Perroquet vieillie en fût de chêne (Barrel aged) - Reviewed by Experts and Consumers at The Wormwood Society
Product Details
Available in USA?
Style/Color
Degrees ABV (% alcohol)
Year of Make (if known)
Country of Origin
Distillery
Wormwood Society Editor Comments
A new version of Perroquet that has been aged in oak barrels for 7 months.
Editor reviews
Aged vs unaged.
Overall rating
4.3
Appearance
5.0
Louche
4.0
Aroma
5.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.0
Finish
4.0
Overall
4.0
I'm going to approach this review as a comparison to the original.
The colour seems a bit deeper than the unaged spirit, but is still bright. No worse or better, just a slightly different shade. It smells very similar to the original, but a bit more subdued. The grape base stands out more and there's a bit more of a purfumey character.
The louche moves along the same lines as the unaged spirit, but finishes a tad deeper and more on the yellow side of green than blue. After water it's more mellow, a bit more honeylike and candied. Soft.
Aging has brought a little more wormwood to the front and it has a corresponding increase in bitterness, but the sweet, fruity anise is still present. Some qualities that I enjoyed in the original are more like subtleties now whereas the base is more present. If there's an oak flavour from the aging I can't find it.
The finish is a bit more numbing but otherwise has the same great balance.
It's a real treat to compare the the absinthe both before and after barrel aging. I prefer it before the barrel aging but it would be interesting to see how both of these fare after some time in bottles.
The colour seems a bit deeper than the unaged spirit, but is still bright. No worse or better, just a slightly different shade. It smells very similar to the original, but a bit more subdued. The grape base stands out more and there's a bit more of a purfumey character.
The louche moves along the same lines as the unaged spirit, but finishes a tad deeper and more on the yellow side of green than blue. After water it's more mellow, a bit more honeylike and candied. Soft.
Aging has brought a little more wormwood to the front and it has a corresponding increase in bitterness, but the sweet, fruity anise is still present. Some qualities that I enjoyed in the original are more like subtleties now whereas the base is more present. If there's an oak flavour from the aging I can't find it.
The finish is a bit more numbing but otherwise has the same great balance.
It's a real treat to compare the the absinthe both before and after barrel aging. I prefer it before the barrel aging but it would be interesting to see how both of these fare after some time in bottles.
A
Even better than the original!
Overall rating
4.0
Appearance
4.0
Louche
4.0
Aroma
4.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.0
Finish
4.0
Overall
4.0
Color: The 7 months in the barrel hasn't taken away from the beauty of the coloration. Still bright and attractive.
Louche: The same as the original. Just as well formed and inviting.
Aroma: The anise is a bit more muted that the original, as is the wormwood. The aging has rounded it out quite nicely. There's just a touch of wood, but it's not at all intrusive.
Flavor: Rounded out, like the aroma. Not quite as 'hot' as the original. The anise has been toned down, maybe a bit too much. The wormwood isn't quite as spicy anymore either. If the wormwood levels stayed the same, but the anise was bumped up just a tad, it would be better balanced.
Finish: Sweet and (again) more balanced than the original. Quite nice. The wood doesn't appear on the finish as much as in the entry. The aging has definitely added some nice depth and smoothed it out.
Overall: Comparing the two versions is an intriguing experiment. Something I'd suggest for any absintheur. The aging process has certainly proven beneficial.
Louche: The same as the original. Just as well formed and inviting.
Aroma: The anise is a bit more muted that the original, as is the wormwood. The aging has rounded it out quite nicely. There's just a touch of wood, but it's not at all intrusive.
Flavor: Rounded out, like the aroma. Not quite as 'hot' as the original. The anise has been toned down, maybe a bit too much. The wormwood isn't quite as spicy anymore either. If the wormwood levels stayed the same, but the anise was bumped up just a tad, it would be better balanced.
Finish: Sweet and (again) more balanced than the original. Quite nice. The wood doesn't appear on the finish as much as in the entry. The aging has definitely added some nice depth and smoothed it out.
Overall: Comparing the two versions is an intriguing experiment. Something I'd suggest for any absintheur. The aging process has certainly proven beneficial.
User reviews
1 review
Overall rating
4.5
Appearance
5.0(1)
Louche
4.0(1)
Aroma
5.0(1)
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.0(1)
Finish
5.0(1)
Overall
4.0(1)
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A slightly mellower bird
(Updated: October 14, 2011)
Overall rating
4.5
Appearance
5.0
Louche
4.0
Aroma
5.0
Flavor / Mouthfeel
4.0
Finish
5.0
Overall
4.0
Please read my Original Perroquet review for details, as this is a comparison.
In a nutshell, I did a side by side sample of both versions, and love them both.
The oak barrel version is smoother, and bit more mellow and balanced. The same heartbeat is there, but the aging has toned down one or two sharper elements into a warm, rounder, refined absinthe that I am sad is not going to be reproduced! I do detect a tiny bit of oaky flavor in the taste, but it is not strong or overpowering...more of a nuance. I would give the flavor a 4.5 were I allowed to, as I like it a bit more than its oakless sister.
I will continue to drink Perroquet, despite the lack of oak barrel bottles in the future, as I love its grape base, and enjoy the flavor and finish quite a bit.
In a nutshell, I did a side by side sample of both versions, and love them both.
The oak barrel version is smoother, and bit more mellow and balanced. The same heartbeat is there, but the aging has toned down one or two sharper elements into a warm, rounder, refined absinthe that I am sad is not going to be reproduced! I do detect a tiny bit of oaky flavor in the taste, but it is not strong or overpowering...more of a nuance. I would give the flavor a 4.5 were I allowed to, as I like it a bit more than its oakless sister.
I will continue to drink Perroquet, despite the lack of oak barrel bottles in the future, as I love its grape base, and enjoy the flavor and finish quite a bit.
S