Lucid Absinthe Supérieure Review:

-62% abv

-US-standard .75 litre size

-Country of origin: France

-Prodced by T.A. Breaux, distributed by Viridian Spirits

From the manufacturer:

"Lucid was developed in France by renowned Absinthe historian and distiller T.A. Breaux. In response to a request for genuine Absinthe in the US market, Viridian Spirits, an entrepreneurial spirits company in the US, contacted Breaux and asked him to create an Absinthe for the US market. Unlike Absinthe substitutes, Lucid is crafted true to tradition with a full measure of Grande Wormwood. It is made purely from whole herbs and neutral spirits. Lucid contains NO commercial oils, essences, extracts, coloring agents or other non-traditional ingredients."

At long last, the glorious day has arrived. The day when an American can legally purchase a bottle of genuine absinthe within the United States. I think many of us anticipated this day to be much further ahead of us, but weep aloud my friends, for the time is now.

Not to say it is a perfect bed of roses, as Lucid is currently the ONLY absinthe that is available legally. Several other brands including Kubler and Matter-Luginbühl AG's latest, Mansinthe, are pending approval, so Lucid will have some competition before long. So, as someone who has tried both Mansinthe and Kubler do I believe Lucid will be able to stand-up to its future competitors? Read on.

In an obvious attempt to be an eye-catcher on the liquor store shelf, the top of the bottle has a pair of luminous eyes. This may just be my imagination, but the bottle itself looks better in your hands than online photos make it appear. It is not nearly as dark tinted as you would imagine, and the "lucid eyes" aren't as glaringly obvious and intrusive as one would think. The back label gives an excellent history of absinthe right up to modern day, albeit in microscopic print. There is a little blurb on the website explaining how the concept of the bottle design came about and its historical representation with a "modern twist". Their explanation is fine, but to anyone who hasn't been interested enough to visit their website and read that small paragraph will have no idea and almost immediately make the connection that this is aimed at a younger, potentially non-absinthe drinking crowd. Aside from being a little gimmicky I don't have much of a problem with it, but obviously some absintheurs will. But to be fair, we ARE approaching Halloween.

Breaux did make it clear that the colour would differ from bottle to bottle, and the green in my bottle looked particularly weak; much more transparent than I would have liked. Immediately upon uncorking, there is a faint, but distinctly sweet, chocolate aroma, with anise and fennel. It has an earthy quality, but is held back by undertones of funk. Individual herbs are a bit muddled, and I could not detect the wormwood. The alcohol was subdued well enough.

The louche was quite good, building up slowly, tightly condensed, with a fine ring along the top.  Not a ton of oil swirls, but more than satisfactory.

Tasted neat there was more anise than I would have thought from an absinthe crafted for "US tastes", but it still stayed within the boundaries of moderation, fennel is weaker than the aroma lead me to believe. Upon louching, a new bouquet of peppery spiciness unfolds, but the alcohol doesn't want to leave, making it seem alright, but not really a pleasant smell. The louche concludes resulting in a grayish-green hue. After experimenting a bit I found that it is actually best at a strong 2:1 ratio. Otherwise it starts tasting watery rather quickly. For a relatively uncomplex absinthe that already lacks a bold, full flavour this is not good. The sweetness comes out excessively as more water is added, making other herbs seem almost absent the more is poured. Those that can't drink absinthe diluted below 4:1 shouldn't give Lucid a second glance. Spiciness and anise are prominent, while the sweetness of fennel finishes on the back of your toungue well, not too dry. The wormwood is there, but seems dull and lacking, lost in the background, which surprised me; before tasting I would've thought the anise and wormwood's roles to be reverse what they are now, again, to adhere to American tastes. Feels good in the mouth with a silky consistency, but it does teeter between velvety and oily, and is not as creamy or thick as an absintheur would desire. Because it must be consumed at a strong ratio, there is a bit of a bite, but it is more than tolerable for anyone accustomed to high-proof spirits. Drinking with sugar makes the flavour rather murky and overly-sweet, and transforms a silky texture to a slimy one. All-in-all it is just a hair above average, but that it is only drinkable when prepared without sugar is disappointing.

Bottom line: Lucid is a decent absinthe given its price and local availability, but once superior brands start making their way stateside I can see no reason to make this a repeat purchase...

Presentation: 6

Louche: 7.5

Taste: 5.5

Value: 7

OVERALL: 5.5

Posted 9/28/2007