Appearance- A nice, light, slightly yellowish green.

Louche- Thick louche, can't see through the glass. As it louches it's a good display.

Aroma- Very much what I expect from a good, drinkable absinthe, although it didn't seem to fill the room during louche like others I've had. Very inviting when holding glass up for a drink. Slightly fruity and maybe a really subtle mint.

Flavor- After a bottle I consider this to be my standard against which all other absinthes shall be measured. It's not the greatest but it's very good. For me, just good/acceptable absinthe is often not really worth the price. This is. Not very or complex, but not lacking, like a sort of basic essence of what absinthe should probably be. Very fresh, again slightly fruity, nice balance of anise, and a little creamy. Good stuff.

Finish- Seemed really dependent on the water ratio, which is probably always true. I tend to enjoy the tongue numbness and with a low enough water ratio it delivered. No foul or 'off' after-taste of any kind, just a nice end to a pleasant drink. I believe I did notice the wormwood a bit more here.

This is the second absinthe I ever tried, and with the bottle's contents now dwindling, it's time to do a review. Reviewing this absinthe's history, there was a lot of praise early on, and then some seeming production problems with funky/veggie odors and tastes of the tails end of the distillate. I haven't noticed this issue with my bottle, so perhaps EP has rectified the issue with this absinthe.

APPEARANCE: Very pretty, a nice, slightly-lemony peridot, very vibrant and clear, no haze or debris whatsoever. Rotating the glass and exposing it to light reveals turquoise, lime and other colors to the eye. Certainly not too light, nor too dark, this is a very bright and attractive absinthe whose color is thoroughly natural in appearance.

LOUCHE: Not too thin but perhaps a bit too thick, some light does pass through the bottom of the glass but refractory elements are limited. There is a nice, red-orange line where light passes through at the very bottom of the glass, very reminiscent of fire opal. The final, louched glass is milky green that retains a good deal of depth and color. Aside from the reds and oranges noted earlier, however, there are no other refractory elements present.

AROMA: The aroma from the bottle is caramel, sugar, anise and some alcohol. Pre-louche, in the the glass, it's almost all alcohol. During the louche, the aroma blossoms nicely from the glass, and post-louche there is a nice mix of herbal scents. Anise and pine hit first, with subtle notes of lemon and mint, and a general floral quality weaving its way through and around the rest. No funk, alcohol or vegetable notes - very clean. It's not perfect, and could perhaps stand to have a bit more "oomph" to it, but it's a very refreshing and enticing aroma.

FLAVOR/MOUTHFEEL: Anise, piquant spice and a mild bitterness introduce themselves in that order. The taste is clean and light without being lightweight, and is refreshing. There are no tingles or prickles as of star anise and the flavors, while not particularly complex, are perfectly in tune with one another. No "off" tastes are present, nor candy-like flavors. Very enjoyable.

FINISH: Smooth at first, then some mild heat and mild bitterness, followed by a lingering sweetness and spice. Very mild numbing on the tongue, only noticeable if focused upon, and the pleasant aftertaste lingers for awhile and primes the palate in desiring another sip.

OVERALL: I feel fortunate that either this bottle is very old, or EP has fixed their problems with this absinthe. This is a very delicious absinthe and although it is not as complex and nuanced as some of the very best, it is still a very fine absinthe and one of my favorites.

This is the second absinthe I ever tried, and with the bottle's contents now dwindling, it's time to do a review. Reviewing this absinthe's history, there was a lot of praise early on, and then some seeming production problems with funky/veggie odors and tastes of the tails end of the distillate. I haven't noticed this issue with my bottle, so perhaps EP has rectified the issue with this absinthe.

APPEARANCE: Very pretty, a nice, slightly-lemony peridot, very vibrant and clear, no haze or debris whatsoever. Rotating the glass and exposing it to light reveals turquoise, lime and other colors to the eye. Certainly not too light, nor too dark, this is a very bright and attractive absinthe whose color is thoroughly natural in appearance.

