Lucid was the first absinthe I purchased, and it got me hooked. After buying several more over the next year I began trying other absinthes. Still, Lucid is one of my favorites, and a great one to start with.

Appearance:
Intriguing bottle, it is always looking at you! Very light green, just enough to note it is not clear. Much lighter than most absinthe.

Louche:
This is one of my favorite louche effects. It will certainly surprise most people when the very light, nearly clear, absinthe turns a thick and cloudy white when adding water. It is a great effect, one of the best.

Aroma:
It smells like absinthe without the completely overwhelming anise, which I do not like.

Flavor:
Very good flavor. Depending on how strong your mix is you can choose how much flavor and warmth you want from it without losing the signature absinthe taste. Also good with sugar, but definitely not necessary.

Finish:
The finish is not too strong, but does give a lingering taste. Nothing note worthy about it, other than, again, being a great choice for a first absinthe.

Overall:
It is a great bottle to pick up, and is available much more than any other I have seen. Definitely worth a try even if it is more expensive than your average liquor. One of my personal favorites.

Lucid absinthe was one of the first absinthes I saw on the shelf when the ban was lifted in the U.S. but for some reason I waited a long time to try it. We ended up buying a bottle when it was the best option at a local liquor store. The reviews were not great, so I wasn't expecting much but I thought it was a great absinthe! The color was a little dull, but the louche was beautiful and you could see each drop dance into the glass. The bottle is dark, I assume to block sun light but I think it could have done a better job as the appearance was underwhelming. The aroma is sweet, and strong. The flavor just about matches the aroma having a strong anise and fennel flavor, without the rewarding wormwood kick which is what stopped it from getting a 4 on flavor. Definitely a great absinthe, that is so close to being amazing!

For my first experience with absinthe, I chose Lucid, partly due to its availability in my local stores, and partly because the general consensus here at WS and other sites was that it's a good absinthe to use as a baseline for judging more complex absinthes.

I purchased this bottle in December of 2008, and opened it here in mid-March 2009. Taking the advice of others, I let it air for about an hour before tasting. I had two glasses on the first night, then two glasses the following night, and I am basing my review primarily on the second tasting.

Color: The color was a nice golden peridot prior to loucheing. There was minimal haziness. After loucheing, the color changed to a pale peridot verging on yellow, but it was not unattractive.

Louche: The louche began almost immediately, being fully underway at a 1:1 ratio and over by about the 2:1 point. Nonetheless, the thin and wispy strands resulting from a fine fountain drip were enjoyable to watch, however brief they may have been. For a second glass, my less steady pour with a mini-carafe formed slightly thicker clouds.

Aroma: There was a pleasant mix of vibrant anise with a strong scent of fennel that fully opened up once the water drip began, but also diminished significantly at the 2:1 point.

Flavor: The flavor was not complex, and was a little less bitter than I expected it to be, but the simple combination of the 'holy trinity', along with a slight note of something almost like celery, was mild and refreshing. Granulated sugar detracted from my first glass, in that the sweetness was very pronounced at first and was followed by bitterness, but a half teaspoon of organic blue agave nectar in the second glass made for a much fuller and more-balanced taste.

Finish: The Lucid has a smooth, mild finish with only mild numbing at 3:1 or 4:1. The aftertaste lingers only briefly, but is pleasant.

Overall: After trying at various strengths, I found that around 3:1 or 3.5:1 was the best ratio for water to absinthe to bring out the best qualities of the Lucid. Anything above 4:1 results in a weak, watered down taste. While this absinthe has a fine flavor when completely unsweetened, I found that the agave nectar complimented it very well, and much better than granulated sugar. Some have said that the Lucid has been "oversimplified" for mild American tastes and that may be true, but I found it to be pleasant and refreshing, and would recommend it to anyone who wants an absinthe with a lower amount of bitterness.

Admittedly, it has been just under a year since I finished my bottle of Lucid. However, since it was my first absinthe I wanted to share my thoughts. I have since tasted around 10 COs in my first year of absinthe, so my hindsight is thus colored. (Macerated?)

Bottle acquired February, 2007.

Color: I enjoyed Lucid's green. It was correct and not pale like some of the later batches, as noted by others.

Louche: I can't say it was opalescent, but I feel Lucid gave me an *excellent* introduction as to how a nice louche looks. Very enjoyable, and all my glasses were carafe pours.

