Review Detail

2.2 51 0.5
The first absinthe to hit US shelves since the ban
(Updated: May 29, 2011)
Overall rating
 
3.3
Appearance
 
4.0
Louche
 
4.0
Aroma
 
3.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
 
3.0
Finish
 
3.0
Overall
 
3.0
05/29/11 Revisit

The colour has improved to a bright gold with a hint of green. There is a very slight haziness but it is otherwise quite attractive. The aroma is anise-forward, with some caramel and notes of green apple.

The louche is also improved. Almost white with a hint of greenish blue. Nice lightplay. After water the wormwood comes forward some. There's a dose of funky cumin. The unwanted caramel aroma is still there but has backed off a bit.

The flavour is dominated by very sweet, strong anise, but unfortunately the second most dominant flavour is the annoying funk. The wormwood lays back some. The caramel taste thankfully isn't anywhere near as strong as it used to be, which has a huge impact on the perception of freshness. There's a slight tartness and some spicy notes. The finish is a wall of numbing anise and not terribly complex.

It's definitely improved. There are still some crippling flaws but it has gone from being nearly undrinkable to a decent, middle-shelf absinthe.

Original review:

Lucid pours a pale, clear, natural olive. The louche is everywhere at once and lacking theatrics, but it does have good definition and refraction as it turns a pale yellow-green. The light aroma is of mostly anise and wormwood but also seems caramelized. All of these characteristics carry over into the simple, flat flavour. There are no noticeable notes of colouring herbs. Another flaw is a funky, sweaty taste but it's not dominating. However, I find the caramelly flavour over the top and highly distracting. The mouth-feel is fairly creamy and not too numbing. The finish is wormwood that seems to transform into fennel as it lingers. Lucid just doesn't taste like I expect absinthe to. It's got the basic, required components but they don't add up right.
A
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