Abyss

Appearance: Not a bad appearance. A little too dark though. It must be noted that the lable states that this brand of absinthe was colored with caramel...

Louche: As with the initial color, it looks a bit murky, but not disagreeably so.

Aroma: It's extremely weak. Hard to smell much, although there was a hint of cinnamon.

Flavor: A strikingly bitter flavor. Hints of sweetness, but it plays a very inferior role to the biting bitterness. I couldn't finish the 3 ounce mini-glass that I use to do sample tastings.

Finish: Bitterness again shows through. Quite acrid. Tough to believe that this is a 100% distilled beverage. I can't believe that it really is.

Overall: I can't say many good things about this product. Artificially colored, acrid bitterness, murky louche, weak aroma. I can't in good conscience endorse this product. It's unbelieveable that this brand boasts championship medals from spirits competitions. I think that goes to show the lack of education in the panels of tasters for many of those events.