Appearance
Unlouched, a light medium peridot with just the slightest, slightest hint of olive. Crystal clear and clean. Louched, very good green retention with amber, golden, and bluish accents. Very pretty.

Louche
A very well formed louche with some translucence. Nice sheen. About as close to opaque as I would like to see. Overall a golden jade color with pretty subtle opalescence.

Aroma
A really inviting aroma neat. Lovely anise, fennel, and herbs, especially the hyssop. Louched, wow. All the classic stuff in impeccable balance. Fresh, clean, not tired a bit. It just has it all. Slight mint and powder, especially as it warms. I love it at 5:1, however at 5.5:1 the flowers just go nuts. The powder, mint, and confectionery elements combine to serve as the icing on the cake. As it really warms the pontica pontificates.

Flavor
Smooth, round, silky entry, the trinity announcing it's arrival first. Just as the nose, every major element deftly balanced. Minty and floral underpinnings with a slight bloom of spice. Every once in a while a slight grace note of lemon. A very clean base. 5:1 to 5.5:1 show it best, in my opinion, but it is very nice at lower dilutions if you don't mind some slight heat. This is really one of the best Pontarlier profiles I have tried.

Finish
A very balanced fade of all the palate impressions with a slow bloom of spice. The coriander and wormwood holding hands, cheered on by the balance of the trinity. A slight powdery drying, and just a slight pull on the entire palate (tongue, roof, gums, everything). This is where I think the higher dilutions serve well, less drying, more refreshing. And length? It just goes on and on.

Overall
Lovely. Classic. Need I say more?




But I will. It's easy to see why this wowed in it's day. It wows me now. And considering all the fine offerings that have been released since this was made, that is quite something. This could serve as the Pontarlier prototype. I wouldn't change a thing and I wish I had more.

I can still remember seeing this available when I first started drinking absinthe. Being so new to it, I didn't know the details and, of course, couldn't buy everything. But they say, "Better late than never". So all my appreciation to LdF for that 2011 release of a few bottles, and them finally getting me to the party.

Done with .75 and 1 ounce doses, diluted 4:1, 4.5:1, 5:1, 5.5:1 and no sugar.

L'Artisanale 7/10/11, 10/15/11, 11/13/11, 2/05/12
All evaluations had consistent notes.