Père François

Color: Clear and natural. Disclosure: For blanches, if there are no visible defects, I give a 4 instead of a 5. I only reserve a 5 score for perfectly colored Vertes, as it's more difficult to achieve and I like to reward that.

Louche: Quicker to louche than the La Valote. Attractive but not a lot of layering, more general clouding. Fully louched around 1:1. A tad bit thicker than the La Valote, but not as thick as CLB.

Aroma: More earthiness than the La Valote. Maybe some Genepy? Quite nice.

Flavor: Lighter and less spicy than the La Valote. Everything is in balance, but nothing is really popping out at me. Almost a little watery at 2:1. I think sugar would totally overwhelm this absinthe.

Finish: Pleasant and correct. What I would expect from a blanche. I'd like the flavor to linger more, but it's not bad in the slightest.

Overall: As with the La Valote, this blanche is pretty straightforward. I'd put it in the same class as (maybe a bit higher than) Kubler. Based on a price point of around $40, this is a very good buy for a blanche. My recommendation: If you like a spicier blanche, check out the La Valote. If you like a lighter, sweeter blanche, check this one out.