhat of a balance, I suppose, but both sides (distillate and coloring) of this formula seem a little overdone to me. Lemony notes, some florals, mint, hyssop, and pontica become quite evident as it warms. I'm certain the wormwood is there, but the anise/fennel, and finishing herb overkill overshadows it.
Flavor
A lot of everything... really packed. Commercial American attitude ("bigger is better"Âť), combined with anything but commercial execution. It's really quite deftly crafted, considering the loudness of all the ingredients. Strong anise/fennel, strong finishing herbs, strong spice and pepper, strong citrus, everything vying for front and center. Weighty mouthfeel (even at the 4.5:1 to 5:1 dilutions, which I preferred best), and not a very "spirity"Âť impression. A little rough. Not a "3"Âť, not a strong "4"Âť.
Finish
Immediately goes astringent, drying, and quite numbing. A strong anise, fennel, and wormwood linger accompanied by strong spice and pepper. Some "graininess"Âť on the palate... tingly, tingly... prickly, prickly. There's a lot going on without much real harmony. Doesn't leave me in a bad place, just not an elegant one. Satisfying in the same way as is scratching the same bug-bite over and over.
Overall
I rather enjoy this for what it is, but the way I see it, by the criteria, these are the scores. It's got lots of push in all departments without much style or finesse. Kind of a bulldozer, it gets the job done by brute force, and this is further complicated by the sense that every impression is fighting with all the others for attention. My score of "3"Âť here is reflective of my opinion that the 4s in other categories are soft 4s. Nonetheless, I'm intrigued, and when I'm in the mood for a "whip me, whip me, beat me, beat me"Âť absinthe experience, this will be one of the first to come to mind.
Done with a 1 ounce dose, diluted 4:1, 4.5:1, 4.8:1, and 5:1 and no sugar.
Absinthe Butterfly 7/04/11, 7/09/11, 7/17/11, 9/25/11, 10/08/11.
All evaluations had consistent notes.
Unlouched, mossy green to olive drab with just some glints of peridot. Clear, bright, and natural looking. A heavy level of color. Any darker, and I would give it a "3"Âť. Louched, milky yellowish olive green, almost no gradients to the color.
Louche
Very thick, very opaque. The handle of a spoon in a Pontarlier glass is visible to only 1/4"Âť in from the surface, and only the edges can be seen through the sides. No real opalescence. One must look hard and under very good light to see the slightest hint of orange at the bottom, and blue at the meniscus.
Aroma
Neat, a quite strong anise/fennel profile with an equally strong sense of finishing herbs, especially the pontica. Louched, somewhat of a balance, I suppose, but both sides (distillate and coloring) of this formula seem a little overdone to me. Lemony notes, some florals, mint, hyssop, and pontica become quite evident as it warms. I'm certain the wormwood is there, but the anise/fennel, and finishing herb overkill overshadows it.
Flavor
A lot of everything... really packed. Commercial American attitude ("bigger is better"Âť), combined with anything but commercial execution. It's really quite deftly crafted, considering the loudness of all the ingredients. Strong anise/fennel, strong finishing herbs, strong spice and pepper, strong citrus, everything vying for front and center. Weighty mouthfeel (even at the 4.5:1 to 5:1 dilutions, which I preferred best), and not a very "spirity"Âť impression. A little rough. Not a "3"Âť, not a strong "4"Âť.
Finish
Immediately goes astringent, drying, and quite numbing. A strong anise, fennel, and wormwood linger accompanied by strong spice and pepper. Some "graininess"Âť on the palate... tingly, tingly... prickly, prickly. There's a lot going on without much real harmony. Doesn't leave me in a bad place, just not an elegant one. Satisfying in the same way as is scratching the same bug-bite over and over.
Overall
I rather enjoy this for what it is, but the way I see it, by the criteria, these are the scores. It's got lots of push in all departments without much style or finesse. Kind of a bulldozer, it gets the job done by brute force, and this is further complicated by the sense that every impression is fighting with all the others for attention. My score of "3"Âť here is reflective of my opinion that the 4s in other categories are soft 4s. Nonetheless, I'm intrigued, and when I'm in the mood for a "whip me, whip me, beat me, beat me"Âť absinthe experience, this will be one of the first to come to mind.
Done with a 1 ounce dose, diluted 4:1, 4.5:1, 4.8:1, and 5:1 and no sugar.
