Illusion - Reviewed by Experts and Consumers at The Wormwood Society
Product Details
Available in USA?
Style/Color
Degrees ABV (% alcohol)
Country of Origin
Distillery
Editor reviews
2 reviews
View most helpful
Just wrong
Overall rating
1.1
Appearance
1.5
Louche
2.0
Aroma
0.5
Flavor / Mouthfeel
1.0
Finish
0.5
Overall
1.0
I was gifted a bottle of this for review from the owner of Alandia. He knew the review wouldn't be pretty, but wanted an opinion nonetheless. I appreciate his ability to 'take a punch'.
Appearance: Almost a neon green with a blueish haze. Very similar to many Eastern European faux absinthes.
Louche: Hardly anything to speak of. Very light and still see-through.
Aroma: Medicinal and minty with some anise. Not appealing at all. Lots of harsh alcohol.
Flavor: Same medicinal quality. Mouthwashy and quite bitter at the tail end.
Finish: Acrid. And it lingers. It makes you want to scrape your tongue.
Overall: No. No no no no. NO.
Appearance: Almost a neon green with a blueish haze. Very similar to many Eastern European faux absinthes.
Louche: Hardly anything to speak of. Very light and still see-through.
Aroma: Medicinal and minty with some anise. Not appealing at all. Lots of harsh alcohol.
Flavor: Same medicinal quality. Mouthwashy and quite bitter at the tail end.
Finish: Acrid. And it lingers. It makes you want to scrape your tongue.
Overall: No. No no no no. NO.
User reviews
1 review
Overall rating
1.6
Appearance
2.0(1)
Louche
2.0(1)
Aroma
1.0(1)
Flavor / Mouthfeel
2.0(1)
Finish
2.0(1)
Overall
1.0(1)
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Perfectly named.
(Updated: January 22, 2011)
Overall rating
1.6
Appearance
2.0
Louche
2.0
Aroma
1.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
2.0
Finish
2.0
Overall
1.0
Color: A light bluish green, attractive if you like pretty colors, but not natural looking for absinthe.
Louche: It started with promise; strong trails and curls, but quickly turned to a weak mist that by 2:1 was simply already too thin. By 3:1, it was barely there at all.
Aroma: I'm giving it a 1, as inappropriate. It simply doesn't smell like absinthe.
Neat, I sensed a hint of anise, but was overwhelmed by a strange combination of spice, medicine, candy, and insect repellent, with a nice bang of rubbing alcohol on top.
Flavor: It reminded me a bit of Le Tourment Verte...that is not a good thing. I gave it a 2, as some people might enjoy the flavor, it simply however, is not what I would call absinthe. There is an odd medicinal cough-drop or mouthwash edge, a sweetness, and a strong, harsh, and bitter wormwood. Sugar makes it too sweet, no sugar is just as bad for other reasons.
Finish: It has a thin mouthfeel, is very 1 dimensional, and fades quickly leaving a mostly bitter and light medicinal aftertaste. I tasted this for a long long time after I was done. I was not happy about that.
Overall: Wow. How do I say this? This stuff is pretty bad. I gave it a 1, as absinthe, IMHO, it is not acceptable. I tried this 2 times, with some thought between samplings, last night, and this afternoon. I had to stop both times after half a glass. My fear here is that with Alandia's description on their website about "mental activation", "seeing things differently", and quoting Oscar Wilde, that they are harming the reputation of real absinthe with this stuff, and misleading people who are falling for the hype. It is just potentially drinkable enough, that for people who like being misled and want to see the green fairy, be naughty, and text their friends about it, that they might keep drinking it!
Louche: It started with promise; strong trails and curls, but quickly turned to a weak mist that by 2:1 was simply already too thin. By 3:1, it was barely there at all.
Aroma: I'm giving it a 1, as inappropriate. It simply doesn't smell like absinthe.
Neat, I sensed a hint of anise, but was overwhelmed by a strange combination of spice, medicine, candy, and insect repellent, with a nice bang of rubbing alcohol on top.
Flavor: It reminded me a bit of Le Tourment Verte...that is not a good thing. I gave it a 2, as some people might enjoy the flavor, it simply however, is not what I would call absinthe. There is an odd medicinal cough-drop or mouthwash edge, a sweetness, and a strong, harsh, and bitter wormwood. Sugar makes it too sweet, no sugar is just as bad for other reasons.
Finish: It has a thin mouthfeel, is very 1 dimensional, and fades quickly leaving a mostly bitter and light medicinal aftertaste. I tasted this for a long long time after I was done. I was not happy about that.
Overall: Wow. How do I say this? This stuff is pretty bad. I gave it a 1, as absinthe, IMHO, it is not acceptable. I tried this 2 times, with some thought between samplings, last night, and this afternoon. I had to stop both times after half a glass. My fear here is that with Alandia's description on their website about "mental activation", "seeing things differently", and quoting Oscar Wilde, that they are harming the reputation of real absinthe with this stuff, and misleading people who are falling for the hype. It is just potentially drinkable enough, that for people who like being misled and want to see the green fairy, be naughty, and text their friends about it, that they might keep drinking it!
S