Barrique by La Clandestine

Appearance: this looks more like a whiskey than an absinthe. Deep caramel colors with no visible sediment.

Louche: Louches up very nicely with a very thick end product. The only reason I scored it low is because it looks a bit 'muddy'. A completely anticipated situation, since it was aged in oak, but still not terribly attractive. Don't let this drive you away though.

Aroma: All of the normal aromas you'd expect from La Clandestine with the addition of some incredible vanilla and toffee aromas. Unique and intriguing.

Flavor: I tried this first unlouched as Claude-Alaine prescribes, but I found that too numbing. It was good, but I wouldn't be able to have more than a couple of sips before it blew out my tastebuds with the anise. At 1:1 it's still a little warm for me, so I went up to 2:1. At that level, the heat is toned down. This is pretty tasty stuff! The oak lends a lot of sweetness, so don't even think about adding sugar. Lots of toffee notes.

Finish: no tannic astringency that can come from long stays in barrels. This absinthe has picked up a lot of good qualities of cognac or whiskey from the wood, while retaining all of the characteristics of a quality absinthe.

Overall: This won't be for everyone. The melding of whiskey notes with that of absinthe can be strange to some. But I really enjoy it. As a side note, I used this in a couple of cocktails that called for absinthe and it worked amazingly well. A Sazerac becomes even more complex, and a Half Sinner, Half Saint becomes even more enjoyable as a last drink of the evening.