Emperor Norton Absinthe Dieu

Appearance: very bright and inviting. An attractive peridot green. No visible sediment.

Louche: Attractive and bright. A bit on the thinner side at 3:1, but still correct. Similar to other previous versions of Montpellier style absinthes.

Aroma: Intriguingly savory, with aromas of root vegetables and salted celery, possibly from the cultivar of wormwood used, along with the normal aromas of fennel and anise. Definitely out of the ordinary, but still appealing.

Flavor: spicy white pepper kick with lighter flavors of wormwood and anise. It's not as sweet as a typical absinthe that might be a bit heavier-handed with anise, but that can be a good thing. Due to the lighter anise, the mouthfeel is thinner than average, but still enjoyable.

Finish: white pepper and a bit of wormwood. I'd like the flavors to stick around a bit more, but it's enjoyable nonetheless.

Overall: This is a unique absinthe. It's more on the savory side than many US absinthes. But because of that, it's not as obtrusive as some other brands might be, which lends itself well to an absinthe that you can drink while eating dinner. The flavors won't overwhelm the palate.