Hapsburg "Hardcore" Premium Reserve Extra Special Super Strength Absinthe Review:

-Photo Courtesy of www.1a-absinthe.com

-Country of Origin: Bulgaria
-89.9% alcohol
-.5 litre
 

Ah, Hapsburg...friend of casual absinthe partiers and enemy of absinthe purists.  This 90% alcohol, so called "Premium Reserve Extra Special Super Strength" is particularly notorious.  So, does it truly deserve the notoriety? Will it make you gag? Probably not, but it certainly won't be on the top of anyone's list.

Upon first glance, words like "artificial" come to mind.  The label is nicely done, if cookie-cutter.  You will see various warnings on both the front and back making obvious indications that they're pushing the "hardcore" aspect of the high alcohol content.  Ironically, you may also notice "SUGAR FREE, NO CARBS" at the bottom of the front label...as if sugar content would make any difference to the audience this is marketed to.  I can just picture a college frat boy setting down a shot after reading that a 90% absinthe has 40 carbs per ounce.  Moving on, the bottle is eye-catchingly skinny-tall and the cloudy, ceramic-esque surface is a nice touch.  I don't like the colour though.  If you're insistent on producing an artificially green absinthe you may as well make it vibrant, not the cheap, watery looking shade we have here (not quite as bright as in photos you may see).

Popping the sturdy cork produces...not much of anything.  You really have to get your nose right down to the bottle to get any scent.  But what I smell is quite surprising; strong spicy, yet fruity tones emerge without the slightest hint of anise present, and the 90% alcohol actually refrains from burning a hole in my nose.  Wasn't expecting that.

    Upon the addition of water, I would recommend a 4:1 ratio with sugar.  The louche is slow to form, and the change is rather crude, oily, and never quite becomes fully opaque.  If there's one positive thing to say about this absinthe it's that it drinks remarkably smooth given the proof.  There is just a hint of a bite.  The texture is very thin, and the taste is as mild as the scent, but it's hard to say that it is actually "horrid".  The fruity notion is overpowered for the most part by the spiciness, almost like cinnamon, but the aftertaste brings it back and it lingers, not unpleasantly, with a more bitter finish.  It has this strange potential to be something decent, but the high alcohol really holds back what it could have been.  The first glass you will probably not find to be very good, but once you find the right balance of sugar and water it is actually not too bad.  I'm hoping the upcoming Black 79 Amer version will be the answer to this spirit's shortcomings.

So then, all in all better than I expected, but still sub-par.  There are much better absinthes available for this price, but if offered, you may want to try it once.

Presentation: 6
Louche: 3.5
Taste: 4
value: 5.5

Overall: 4

Posted 9/28/2007