This taste has been sponsored by a generous sample, louched with slowly dripped, ice cold water and no sugar.

Aroma pre-louche: A nice, smooth blend of wormwood and fennel. Very soft and floral. In the glass the nose is slightly of alcohol, but not unpleasant, with a sweetness that tames it.

Color: Perfect crystal peridot. Very natural. Perfect.

Louche: The water trails dance around very slowly. Much slower than any absinthe I've had previously. This lasts for a minute or so before the whole volume just cascades into complete opalescence, leaving a thing layer at the top that eventually melts away. The aroma is weak during the louche, but provides the room with a cleansing sweetness that is not overpowering but noticeable. The aroma when finished and sniffed right from the rim of the glass is very sweet and well supported from within, if that makes any sense. The color on completion is a perfectly authentic shade of pale, milky jade.

Flavor: First off, the mouth feel is exceptional. Very creamy. At first something very "woody" jumps out, and I presume this might be the best example of a forward wormwood flavor I've had yet. This lingers on the tongue and throughout the mouth as a very subtly sweet character appears and quickly cuts off any hint of bitterness. I find the anise to be only a supporting character here, allowing fennel and wormwood to bring their unique qualities to the front and sit on the tip of the tongue.

Overall: There is something nostalgic about this absinthe. This is the most balanced and well formed absinthe I've had. It really emphasizes the importance of each ingredient to the overall flavor. This is a fantastic absinthe!