What constitutes absinthe?
Sepulchritude Forum: The Absinthe Forum Archive Thru March 2002: Archive thru March 2002:What constitutes absinthe?
My definition :
Anis, fennel and wormwood. Macerated and then distilled. Properly done chlorophylic coloration that may use roman wormwood, melissa, hysop... Of course some other herbs can be use to add some special tastes that fits your fancy. This is real absinthe. It is not cost efficient to make it the right way and that's why nobody do it commercially (yet).
When you taste a properly done absinthe, you know it and then you are wasted...
>> "...I highly doubt that any of this is real absinthe..."
I doubt that even some vintage absinthes were "real" - the word is too subjective and means nothing. That's why I started the thread in the first place - to see if there was a consensus on what "absinthe" was. Not necessarily vintage Pernod or Jade, but "absinthe" none the less.
Actually, I'd have to disagree with your statement on the simple fact that you don't know what Jade or vintage tastes like (neither do I). And since it's impossible to go back in time and drink a glass of Pernod from a "fresh" bottle, we will never be able to be 100% sure. However, if we definitely know the ingredients and manufacturing process of the good vintage products, then I would think that a "real" product is definitely attainable, hence Jade. Certainly there were flavor variations between the vintage brands and they were "real". And certainly there were lesser vintage brands, are they "real"?
Some say that bagels made on the east coast taste different than bagels on the west coast using the same recipe made and manufacturing process. They say the taste difference comes from the water. Perhaps this is case with the vintage absinthes?
Not a flame, just sincere questions.
This shouldn't be seen as an anti-Jade message. I'm certain that Jade is fairly accurate and probably as close to genuine absinthe asone can get, although I personally can't say having never tried either Jade or a vintage. Perhaps someone could send me a sample of both so I could carry out some highly scientific analyses?
I may agree with your first sentence to a large extent.
The Jade absinthes however are real and faithful reproductions, down to details you wouldn't imagine.
I highly doubt that any of this is real absinthe. Even the best of these, perhaps even Jade, are contemporary guesses as what absinthe was. Some of course hit closer to the mark than others. Even genuined vintage absinthe may be slightly different now thant it was in the early part of this century, but it is the closest we can ever get to real absinthe.
That said, I find bickering about what is absinthe and what is not to be kind of redundant. There are certain kinds that are very far from absinthe, such as Hill's, and some that are much closer, like Jade, but none of these are real absinthes.
Now bring on the flames!
Agreed, you should purchase and drink according to your personal taste. However, you should expect to receive "absinthe" if you pay for it. Otherwise, you might as well just save your money and buy a bottle of Herbsaint. I'm not much of a wine drinker, but I have spent money on relatively expensive bottles of wine just for the experience of tasting and comparing it. I think that is what many people do with the fairy.
my guess is there are alot of people who drink 'absinth(e)' who don't like the taste of it, for one reason, because they're not drinking 'absinthe'...of course, this has been hashed about for a long time here...
