est. 2007
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St. George Absinthe Verte Impressions:
-60% abv, .75 litre -The first US-distilled absinthe!
Our good friend Jason was able to procure a bottle when we were unsuccessful. This stuff is still very hard to come by, but hopefully this will serve as a primer of what to expect when it finally makes it into neighbouring states: By Jason
St. George is different from any other absinthe I have tried,
and because of this I believe this absinthe may not set well
with many long time absinthe drinkers who are used to their more
traditional absinthes (Editor's Note: when the list of herbs
used was revealed, many absintheurs frowned upon the rather
unconventional herbs and the fact that it lacked green anise.
This omission leads some to claim it is not true absinthe.). Upon opening, the
aroma itself is very different. It is heavily floral, with a
background of light, fruity notes from the many types of herbs
used. The color is a beautiful yellowish green. Dripping
cold water, the louche starts to form a little fast, but still a
nice thick louche. The aroma really starts to fill the room with
that floral aroma. The louche comes to form a milky greenish
color, in my opinion very nice. It has a great mouth feel to it,
and the taste is just nothing like I've ever had, which should
appeal to people who may like something different from their
absinthe once in a while. It's very smooth going down, and I
would say people who enjoy Montmartre would probably enjoy St.
George because of the grassy notes that you can taste. Overall,
I like it because it's different. I believe there will be mixed
feelings, half will love it and half will hate it, but it's
definitely worth picking up to try at least once. I will buy
this one regularly once the hype dies down and it's more widely
available. Before water:
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Versinthe la Blanche Absinthe Preview:
57% abv (114 proof), .5 litre Country of Origin: France Numerous Awards from Metz, IWSC, among others
Again, this is classified as preview as I do not have a bottle on hand to actually sit down and take notes between sips (or glasses...). I wrote this shortly after I had consumed a small sample from my good friend Christopher. I've also had a few bottles of my own so this basically served as a refresher course. Don't expect the actual review to be much different when the time comes! Not only was this my first blanche, it was my first repeat purchase! Versinthe la Blanche has earned numerous awards for its time and while the competition then isn't nearly what it is today, it is still rightfully deserving of that praise. It hasn't aged spectacularly, but it fares much better than other blanches from yesteryear,.such as the now-mediocre (and overpriced) Un Emile blanche... I must say, they really nailed a genuinely modern design without being radioactive green or otherwise gimmicky with their great bottle design. Upon uncorking (dense rubber cork) drifting out of the bottle are the scents of star anise, peppermint, and light alcohol scent, with a floral note that is soft but clean. Post-louche aroma is slightly stronger as star anise overtakes sweet mint. The louche itself is quick thanks to the (un?)healthy dose of of star anise, but is smooth and results in a nice bright white colour. Not terribly thick, but maintains good opacity, even at excess dilutions. The fennel, coriander, star anise, and mint are blended well and other herbs are mildly notable with a light citrus tone, which also contributes to a smooth, clean sip. The wormwood and fennel finish was admittedly a bit dry and the numbness doesn't leave room for much of an aftertaste. Mouthfeel is smooth, but is thin in body and again, full in numbing. You may find yourself taking breaks between sips to let your taste buds recover from the numbing! I enjoyed it best slightly diluted at 4:1 ratio. It still maintains a full flavour and by this point the alcohol is completely subdued. Being a sugar free recipe it has a nice bit of natural sweetness. A small amount of sugar gives it a simpler flavour, but alters it in a way that surprisingly the mint comes through more than even the anise, and a slight vanilla taste emerges. With a recipe like this I believe it would have benefited from being a 53 a la CLB, but as it stands it still drinks very smooth. A little more mint than i would have liked, but overall I rather enjoyed the solid taste and moderate complexity. Drinking 1:1 or on the rocks it retains a rich sweetness and herbal perfume-like quality. While superior brands have since surpassed VlB, the small nuances of individuality in the composition of herbs make this one unique enough in both style and substance to justify a purchase. It is also one of the best (and er, few) blanche spirits in its price range. Give it a try. OVERALL IMPRESSION: 7 _______ Stromu Preview: If window cleaner were made into a drink...
-70% abv, from Czech Republic, .5 litre
I know I don't have any reviews of Czech garbage as of yet, but rest assured in due time I will see to it to give a few brands a proper thrashing. For the time being, I'll share with you my account of my brief taste of Stromu Absinth. People don't compare this stuff to mouthwash for nothin'! I had the "privilege" of finishing off the remains of the bottle at a small party the other day and from my single serving I'll share what I can recall. Anyway, as I was saying, it quite literally looks like Scope, and has almost no scent except for a slight sweet spearmint nose...but really mostly just alcohol. Louche is almost non-existent, but did have a few swirls and a slight translucency to it; a sort of haziness, but overall extremely poor. If a spearmint candy was liquefied and watered down, this would be it. 100% artificial everything, but it is sweet enough and drinks smoothly that I can swallow it. Hm,...ah, I was going to say more but I really have nothing else to say. Maybe I'll move this to reviews after all, as a full review wouldn't be much longer. A photo comparison to Scope would be fun...
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