Obsello Absenta - Reviewed by Experts and Consumers at The Wormwood Society

 
4.1 (3)
 
1.8 (42)
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42 reviews
5 stars
 
0%
 
33%
 
7%
2 stars
 
0%
 
60%
Overall rating
 
1.8
Appearance
 
1.8(42)
Louche
 
1.8(42)
Aroma
 
1.8(42)
Flavor / Mouthfeel
 
1.9(42)
Finish
 
1.9(42)
Overall
 
1.8(42)
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42 results - showing 1 - 5
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A very good absinthe verte.
Overall rating
 
4.2
Appearance
 
4.0
Louche
 
5.0
Aroma
 
4.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
 
4.0
Finish
 
4.0
Overall
 
4.0
I like this absinthe very much. The affordability of it, the flavor, the base, everything.

Straight from the bottle the color is a very deep green, stemmy or leaf like green-leaves that have been on a tree all summer long type green, dark and aged. Very nice! Clearly a verte when in an absinthe glass.

The louche is quick forming, at about 1:1 ratio. I always get a little weary with quick louches as they seem to dissipate before 4:1 or 5:1 ratios, but this louche holds and is nice and thick, but not too thick.

The straight aroma without water added is nicely alcoholic, like perfume, not harsh, but sweet and aromatic, herbal and grassy. Not like a freshly cut lawn, but like a field after an afternoon rainstorm. After water it is subdued and the sweeter notes open up. Very nice, very refreshing and relaxing!

The flavor is an odd mix. Wormwood, lemon, anise, some vanilla undertones are there, but they're almost all overpowered by a very floral rose like flavor that comes in from the back and dominates the finish. For me, it's very similar to the dominant flavor in Germain-Robin's absinthe blanche. I have no idea what this flavor is, perhaps vanilla, perhaps lemon verbena or rose-geranium. It's a mellowing and very floral flavor. It's almost too much and almost dominates all of the other flavors, and could easily have done so had there been a little more, but it is just enough to be noticed without demanding attention.

The finish begins with the receding mystery floral flavor, and what lingers is a pleasant lemon/wormwood mix. The characteristics of the wormwood are all the right ones, pleasantly tangy but not bitter. The lemony like finish that exists is also nice but not overly acidic. There are some earthy undertones in the back of the mouth that I think are lingering from the mystery floral/rose geranium like flavor.

Overall, this is a great absinthe, great quality and consistency for the price. The flavor is a little unbalanced, but I like that in the occasional absinthe, and the flavor profile of this absinthe is quite nice. I would hardly change it at all.
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A crisp taste with a brilliant finish
(Updated: May 27, 2009)
Overall rating
 
4.1
Appearance
 
4.0
Louche
 
4.0
Aroma
 
4.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
 
4.0
Finish
 
5.0
Overall
 
4.0
Color: An ounce of Obsello poured into a glass results in a near-perfect peridot. After adding water to a 3:1 ratio, it is of course noticeably paler, but still pleasantly green. I'm surprised by how many people found it to be leaning heavily toward yellow or gold, as I simply saw a paler peridot after watering, but as with the louche (see below), this may depend partly on the light. There was no noticeable sediment and very little haziness.

Louche: Don't pour or drip your water too fast, or else you might miss the louche altogether. It arrives quickly, and disappears nearly as fast. While it's there, you'll mostly see billowy clouds, with the occasional tendril of cigarette-like smoke. Attractive blues and greens on my second attempt is what pushed the rating up to a 4 in this category, but you must have good lighting and a steady pour to find them.

Aroma: The scent of anise is prominent, but mint and a soft alcohol aroma are definitely present and not displeasing. As the water drip continues, the presence of the latter two recede somewhat, but the aroma remains crisp and refreshing.

Flavor: Obsello starts off as a well-balanced absinthe, with a medium-bitter wormwood taste that is softened by the grape neutral spirits and meshes nicely with the anise and fennel. Additional flavors that come through are mint, which is fairly prominent, and finally an aftertaste of citrus, which I would attribute largely to the melissa. Others noted having tasted vanilla and even a hint of candied plum, but I did not detect either of those two flavors. As I continued to drink, I found that the contrast between the two extremes of mintiness and bitterness made the flavor seem just slightly unbalanced and even a tad thin, like two strands of a previously thick rope being pulled apart in places. Keeping the water to absinthe ratio fairly low at 3:1 all but eliminated this effect, though.

Finish: The Obsello really shines in its finish, which is long and leaves a pleasant tingling and mild numbness on your tongue. By the time the palette of flavors recedes, the memory of it makes you want another sip.

Overall: I very much enjoyed this absinthe, and found it particularly refreshing here in late spring while the weather has been very warm. The taste is not completely balanced at all times, but the mild complexity is intriguing in a lazy afternoon sort of way, and the taste is interesting while the finish is crisp and invigorating.

I would definitely recommend it, particularly to those looking to try their second or third absinthe and are working their way up the bitterness scale after having tried Lucid or the equivalent (as I did).
J
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My first Spanish absinthe
(Updated: February 21, 2009)
Overall rating
 
4.2
Appearance
 
3.0
Louche
 
3.0
Aroma
 
5.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
 
5.0
Finish
 
5.0
Overall
 
4.0
This first tasting of Obsello was prepared with no sugar and ice cold water at a slow drip.

Aroma pre-louche: Uncorking the bottle--after fighting with devil wax for about ten minutes--offers a soft, pleasant aroma that does not scream of one particular ingredient over another. It is rather well balanced, sweet, and at the risk of jumping headlong into a cliche, very much a delicate licorice.

