Appearance: A very clear blanche with no sediment or hue detected.

Louche: The louche ends up being very thick. An opaque and almost almond-like appearance with not much variation in hue.

Aroma: A very fennel driven smell that is also floral, sweet, and citrus in character.

Flavor: The texture is creamy and silky with a heavy weight on the tounge. Delightful citrus and lavender tones dominate over piques of anise and wormwood. There's a bit of a citrus tang but not so much of a flavor.

Finish: Crisp and slightly bitter finish with an increase in the citrus notes revealing lemonbalm. Not too long lasting and towards the end a surprising amount of star anise shows up.

Overall: A very good and interesting floral blanche. The star anise use is within reason but very pronounced in the finish, which also could last a bit longer. I love the crispness of the finish contrasting with the creamy texture of the flavor. Something as nice as the flavor makes this a great drink, if only it would stay with you longer.

A very nice refreshing blanche. 4:1 prepared with a brouilleur.

The color was perfectly clear with no sediment.

Its aroma is the highlight for certain; crisp yet delicate, herbals and flowers.

The louche was a bit fast, but it ended up in a nice opalescent white with hints of blue and copper flashes.

Its flavor is quite nice; citrus and mint flirt around the anise and wormwood playfully. light and refreshing. Sugar would be way over the top in this absinthe.

Her finish (it's a her) was good, but not stellar. I'm not a fan of star anise, but the light pull and balance of elements made me want more. The build is promising and quality, but It simply fades too soon to be a 5. Still, quite nice.

Overall, this is a very nice blanche that is well balanced and refreshing. For those who want a delicate blanche, this is a solid choice.

-Color-
Before Water: Perfectly crystal clear

After Water: A little on the thick side, but not too much so. Slight blue glow around the edges with deeper copper highlights.

-Louche-
Definitely on the quick side in general, but typical for a blanche. Swirling thick trails with nice blue and copper highlights push this from a 3 to a 4.

-Aroma-
Before Water: Deep woodsy aroma, almost dank, but not over the line into funky.

After Water: Mild fruity and citrus notes up front. The minty wormwood is more prominent here than in most la bleues. On the backside of this is a dusky sharpness that just might be tails- or it could be an herbaceous component from the wormwood that is mixing unusually with the background herbs. It’s not really unpleasant, just not sparkly clean, so instead of assigning a negative connotation, I’m calling it a “down-home Swiss” feel.

-Flavor-
Well balanced anise flavor, the minty wormwood is here, with citrus, chamomile and perhaps some other herbs humming faintly in the background.

The body has decent thickness, but it’s not as rich as Clandestine, for example. However, there is a nice juicy feel that I’ve seen others attribute to the fruity fennel.

-Finish-
The juicy mouthfeel gives way to light citrus and a softly bitter-fresh wormwood. Staying power is not bad, but it would need more depth and sustain to push it to a “5” rating.

-Overall-
A very solid Swiss blanche with a handmade character. The juicy, citrus, and wormwood balance sets it above the average la bleue. If you enjoy Clandestine and are looking for another quality la bleue to experience or add to your collection, I definitely recommend this.

Notes: 3:1 drip, no sugar. Lot No. 2043175 Ab T

Clear, bright and colorless. The louche develops nicely as the transparent layer slowly thins; not much opalescence. Great aroma, minty and fresh. Well balanced flavor, very refreshing with a lingering finish.

This particular bottle was perhaps a year old. The dilution was 4:1 (water:absinthe).



This absinthe is a blanche, and it is very clear, bright and transparent. No sediment was visible. This absinthe was louched using a brouilleur. The louche began with a nice display of oil trails and soon the characteristic milkiness developed. There are nice highlights of opal, but perhaps this could be a bit stronger. The aroma was delightful; truly the "Alpine meadow".



The flavor is very nice. Obviously there is anise, but also hyssop, chamomile, and several other notes that I didn't recognise. Perhaps the fennel is a local one?



The finish was nice. I kept thinking was this a "3" or a "4"? The numbing from star anise was a bit annoying, but the wormwood bitterness (distilled, not macerated) was present in the finish. It teased one into having another sip.



Soon, much too soon, my absinthe was gone. La Ptite is a very refreshing drink. And one I really enjoyed.