LOUCHE: Not too thin but perhaps a bit too thick, some light does pass through the bottom of the glass but refractory elements are limited. There is a nice, red-orange line where light passes through at the very bottom of the glass, very reminiscent of fire opal. The final, louched glass is milky green that retains a good deal of depth and color. Aside from the reds and oranges noted earlier, however, there are no other refractory elements present.

AROMA: The aroma from the bottle is caramel, sugar, anise and some alcohol. Pre-louche, in the the glass, it's almost all alcohol. During the louche, the aroma blossoms nicely from the glass, and post-louche there is a nice mix of herbal scents. Anise and pine hit first, with subtle notes of lemon and mint, and a general floral quality weaving its way through and around the rest. No funk, alcohol or vegetable notes - very clean. It's not perfect, and could perhaps stand to have a bit more "oomph" to it, but it's a very refreshing and enticing aroma.

FLAVOR/MOUTHFEEL: Anise, piquant spice and a mild bitterness introduce themselves in that order. The taste is clean and light without being lightweight, and is refreshing. There are no tingles or prickles as of star anise and the flavors, while not particularly complex, are perfectly in tune with one another. No "off" tastes are present, nor candy-like flavors. Very enjoyable.

FINISH: Smooth at first, then some mild heat and mild bitterness, followed by a lingering sweetness and spice. Very mild numbing on the tongue, only noticeable if focused upon, and the pleasant aftertaste lingers for awhile and primes the palate in desiring another sip.

OVERALL: I feel fortunate that either this bottle is very old, or EP has fixed their problems with this absinthe. This is a very delicious absinthe and although it is not as complex and nuanced as some of the very best, it is still a very fine absinthe and one of my favorites.

with & without sugar - 2.5:1 water ratio

Appearance: Very nice, clear light green that shines like a gemstone. I only wish it was a tiny shade darker - then it would have gotten a perfect score.

Louche: It took a little while to build, which is good, but after that things went rather quickly. There is a lack of "trails."

Aroma: Un-louched - very sweet flavor that initially reminds me of anisette toast cookies. There is a classic absinthe profile that has a bit of that 'alpine freshness' I love. For the first time, I would say I sense a vegetal quality to the nose both from the louched glass that is not particularly pleasant (without sugar added).

Taste: My first impression was that I found this absinthe to be extremely sweet without sugar, and way over the top with it, but later, probably due to the slightly vegetal nose, I went back to the sugar. I don't have a whole lot to say here - It's balanced, and there is no strong alcohol bite. It has the taste I expect from high quality absinthe, but with no interesting complexities or special aspects, save for a dash of spiciness.

Finish: Very thin mouth feel - does not coat the mouth. Light pull on the tongue. The taste dies rather quickly and doesn't bring anything new to the table.

Overall: I was disappointed in this because at the time of purchase it seemed to be held in very high regard. I would say it is not at all on the level of the Doubs Mystique or Roquette offered by the distillery, which are both far more enjoyable to me. I don't want to make it sound like this absinthe is bad in any way, I just wasn't blown away. It is a top shelf absinthe... I guess I am spoiled by things like Marteau and also need to sense some sort of deep complexity in the absinthe to really score it high.

The appearance is exactly what I think an absinthe should be. Beautiful to look at and very herby. The louche from my carafe is magical to watch like whisps of smoke and then turns into a fog bank. Aroma, so this is Pontarlier wormwood? You can sure tell a difference. Very organic and earthy. The flavor is stout and deliciously fruity and a little bitter too. Just like I like it. Seems to develop and open up as it warms. Finish lasts a good bit and makes my mouth crave that next sip while savoring the last one. Overall this is my favorite absinthe of the dozen I've had and my only one from the Emile Pernot family so far but will not be my last. For me it goes best at a 4 to 1 ratio and needs no sugar.