Berthe de Joux

Original Review: 8/26/10.
Updated Review: 2/18/11
Updated Review: 9/1/12

2/18/11 Changes: Changed color from 5 to 4. Aside from that, it's just as good as my first review. Fantastic stuff. The color has faded a bit, but it is still very inviting.

9/1/12 Changes: Reduced flavor and aroma to 4.5 each to reflect the half-point system.

Color: (original) Very deep, attractive peridot Updated: A lighter shade of peridot, but still bright green and attractive.

Louche: Nice layering begins around 1:1 which transforms into an inviting green louche with hints of blue, white and yellow.

Aroma: lots and lots of wonderful wormwood with hints of anise and even honey. Wonderfully layered and complex. Room-filling.

Flavor: Spicy and peppery with lots of top notch wormwood. The WW shows through first with a less pronounced but still clearly identifiable anise flavor. Complex and remarkable. Tastes a bit young but it's likely that aging will only improve this absinthe.

Finish: Wormwood plays on the tongue for a good long time with a supporting hand of anise, with just a touch of refreshing alpine astringency at the very end. Peppery and bold.

Overall: A powerful and masculine absinthe that pulls no punches. If your average absinthe is like a Lowlands Scotch, then this is like a powerful Islay. An immediate addition to the list of my top favorites.