Leopold Brothers Absinthe Verte – batches 1 – 14

I was lucky enough to get a couple of bottles of batch 4 this past week.

Presentation notes: I really like the label and the bottle. While the clear glass might lead to a quicker fuille morte, a comment made by the distiller suggests that they will be putting a small pamphlet on the neck of the bottle explaining the effects of sunlight on vertes. A nice history blurb on the back label as well.

Color: (2) The color is definitely too deep. They sat on the coloring herbs a bit too long. This is an acknowledged issue that should be corrected in future batches. While too dark, it is not unattractive.

Louche: (3) The louche builds up very nicely. It's a bit murky, due to the strong coloration, but it forms well. As the coloring step is corrected, the louche should be wonderful.

Aroma: (4) The aroma packs a nice punch of wormwood, veronica and melissa. I'd like to pick up some more anise, but that also is supposed to be adjusted in coming batches.

Flavor: (3) So far, this absinthe has the strongest wormwood profile of any of the US absinthes. I was very pleasantly suprised. It's an enjoyable flavor, but a bit off balance, as there is a lack of anise in this batch. Due to the coloration, you definitely pick up a lot of veronica as well.

Finish: (4) The finish is very fresh and clean with a pleasant minty wormwood bitterness.

Overall: (3) I see this absinthe as one with great promise. While this batch does have some faults to it, the distiller has already picked up on them and has adjusted the anise and coloration for future batches. It's a good start. I'm looking forward to seeing how the upcoming batches evolve. They should be quite good.
BATCH 4 FINAL SCORE: 3.1