This review is a long time coming from me, given that I first started enjoying my bottle of Doubs Mystique in October of last year. Given that I've just finished it, I've decided it's high time to post my thoughts.

The only thing which I found lacking in the Mystique is the first category of the rating system - color. A lot of folks have essentially said that it's the appropriate greenish color with a bit of yellow, but my experience was reversed; I found it to be yellow-green with a flush of the appropriate peridot.

That being said, the Mystique was excellent in almost every other respect. The aroma is heavenly, and while the louche was a bit too oily to be perfect, I have to credit it with being active for a long time and finishing with a fine opalescence. The flavor itself is fantastic, with an exceptional wormwood taking front and center, yet balanced finely with fennel, anise, and a hint of lemon balm. The finish is likewise exceptional, hanging onto the best qualities of the flavor so well that you simply must have another sip.

In short, if this absinthe were more cost-effective, I'd gladly have a daily dose. I won't say that it's not worth every penny, because it is - but with more than a couple other absinthes which are just as worthy and are also a bit less expensive, it won't be able to claim my top spot for numero uno. Nonetheless, cost aside, the Mystique is definitely in my top five.

Colour is proper, could be darker, but as long as the New Master Distiller takes over the production, we cannot expect much.

Louche is gradual and slow and very attractive.

Aroma attacks with a persistent, harsh mint, it is not that pleasant as it should be-maybe the mint of dubious quality or even of wrong species, yet the aroma is saved with a discrete wormwood

Flavour is organized as the mixture of spiciness and crispiness, what is relatively palatable. The finish is anisy, with wormwood in the middle. The main flaw is that absinthe is unbalanced despite the rumours of its long "aging" or whatever.

There are things that catch our attention positively, yet there is no artistry or skill in it. And ad hoc.

Better than Vieux Pontarlier or Roquette, still needs some work in the obvious departments. Diminishing of the mint would be required, it gets sticky on the tongue for too long.

*Edited: I now, a year later, feel sugar is simply not needed with this. Also, the louche in the last couple bottles seems to form more easily than my first bottle. My notes in the louch section reflect the change.

I was Doubious (sic) when I saw the screw cap, and a bit sad when I saw how small the bottle was, then realized it was 500 ml, and only LOOKED smaller. Enjoyed at 4:1 with no sugar.

Color: Lovely bright sparkling light green peridot with a touch of yellow. Really pretty.

Louche: Formed slowly and evenly with nice trails and clouds with a clear layer above. The final color was wonderful, and had an opalescence I enjoyed. In my first two bottles from a year or so ago, I found the louche needed a little extra work to coax into fullness. Very, very cold ice water, and a slow drip was needed for the louche to be at its best. My last two bottles however, had a louche that formed more easily, at a steady slow wispy build, ending in a perfect opalescent glow.

Aroma: Very inviting. I knew I'd taste wormwood from the aroma, and the anise was clear and inviting as well.

Flavor: With my first sip, I thought of a beefed up Vieux Pontarlier; with more flowers and herbals. It really had the same maker's hand in it... Classic with a twist. Wormwood was right there, fennel and anise supported it it perfectly. Hyssop, coriander and perhaps a touch of melissa made themselves known. Very tasty.

Finish: Wonderful as well. It builds, pulls at you, the slowly fades leaving a linger of spice and herbs that demands you keep sipping. Just the right tingle.

Mystique is one of the best absinthes I've tried to date. From the bottle, it pours a very pretty peridot green, clear and bright, with a rich element of gold in the green. The louche that follows is a beautiful jade, building gradually with all the expected visual, and ending with just the right degree of translucence.

Before water, the aroma is crisp and fresh, somewhat medicinal but not overwhelmingly so. After the louche forms, it opens to a lovely fresh herbal scent, with hints of spice floating on top. Although mild, the aroma is intriguing, with just the right balance of herbal and spicy notes. The flavor and finish meet the expectations raised by the aroma. The former is beautifully balanced: fresh, herbal but not grassy, and spicy without any of the distracting flavor spikes that sometime occur in other brands. Beneath it all runs a delicate bitterness, very subtle at first, but lingering into a long and very pleasing finish.

Perhaps the color before water could be a little more green, but I'll still give Mystique a five overall. Wonderful!

No sugar. Slow icy cold drip.

Aroma pre-louche: very well balanced. Sweet, almost juicy. No hint of alcohol present. Nothing overpowers anything else, leaving a very subdued complexity that leaves me not knowing what to expect. In the glass the aroma opens up allowing an almost lemony quality to ride along a gentle hint of heat.

Color: Crystal clear. Very bright peridot green. Very appropriate and very pleasing. Maybe the most beautiful green I've seen to date.

Louche: The most beautiful louche I've seen so far. Fantastic trails begin dancing around wildly with the first drop. This magical display lasts quite a while, but all of a sudden a cloud simple envelopes the dance as if trying to hide your eyes from something you shouldn't be seeing. The aroma is wonderful; full of fruit and candy notes. The color of the glass when finished is a brilliant emerald green, probably the darkest post louche coloration I've seen. But really quite something to behold.

Flavor: Delectable. Wormwood is the central figure here, but it is surrounded by a supporting cast of very subtle flavors that bring a balanced sweetness to the finish. The mouth feel is very nice, and a spiciness begins to display itself after each successive sip.

Overall: I'm not sure what else to say other than it may have just nudged above Viuex Pontarlier as my current favorite. This is definitely a wormwood forward drink, but there is plenty of other flavors there that make this, so far, the most balanced absinthe I've tried. Towards the end of the glass, the wormwood settles into the background and the more sweet hints of anise and fennel begin to give you a new experience. Very, very nice!