Absinthe Raymond Thi

Thanks to MThuilli for making some of this offering available for sampling.

The color is a deep amber with no visible sediment. A truly beautiful fuille morte, as you can see in the photos.

The louche was created with a fountain set on about 2 drops per second. The ice cold water produced a fantastic layering which built up to a wonderful greenish opalescence. It was nice and thick, but not so thick as to take points away.

Aroma had a bit of an alcoholic bite, but not to its detriment. Lots of things going on in here. Everything has married very nicely. You've got some anise in the forefront with a noticable caramel-ly, raisin-y tinge. Some leather and old books are a pleasant addition as well. The base alcohol's age is quite evident, giving it a characteristic very similar to old cognac. I could sit here and smell it all day.

The flavor was extremely enjoyable as well. This again shows the benefits of almost a century of aging. Marriage lends it a very smooth and light flavor with wormwood at the forefront and lots of smooth anise sweetness with a bit of a spicy white pepper finish. I pick up some veronica as well, but it's a stretch. It definitely has some Edouard characteristics, like MThuilli mentions.

The finish is long, but I wish it could last all night. Although the mouthfeel is thick, it's not overly so. Silky and creamy without being overbearing. It invites you to drink more and more. It was over entirely too quickly.

Overall, this was a nice treat. I wish I'd have bought two samples instead of one. An interesting insight into small-batch, artisanal distilling from the height of absinthe's popularity.