Sadly my two bottles of Jade 1901, now sit bone dry on my shelf. However, the memory lingers and it's a sweet and delicious one. I know the Jades have many reviews, but as my experience is limited I thought I would try my first review here, with the Absinthe I have been, to date - the most impressed with.



Preparation



I filled my fountain with ice cold spring water and the store bought ice, one because I find the ice in my freezer picks up flavors and two, it's quite beautiful in the fountain. After getting the wax off and un corking the bottle I gave the bottle a good half hour to breathe while I set up. I used a very slow drip of about one drop every two seconds. No sugar and I stopped the drip when I had a nice demarcation line of the of the Absinthe green on top. I then sped up the drip a bit until the line was gone, stopped the water and gave a quick stir.



Color Before Water





Like a crow, I'm attracted to pretty shiny things and have to say my first impression of the 1901 was the absolutely spectacular color. Just a gorgeous, crystal clear Peridot, Anyway I digress. Both bottles which in back were labeled 2006 so maybe aging and the dark glass helped to enhance or preserve the color. But out of each bottle poured this exquisite Peridot Green. In fact, I held up an actual Peridot stone and the color was identical. It's clear of any sediment, and sparkled beautifully in the dose reservoir of the glasses.



Aroma Before Water



Not the strong bolt of Anise I find with the Lucid, and at first I was a bit disappointed as it seemed weak and a little washed out. However, given time there was a wonderfully complex perfume of Anise and Fennel. I detected what I can only describe as "flowers" in the background, faint but there ~ and oh so alluring. Inhaling the Peridot elixir, much like a fine brandy I found it made my brain a little fuzzy with delightful and soothing vapors. There's heat from the alcohol but a coolness as well, crisp and luscious with a delectable complexity I had never experienced with the Lucid or St George.



Louche





Now this was interesting, as the water splashed down I could see these wonderfully icy looking trails, at first very subtle and they seemed to spread out like an amoeba from the center out. Totally intriguing. After a few minutes, perhaps five at best, maybe six the Louche formed in a swirl of a puffy white cloud that seemed surprisingly dense and turbulent, just fabulous to watch. When I got to a 2.5 to one ratio, I added a bit more water which made the Louche take hold of any remaining green at the top of the glass. The Louche finished at a beautiful whitish Jade ~ and the texture upon first sip was silky smooth and luscious.



Aroma After Water





It seemed to encompass all the complex and lovely notes I detected prior to adding water but without any real heat at all of alcohol. Like a bouquet the fragrance is layered and subtle. Certainly different from what I've had in the past. I had thought the Aroma was too weak to really fill the room - however my neighbor stopped by and announced "My God you're place smells wonderful" My guess is I had gotten used to the fragrance and really was past the point of detecting just how impressive it was.



Flavor





Simply put gorgeous. An up front dazzle of Anise sweet but by no means candy sweet. a Bite of bitter but nothing you would call sharp or unpleasant by any means. The after taste leaves an herbal and almost floral like complexity of subtle notes and tones. It's a perfect delicate balance of faint flavors and powerful ones without any one flavor blocking out another. Just an absolutely delicious and refreshing drink.



The Finish





Crisp and wonderful. I found no funky or strange aftertaste. The Louche while it looks much thicker than it really is has a nice light body to it and ever so slight of a creamy texture. As I mentioned earlier it's silky and smooth and an absolute delight to drink.





Final Impression





The Jade 1901 was pretty close to what I imagined Absinthe to be. Wonderfully complex without being obtrusive, delicate and yet filled with defiant and so many background notes of flavors I really again, can only describe as floral that it's an absolute pleasure to both prepare and enjoy.



Peter