Batch 30.

Before water the absinthe is bright, clear peridot. Ideal. The aroma first reminds me of cologne, but with some lemon undertones. Fruity with anise and wormwood beneath.

The louche is a little on the thin side, but it's a very pretty opalescent green with a hint of blue. After water the aroma is absolutely room filling, very fruity. In the glass there's a great balance of absinthe herbs. Ever so slight tartness. Very well constructed.

On the palate there's lots of anise upfront, some powder. Lemon. Wormwood is present but plays a support role. Everything is blended very well. Very bright, crisp, and delightful. It's already fairly mellow so i wonder what a few years of aging would do for it.

The finish is very long and fruity. Not much numbing at all. The balance remains constant instead of playing about.

This is quite an excellent absinthe. It should be a staple on anyone's shelf.

This review has been edited tin include my thoughts on recent batches and how they compared to the original review of Batch 4.
UPDATED REVIEW:
Color: I was very excited to see the new color of this absinthe. Obviously the coloration step was cut down dramatically, leading to a much cleaner, brighter, vibrant emerald green. Very inviting.

Louche: As I expected, the louche has now become spot on. Very nice trails, good layering and a nice, milky green final product.

Aroma: This has also improved with the lighter coloration. The coloring herbs aren't as dominant. You can pick up more anise as well.

Flavor: Definitely more anise in this batch, while the wormwood still stay in the forefront. Packs a punch from the white pepper taste of coriander, but not at all in a bad way.

Finish: The anise lingers a bit more than last time and plays with the mintiness of the wormwood and the peppery coriander. Nice and refreshing.

Overall: This is leaps and bounds above the Batch 4. One of the top offerings in the US, without a doubt. I highly recommend picking up a bottle. It should be included in any absinthe tasting get-together.


ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I was lucky enough to get a couple of bottles of batch 4 this past week.

Presentation notes: I really like the label and the bottle. While the clear glass might lead to a quicker fuille morte, a comment made by the distiller suggests that they will be putting a small pamphlet on the neck of the bottle explaining the effects of sunlight on vertes. A nice history blurb on the back label as well.

Color: (2) The color is definitely too deep. They sat on the coloring herbs a bit too long. This is an acknowledged issue that should be corrected in future batches. While too dark, it is not unattractive.

Louche: (3) The louche builds up very nicely. It's a bit murky, due to the strong coloration, but it forms well. As the coloring step is corrected, the louche should be wonderful.

Aroma: (4) The aroma packs a nice punch of wormwood, veronica and melissa. I'd like to pick up some more anise, but that also is supposed to be adjusted in coming batches.

Flavor: (3) So far, this absinthe has the strongest wormwood profile of any of the US absinthes. I was very pleasantly suprised. It's an enjoyable flavor, but a bit off balance, as there is a lack of anise in this batch. Due to the coloration, you definitely pick up a lot of veronica as well.

Finish: (4) The finish is very fresh and clean with a pleasant minty wormwood bitterness.

Overall: (3) I see this absinthe as one with great promise. While this batch does have some faults to it, the distiller has already picked up on them and has adjusted the anise and coloration for future batches. It's a good start. I'm looking forward to seeing how the upcoming batches evolve. They should be quite good.
BATCH 4 FINAL SCORE: 3.1