EDIT: I'm on my 2nd bottle of this, and am liking it even more. I've changed the louche from a 4 to a 5.

This is a tasty, refreshing and clean absinthe. I enjoyed it best at 4:1 with no sugar. This is the latest batch. I suspect it has improvements since the earlier reviews, as I have read notes on French sites about the maker's changes in the wormwood and flavor.

Color: clear and natural, a mix of gold and light green.

Louche: The louche is wonderful on this absinthe. Evenly building with an attractive color when complete. It is rich and thick, but not overly so.

Aroma: Very nice; anise and sweet florals with a gentle wormwood. Clean and inviting.

Flavor: The sweet anise is ahead of the wormwood here, but the wormwood is absolutely delicious...Alpine...fresh. All the elements are there, nicely balanced. If you like an anise forward verte, you will certainly enjoy this. There is a fruity edge, with citrus in the mix. A clean, bright and tasty flavor. Sugar would make this too sweet.

Finish: A quality finish with a light pinch and build. It fits perfectly with the flavor. The linger could have been a tad longer, but still quite nice.

Overall, a very solid absinthe, and is my favorite Swiss verte.

I have reviewed two versions of veuve verte, the one that was 69%-1 and the other that was 68%-2. There was a premiere version, 54% which I have not had and the following review compilation is NOT about the latter.

Veuve verte 69%, reviewed 1/28/2010

Exemplary vivid green is the colour of this potion. The louche is slow and gradual unlike in other Swiss absinthes that suffer from badiane mocha louche. The louche absinthe retains green tinge and does not get too whitish.

The aroma is dominated with pontica and melissa, the herbs play the main roles, not the grains. Alcohol is undetectable, even at 69% it should be praised. Thick but not heavy, bitter and spicy on the palate the absinthe opens enough at 1:4

It might be me, but I detect tansy therein (it was later confirmed by the producer). There is licorice, pontica, wormwood very nicely pronounced, some anise, everything is balanced and not as bitter as some claim. Yet, well-balanced.

I really liked and so did my parents (not only for the tansy inclusion :)

Veuve verte 68%, reviewed 12/21/2010

The colour has changed a bit, but still is a pleasure to look at: green deep enough transforming into feuille morte. Louche has not changed a iota.

The aroma has evolved, it is tansy upfront and a little touch from mint, very balanced and rich.

At the first glance, absinthe is spicy and bitter, slightly heavy, pleasant. Balanced. Taste is the equilibrium of reasonable bitterness marrying with some spiciness and just a touch of sweetness. Masculine, absinthe forte. It is better than the previous Veuve Verte-it is more bold.

Knowing from the producer it is incorporating some ideas from C.F. Berger's art, it is a superb verte that has everything in accordance with tradition.

Appearance: A good peridot, leaning a bit more towards yellow, with a hint of gold. No sediment or haze.

Louche: It has a mildly green (maybe a bit more yellow), impenetrable louche. It's not what I would call very "glowy", either.

Aroma: Wormwood, sweetness, and something that makes my nose tingle. The scent is not particularly big and it takes a good deal of sniffing to figure out what's going on.

Flavor/Mouthfeel: Tasting this one's a bit peculiar, the flavor doesn't happen where I expect it to, instead the liquid glides through the mouth and then near the end of the sip, the flavor hits all at once: fennel, anise, and wormwood, all very pronounced.

Finish: Cold and very much like the feeling after brushing my teeth, the wormwood seems to last the longest with a bit of the anise.

Overall: I wish it were a bit rounder in flavor and aroma, and much less crisp and cooling.

Appearance: The classic peridot green with no haze or sediment to be found.

Louche: Very, very, thick. A lighter shade of the original peridot.

Aroma: Light, you almost have to stick your nose in the drink to smell anything. Fennel, anise, and citrus show up with a good whiff.

Flavor: Fennel, coriander, and lemon balm as well as an astringent and vegetal mouthfeel all lead in. Next act features what I would guess as a 50/50 star anise to green anise mix. Wormwood light with more pontica showing up than absinthium.

Finish: The finish opens up some of the citrus and pepper notes and also the astringent texture as well. The anise rises a bit as well.

Overall: Lots of flavor but a bit heavy on the star anise and peculiar astringency. The almost unnoticeable aroma is puzzling as well.