Review Detail

1.5 65 0.5
So close to perfect I can taste it!
(Updated: June 03, 2009)
Overall rating
 
4.9
Appearance
 
5.0
Louche
 
5.0
Aroma
 
5.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
 
5.0
Finish
 
4.0
Overall
 
5.0
Color: The vibrant, rich peridot color of Walton Waters is beautiful and the definition of what I think an absinthe verte should look like. When louched, the brilliance softens, but it is still definitely in the peridot family, as opposed to the variations on yellow-green that I have often seen in other absinthes. The color in both cases is as near to perfect as I could possibly imagine. As to whether or not it will stay that way as it ages (my bottle is dated 09-4, presumably April 2009), I won't know for a long while, but I'm not sure I would even say that matters unless some sort of review standards for aged absinthe are set up.

Louche: Soft cascades of oil to start, which then slowly escalades into billowy clouds and then a roiling storm. Mesmerizing. Beautiful.

Aroma: Pleasantly floral, with a bouquet of extremely well-balanced herbs filling the room. The green anise is soft and alluring, but all of the botanicals are orchestrated skillfully into one masterpiece of scent.

Flavor: Walton Waters offers an outstanding, refined flavor. Green anise and fennel are certainly there, but there's something else that is both a little peppery and sweet, without being minty -- this is possibly the lemon thyme that others have cited. I found the ideal balance for my tastes at 4:1, where the spiciness is present but subdued, and the flavor fills out completely. At 4.5:1, the taste is equally delicious, having the presence of a light herbal earthiness, with only the ghost of spiciness. Sweetening is not necessary at all with this absinthe, but as has always been the case, I've found that a half teaspoon of agave nectar adds even more of a creamy fullness.

Finish: This one offers a rich and creamy mouthfeel (even before the agave sweetener is added), with a delicious aftertaste of coriander and fennel, accompanied by only the slightest numbing to the tongue. I would prefer that the finish last just a touch longer, as it is so good.

Overall: Walton Waters is fantastic, and the best absinthe I've had yet. I drank my sample glasses during the last weekend of May, approximately a month or so after it was made, and the idea that it is still considered young and will age to become even better is almost unfathomable to me. If the aging process causes the finish to last longer, this absinthe might very well be perfect.
J
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