Color: The color on pouring is unremarkable. a faded green, not very pretty. Almost hard to say if green, or yellow is the dominant hue. While there is no sediment, it does appear a bit dull. Not cloudy, but there is no sparkle.

Louche/aroma: There are no oily trails--50% ABV--and the louche develops very quickly. One second its not there, the next second it is. It stays separated for a while, and then seems to collapse on itself. Unspectacular. The aroma is strong, but not not powerful--if that makes sense. It smells wonderful, and is so far the best part of the experience. Very subtle and inviting. I'm afraid it could be easy to over water this absinthe and stopped it at just barely 3-1. It finishes a pale jade.

Flavor: Subtly sweet, with a forward wormwood character. There is an unusual flavor that, while I cannot place, is very tasty. The mouth feel is thin, but the flavor holds up well. Very little anise or fennel, but there is something pairing with the wormwood that provides a distinct flavor. AS un-useful as it might be to compare one absinthe to another in a review, this is not dissimilar to Lucid; only more sophisticated and pleasant. The sweetness is definitely there so sugar might not be necessary.

*EDIT* With sugar, the flavor profile changes towards anise. The wormwood subsides, and fennel is still almost nonexistent. Good, but perhaps better without sugar; too sweet.

Finish: Clean, fresh, sweet. It lingers on the tongue and coats the inside of the mouth with an almost grassy memory. The finish is hardly different than while it sits in the mouth; a very nice characteristic. You never loose sight of the flavor.

Overall: This one seems strange to me. Above all else the taste reins supreme here, as the color both before and after louche are insignificant. A delicate, sweet aroma suggests at a delicate, sweet taste. This is a very good absinthe--worth more than the price. It is the perfect substitution for Lucid as they are not dissimilar. But Obsello is a much more refined product. Perhaps a perfect starter absinthe, and at its insanely low price, worth buying two bottles at once. The wax is a monster and I was terrified I'd get some in the bottle or my glass, but it can be dealt with using a pocket knife. Think sweet grass laced with wormwood!
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Spanish Treat
(Updated: May 08, 2009)
Overall rating
 
4.0
Appearance
 
4.0
Louche
 
4.0
Aroma
 
4.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
 
4.0
Finish
 
4.0
Overall
 
4.0
-Color-
Before Water: A pretty shade of lime yellow-green. I also think of it as “lime peridot”. A little more towards the straw/amber range than the photos I’ve seen online though.

After Water: Good glowy light lime peridot.

-Louche-
Good trails, but a little quick to form a cloud up to the clear top layer (more stratification and showy roiling would have been nice). The line does have good staying power and puts on a little show before it goes away.

-Aroma-
Before Water: Grape and mint with earthy, herby undertones.

After Water: The grape and mint overtones stay at the forefront, then lead right into sweet herbal pontica and a subdued earthiness. Not totally room filling, but does have some range, and I find it quite pleasant.

-Flavor-
A very tasty- if pronounced- grape in front, leading right into strong mint, with anise, vanilla, lemon citrus, pontica, and slight grassy notes developing mid palate. At one point when these meet, the product website’s description of “candied plum” notes is quite accurate. Though flavorful, this is definitely a lighter absinthe than most vertes, and I find myself downing a glass a bit quicker than I usually do.

-Finish-
The mouthfeel is on the thinner side of creamy, but it’s a nice, smooth satin. Brisk mint and wormwood in the finish move things along and keep the sweet flavors from the grape and anise away from cloying territory.

-Overall-
This absinthe definitely has its own personality. It took several days after opening for the mint and dry grassiness to stop dominating and let other flavors to come forth and find a balance (sugar helped a bit during this phase). I’m a sucker for a nice grape base, and I think they did very well there. I agree with folks that refer to this as a light desert or summer absinthe. Some may never like the idiosyncrasies even after breathing, but I’m quite fond of this Spanish treat.

Notes: Louched 3:1, fountain drip. Sugar was used in the first week after opening, afterwards I went with no sugar as usual.
G
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Excellent Obsello
Overall rating
 
4.0
Appearance
 
4.0
Louche
 
4.0
Aroma
 
4.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
 
4.0
Finish
 
4.0
Overall
 
4.0
A beautiful peridot before louche. After louche it is a pleasant pale lime green with tinges of blue.

The louche is a well developed cloud with a thin peridot line dissipating after about a third of the glass. I used a fountain at a slow drip..Excellent.

Aroma is a fore of anise with a back mint tinge..the grape base is really apparent and quite nice..

The flavor is an apparent grape spirit in the fore, leading into mint, with anise, and citrus, with slight grassy notes. This is definitely an enjoyable Absenta, a delicious Spanish. It has a light wormwood taste that is softened by the grape spirit. The mint, and citrus, are excellent. I did note a hint of candied plum.

It’s finish, is creamy, and smooth. Mint and wormwood in the finish keep the sweet flavors from the grape and anise balanced. It is lasting and leaves a pleasant and mild numbness on your tongue.

Overall, I enjoyed this Spanish Absenta very much. It was refreshing and balanced. I really enjoyed the balance and grape base of this Absenta. I would recommend Obsello to those who enjoy an excellent Spanish or those who would try Spanish for a first time.



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