As soon as I opened the bottle I immediately became aware of its wonderful fragrance and aroma. As I like to taste my absinthe straight up I poured myself half a shot. I played with it for a while swirling it around and noticed how wonderful its aroma was. I took the shot and was amazed at how smooth 136 proof can be! Up to this point I had only experienced grain spirited absinthe's. This was wonderful, I never new what I was missing! I then diluted it several times 2:1 and up to 4:1 My favorite being 3:1 - This is now my favorite absinthe. This to me was pure nirvana. Thank you Gwydion Stone for producing this wonderful concoction and keeping this absinthe pure to its pre-ban heritage!