Trillium from Integrity Spirits has actually been around for quite a while, but has gotten virtually no distribution. I wondered why, until I actually tasted it. The mystery has been solved, my friends.

Trillium is a very pale, almost non-existent straw colour. Smells of alcohol, citrus, and anise, but only faintly. It is VERY hard to get past the thick alcohol heat when smelling neat. After louching, which was good, but a little quick to start from the star anise, I couldn’t smell much of anything. I crept my nose closer for a more intimate investigation,-and must have inhaled nearly an ounce of water! And I thought it was painful enough to have to taste this stuff through the mouth. After taking some time to recover, and my sniffer was working properly again I went back to it. Just in case my sinuses were tainted, I saved the rest for the next night, but came to the same conclusion. Hardly a trace of aroma once it is louched.

Onto the tasting, I found it to be slightly chalky at 3:1, reminds of Pernod somewhat. At this ratio I a not at all fond of Trillium. With a little more water, a subtle floral quality emerges, but it improves Trillium modestly. Most disappointing is wormwood being buried to the point I could not taste it at all. It may be genuine distilled, naturally coloured absinthe, but that can’t hide the fact that it is INCREDIBLY bland. Rolling waves of star anise create a sea of numbing, and an oily mouth feel. Slightly spicy, but less bitter finish than Pernod. There are hints of other herbs hidden beneath the iron curtain of alcohol, but it’s nearly impenetrable.

I just can’t overlook the winding trail of heat and star anise that is ultimately the downfall of this absinthe.

Other Notes: Thanks to Ken H. for swapping samples with me; you the man. Don’t make the same mistake I did. If something has a faint aroma, deem it bland and move on, lest your nose become a water hose (absinthe hose?) like mine.

Presentaton: 7.0

Louche: 7.6

Taste: 4.2

Value: 4.5

Overall: 4.2/10