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!