Absinthe Butterfly 7/04/11, 7/09/11, 7/17/11, 9/25/11, 10/08/11.
All evaluations had consistent notes.
M
This is a nice surprise.
Overall rating
3.9
Appearance
4.0
Louche
4.0
Aroma
4.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.0
Finish
3.0
Overall
4.0
The colour is darkish olive green but with no sediment or haze. Nice and natural. It smells peppery and honeyed. Citrus. Balance of wormwood and anise but it's mellow.
The louche is quick, resulting in a medium thick, fairly dark, opalescent olive. A tad dingy. With water the anise and wormwood come forward a bit. Bell pepper and some mintiness.
This absinthe is profoundly sweet and lemony upfront. Very anisey. Wormwood is there but plays second fiddle. Flavours of cola, powder, mint. Definitely candylike. There's an underlying cologne character.
It's fairly numbing but not too bad. The sugary anise flavour lingers for a long time but there isn't a lot of complexity to it, other than some lemonbalm.
I'd call this a dessert absinthe. It's the sweetest one I've ever had that didn't have added sugar and the selection of herbs is very refreshing after a meal.
The louche is quick, resulting in a medium thick, fairly dark, opalescent olive. A tad dingy. With water the anise and wormwood come forward a bit. Bell pepper and some mintiness.
This absinthe is profoundly sweet and lemony upfront. Very anisey. Wormwood is there but plays second fiddle. Flavours of cola, powder, mint. Definitely candylike. There's an underlying cologne character.
It's fairly numbing but not too bad. The sugary anise flavour lingers for a long time but there isn't a lot of complexity to it, other than some lemonbalm.
I'd call this a dessert absinthe. It's the sweetest one I've ever had that didn't have added sugar and the selection of herbs is very refreshing after a meal.
A
User reviews
8 reviews
Overall rating
4.2
Appearance
3.9(8)
Louche
4.3(8)
Aroma
4.4(8)
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.4(8)
Finish
3.9(8)
Overall
4.2(8)
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A little jewel
Overall rating
4.1
Appearance
3.5
Louche
4.0
Aroma
4.5
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.5
Finish
4.0
Overall
4.0
Appearance: A very light yellowish green, slightly foggy.
Louche: Oily trails in the beginning, with some yellow and orange. Then a thick, milky, green white louche, with some orange and blue reflex.
Aroma: A lovely aroma, intense but not invasive. Holy trinity without any rough edge, some spicy notes (cinnamon, pepper). Sweet and balanced.
Flavor/Mouthfeel: Mildly sweet, with wormwood, anise is restrained. Creamy and round, intense and delicate at the same time. All rough edges seem to have been removed by very careful distillation. Spicy, in a balanced way.
Finish: Wormwood bitterness lingering for long.
Overall: I personally like spicy absinthes, even when they are somehow rough. Butterfly is spicy and still perfectly balanced, not rough at all, with a sweetness which I find specific of other Bugnon’s products. A little jewel.
Louche: Oily trails in the beginning, with some yellow and orange. Then a thick, milky, green white louche, with some orange and blue reflex.
Aroma: A lovely aroma, intense but not invasive. Holy trinity without any rough edge, some spicy notes (cinnamon, pepper). Sweet and balanced.
Flavor/Mouthfeel: Mildly sweet, with wormwood, anise is restrained. Creamy and round, intense and delicate at the same time. All rough edges seem to have been removed by very careful distillation. Spicy, in a balanced way.
Finish: Wormwood bitterness lingering for long.
Overall: I personally like spicy absinthes, even when they are somehow rough. Butterfly is spicy and still perfectly balanced, not rough at all, with a sweetness which I find specific of other Bugnon’s products. A little jewel.
C
A very good standard offering
Overall rating
4.4
Appearance
4.0
Louche
4.5
Aroma
4.5
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.5
Finish
4.5
Overall
4.5
I would describe the flavor as herbal and minty with a notion of fruity citrus undertones. This brand is a great offering and would be a fantastic introduction to Absinthe.
D
Lovely "Boston" Butterfly
Overall rating
4.2
Appearance
4.0
Louche
4.5
Aroma
4.5
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.5
Finish
3.5
Overall
4.0
Initial color is a pretty green. Great, big aromas! Smells a bit fruity but still traditional - strikingly similar to Leopold's Verte. Really nice! Louche is milky-green. Taste is delicate but quite balanced... again, something fruity to this. Really quite delicious though. No alcohol heat at all. Maybe use a lower ratio than 5:1 on this. Full, creamy mouthfeel - especially at 3:1/4:1.