Aroma: The transformation and opening up of absinthe's aroma upon the addition of water was another thing I that endeared me to the drink as a complete novice. As the bottle of Lucid aged, I enjoyed the aroma even more.

Flavor: Though I can't disrespect Lucid because it was my first, it hadn't totally convinced me that absinthe's flavor was "for me." Almost. Kubler, my second, would clinch it. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the "licorice" talk was inaccurate, due to the crisper, herbal, and far less cloying flavor of anise. I enjoyed the subtle bitterness of the wormwood, and was glad it wasn't front and center for my first experience. (I'm still somewhat of a bitterness wus.) However, the strong black pepper-like flavor really got in the way. I do not have fond memories of it at all; it even overshadows the "murky" aspect to the flavor that others have noted. My distaste for this pepper note may mean I'm not a fan of coriander, but I can't be sure. The murkiness felt like a sort of barrier preventing me from fully experiencing the herbs.

Finish: I was struck by the milkiness of absinthe, and am happy to have had Lucid introduce me to this. I don't recall the immediate finish after a sip, but recall really enjoying the flavors staying with me for an hour or two after I had finished the glass.

Overall: Here is where we catapult back into the present. It is an excellent starter absinthe, not too complex, has all the right components, and is well-made. The bottle only got better as it aged, but that pepper note was still there. Lucid will always have a place in my heart having been my first, but since my absinthe explorations have taken me elsewhere, I can't envision buying another bottle in the near future. It's not my first choice, but I would not refuse it if offered.

What you really want to know: No, you won't go wrong buying a bottle. Very much worth it. If available, look for the gift set that includes two nice reservoir glasses and a spoon for the same price as a bottle ($57 USD). Overall, you can get better, but it's far from being a low-grade disappointment. Good basic absinthe that will stay stocked on my shelf. If I had to sum it up in a word, it would be "natural." If you're the kind of person who thinks a woman smells better with a pint of perfume and looks better with two hours of makeup than when she first steps out of the shower, this might not be the drink for you; stick to Pernod or Absente.

Color - Light olive... in fact, perhaps a bit too light, but I was very pleased to see no use of artificial dyes. I don't like my absinthe to wear makeup. Natural and correct. Almost, but not quite, a 4 rating. Had it been artificial, I never would have rated it above a 1.

Louche - Immediate, nice oily trails at first, good blossom of the louche. Like the color, though, the louche is a bit light; doesn't quite hit the opalescense that I was expecting.

Aroma - Very nice. If you're used to a pastis like Pernod, or other substitutes like Razzouk Arak, you will be very pleasantly surprised with its complexity, both before and after water. It's not the most complex, but there are some definitely interesting and correct notes. Predominately anise and fennel, of course, with a decently forward wormwood nose and something definitive about it - couldn't quite discern if it was coriander or perhaps cumin. Not much of a floral bouquet, but very interesting and spicy.

Flavor - Enough of a coriander and wormwood nose that there was a pleasant herbal taste, almost a hint of celery, but not grassy. Of course, coriander sometimes gives the illusion of saltiness, but it wasn't overly powerful, just enjoyable. A huge step up from the one-dimensional taste of Absente, Pernod, or Razzouk. Each taste was a bit of an experiment, trying to put words to exactly what was being tasted. If I had to identify room for improvement (and to be honest, I would definitely not characterize the experience as a disappointing one overall) it would be the relative lack of some of the more floral notes in both the aroma and flavor. Still, a flavor that kept me intrigued and ready for the next sip.

Finish - Spicy, herbal (think gourmet cooking spice, not floral candle shop) pleasant aftertaste that lingered just long enough. For my second glass, I added a bit more water to 4:1, the better to lighten the alcohol and try to separate the flavors.

Overall - Heads and tails above any of the pastis or other absinthe "substitutes." I like pastis and arak for what they are, but this is a very positive and uniquely absinthian experience. Also, hands down, better than anything I've gotten off the shelf in the US as of the end of 2008. I haven't yet tried the other T.A. Breaux designs (the Jade line), but if they really are quite pleasantly superior to Lucid, I suspect I'll be extremely happy with them even at a higher price. I'll be buying Lucid again soon (unfortunately, probably very soon, as it seems I'm going through it a bit quickly - a tribute to its interesting character.)