Versinthe 45 Absinthe Review:

-45% abv (90 proof), .7 litre

-Country of Origin: France

-Bronze Winner of Absinthiades Pontarlier 2004 (macerated)

****For those of you that went straight to the reviews page and missed my whining there, I actually had to write this review twice after a 5-second power failure erased my original.  I had actually spent quite a bit of time making this last review entertaining, but I guess that all went out the window.  I apologize if this sounds half-assed or otherwise lacking in my usual wit, but I was so enraged at my sudden loss I'm sure it didn't turn out half as great as the original was...****

I actually got a cold a few days before I was to post this, but with my undying determination and the power of positive thinking I made a speedy recovery, wading through paralyzing numbness, and journeying over mountains of sugar to bring you the final word on Versinthe.  If only determination could work the same wonder for indigestion and heart disease, eh?  Or making crappy absinthes taste good, for that matter.  But then the world is harsh, tough chips, my friends.

Versinthe is much like an entry-level table wine; assuming you are drinking a decent brand it can really grow on you.  A lot of casual whites are never really great, but sometimes, just like Versinthe, you somehow find yourself on your third glass before you've realized what’s happened.  Of course, the roofie slipped in your drink probably played a much larger role in your memory loss, but you see what I'm trying to say, I hope.

Pouring a serving reveals a clean rust colour, and upon adding water the louche is pretty quick thanks to the star anise, but manages to survive past the 1:1 ratio.  Quite literally the effect of every drop of water can be seen contributing to the transformation.  Initially, there is a powerful peppermint aroma, followed closely by anise and a deep sweetness.  Post-louche it weighs in with a murky yellowish-brown shade, and at a 2:1dilution a mild vanilla background emerges with a stitch of pine and subtle funk.  Before I could even get the glass to my lips, a sugar-branded SWAT team broke through my door and put me in a stranglehold, threatening me with imminent death if I make note of anything but the sweetness.  Alright, that may be a slight exaggeration, but it is quite sweet!  I don’t mind it too much myself, but it is notable enough that I feel I should mention it, as I know some absintheurs WILL mind.  So then, I finally had a chance to give it a taste.  My immediate impression was a straightforward and accessible flavour of moderate complexity, with coriander breaking out of its minty-fresh restraints as the anise held firm in its dominance.  Mouth feel was rather flat, with only minimal body contributed from the sugar, which is more syrupy than creamy.  As the anise tasers your taste buds, underlying rosemary and many other subtle herbs reveal themselves in the body of the drink, the coriander and faint fennel rounding things out with a rather abrupt finish.  It is simply a sin to drink this diluted beyond 3:1; the drink becomes so simplified and watery it can be drank like Kool-Aid,...which may end badly once it dawns on you how many glasses you've consumed.  It's absolute blasphemy that on both the label and the Versinthe website they suggest 6-10 parts water.  By this point would there be any flavour at all?  Naturally, I had to see for myself (an official TARN investigation!) and began measuring away until I had added precisely 10 parts water.  For the love of God, don't ever add 10 parts water to any absinthe, least of all this one; it literally tastes like flavoured water, and is so diluted it actually begins to un-louche.  I was equally horrified that many other reviews were recommending 5 or 6 part water dilutions-ack!  This world really HAS gone to Hell...

I hate anise bombs.  I don't add sugar to about 80% of the absinthes I drink.  I'm a fennel whore.  So you think I would hate a drink that is of a sugary, heavier anise yet minimal fennel composition, right?  But just like that low-proof white wine, this low-proof, pastis-esque absinthe has really grown on me.  I know it's unconventional in many regards (hence the high sugar and heavier mint), but that sort of odd charm is also what appeals to me in this case.  It's by no means well-balanced or bold, but it is good enough that I would recommend trying it once, if only for a taste of something unorthodox for the evening.

Presentation: 7.0

Louche: 5.0

Taste: 6.5

Value: 8.0

Overall: 6.5

posted 11/19/2007