A bit delicate but solid... reminds me so much of Leopold's - not a bad thing at all.
Be sure to read up on the story of how an absinthe from Boston ends up being distilled in Switzerland. Very cool!
A bit delicate but solid... reminds me so much of Leopold's - not a bad thing at all.
Be sure to read up on the story of how an absinthe from Boston ends up being distilled in Switzerland. Very cool!
J
Plays it safe
Overall rating
3.8
Appearance
3.5
Louche
4.0
Aroma
3.5
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.0
Finish
3.5
Overall
4.0
Appearance: An average yellow-green, with maybe a touch of haze.
Louche: A pretty color, but a hint too thick. Nice glowing red highlights, and maybe even a bit of purple.
Aroma: The smell is noticeable, but not bursting with aroma. Definitely all three of the trinity are present, but not much else is going on here.
Flavor/Mouthfeel: A decent amount of wormwood up front that comes across nice and peppery, and the flavor isn't overly sweet.
Finish: Any sweetness that was present starts to recede and it becomes fairly tongue-numbing. This goes on for a long time.
Overall: I know that this is a reproduction of an old recipe, but it's really not pushing the envelope or taking many risks here. I like the absinthe quite a bit overall; it's well done and a good one for wormwood fanatics, but it's not particularly sublime or complex.
Louche: A pretty color, but a hint too thick. Nice glowing red highlights, and maybe even a bit of purple.
Aroma: The smell is noticeable, but not bursting with aroma. Definitely all three of the trinity are present, but not much else is going on here.
Flavor/Mouthfeel: A decent amount of wormwood up front that comes across nice and peppery, and the flavor isn't overly sweet.
Finish: Any sweetness that was present starts to recede and it becomes fairly tongue-numbing. This goes on for a long time.
Overall: I know that this is a reproduction of an old recipe, but it's really not pushing the envelope or taking many risks here. I like the absinthe quite a bit overall; it's well done and a good one for wormwood fanatics, but it's not particularly sublime or complex.
A
Float like a butterfly, sting like a... butterfly?
Overall rating
3.6
Appearance
3.5
Louche
3.5
Aroma
3.5
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.0
Finish
3.5
Overall
3.5
Appearance: A very light and clear olive green. Nothing bad but nothing special either.
Louche: Just slightly too thick but not bad at all. Not too hued either but a soft pastel green.
Aroma: Very noticeable citrus and anise smell. Wormwood and spice add a nice balance. A bit simple but still interesting in its balance.
Flavor: The flavor is light in weight much like a blanche. Citrus and anise proudly open the door for a nice wormwood and fennel dance. Nothing too complex but nicely playful. Star anise is detectable via a grainy sweetness but it's not overpowering and has been used in moderation. It's light but there's a decent amount going on here.
Finish: A slight mint and proud citrus-anise combo take over the finish with a nice display of peppery/spice tones showing more here than in the flavor. The star anise lends a heavy type of sweetness as well, almost medicinal. The wormwood dies out quickly though.
Overall: A well crafted basic absinthe that allows each flavor component to shine, each in their own way. The star anise use throws off the finish a bit. The wormwood is not over the top but in a nice balance that doesn't dominate the flavor. Simple but not in a bad way.
Louche: Just slightly too thick but not bad at all. Not too hued either but a soft pastel green.
Aroma: Very noticeable citrus and anise smell. Wormwood and spice add a nice balance. A bit simple but still interesting in its balance.
Flavor: The flavor is light in weight much like a blanche. Citrus and anise proudly open the door for a nice wormwood and fennel dance. Nothing too complex but nicely playful. Star anise is detectable via a grainy sweetness but it's not overpowering and has been used in moderation. It's light but there's a decent amount going on here.
Finish: A slight mint and proud citrus-anise combo take over the finish with a nice display of peppery/spice tones showing more here than in the flavor. The star anise lends a heavy type of sweetness as well, almost medicinal. The wormwood dies out quickly though.
Overall: A well crafted basic absinthe that allows each flavor component to shine, each in their own way. The star anise use throws off the finish a bit. The wormwood is not over the top but in a nice balance that doesn't dominate the flavor. Simple but not in a bad way.
E