Review Detail

-Color-
Before Water: Crystal clear.

After Water: Opalescent white with copper and blue highlights; nice oil slicks on the surface.

-Louche-
Good paced action; a well defined cloud bank builds up with yet another distinct clear layer of jellies, then a clear unjellied top layer.

-Aroma-
Before Water: Intriguing, alpine, floral, and herbal.

After Water: The intrigue is still there, strongly reminiscent of tarragon but with less pungence and more briskness. Clear anise/fennel underpinning with citrus/coriander suggestions in the background. Odd but good.

-Flavor-
As with the aroma, an interesting herbaceous flavor that I initially found very tarragonish, but not in a bad way. Upon further taste exploration, I believe this may be due in large part to good wormwood commingling with a powerful expression of very high quality chamomile. Anise and fennel are the foundation, but are in no way shy, and I believe add a bit of nice fruitiness to go along with everything else. This was a super tough choice between a 4 or a 5, one of those times I wish I could give a 4.5.

-Finish-
Adequately round/full bodied at the start, then turns into crisp and palate cleansing by mid sip. Nice minty finish, but I wish the zing lasted just a bit longer.

-Overall-
Another very unique absinthe from Helfrich. I can see that its quirky, distinct flavor might not be for everyone. But if you're feeling adventurous and can get a hold of one the dwindling bottles, I think you'll find it's a terrific blanche and a refreshing deviation if you need a la bleue break. Conjures pseudo-memories of kicking back in a wooden lounger outside a lodge on a sunny but cold alpine morning.

Notes: 3:1 iced brouille, no sugar.