very cold water drip to 3.5:1 and then additional water to probably 4:1, no sugar

color: beautiful clear green, slightest hint of yellow/gold. Not the deepest color I've seen but by no means pale. Very attractive, natural, and appropriate.

nose (neat): soft and clean, nothing sharp or funky. You wouldn't guess this is 62% alc. it's so pleasant and easy to smell. Nicely herbal, you can find the anise in there and maybe I'm getting a notion of citrus. I'll get into the aroma more after the louche.

louche: not a super thick louche, but use very cold water and take your time and you will be rewarded. Nice swirling, slow building cloudiness with good layering. At 3:1 or so appears fairly thin and more translucent than most, but color is very nice and the glass is attractive. Hints of blue, I'm still trying to get a handle on "opalescence" and this may be it.

aroma: my (in)experience is letting me down here. The aroma is wonderful and inviting. Maybe I picked up some mint and citrus, thought once there was a hint of cut celery, but really, just an extremely pleasant anise and herbal aroma. It's the kind of thing where rather than trying to critically analyze the aroma, you just want to smell it and smile. I'm unable to pick out any individual aromas beyond the familiar anise/fennel.

flavor: wonderful. This is an anise drink, as absinthe should be, but by no means one-dimensional; there's very nice herbal character supporting the anise, and a good balancing wormwood bitterness. Very nice mouthfeel, feels richer than the post-louche appearance led me to believe.

finish: long and well balanced. Mildy pleasant tongue clinging and numbing. Leaves a refreshed feeling in the mouth. Cool, sweet, and clean.

overall: Pacifique is incredible, nothing more needs to be said. To my taste it leans towards the delicate/feminine side, and seems to be an amazing feat of balancing complexity and restraint. This is easily up there in the top tier of absinthes I've tasted.