Reviewed by The Green Spirit 5/4/2005

COLOR BEFORE WATER 2/10
Unnatural green

LOUCHE ACTION 5/10
Slow nice enough louche. A bit thin though

COLOR AFTER WATER 5/10
Nice enough natural color

AROMA 7/30
Alcohol and anise

MOUTH-FEEL 3/10
Very thin

TASTE 5/20
Again very thin, hardly any taste at all. But the anise is slightly noticeable, a hint of wormwood too

OVERALL IMPRESSION 3/10
Not impressed at all. A very boring absinthe

Stay away from this one.

The Green Spirit scores E.U. Absente 30 out of 100

Reviewed by Bruno Rygseck 4/23/2006

COLOR BEFORE WATER 4/10
Green, weak but almost acceptable. It is very likely artificial.

LOUCHE ACTION 3/10
Absente is presweetened and this can be seen in the louche. The sugar that is already in the alcohol creates some sugary swirling over a thin cloud of anise-flakes that eventually rise and louche the drink fully. Water has to be really cold in order to get at least some fun out of the louche.

COLOR AFTER WATER 4/10
Actually not a complete failure but not opaque enough. Some resemblance to Pernod pastis. Little traces of oil on the surface.

AROMA 2/30
Almost totally absent. There is alcohol, peppermint maybe and some anise. A hint of vanilla (!) and that's it.

MOUTH-FEEL 3/10
Uninteresting. To say something nice, it is not tongue-numbing. It can be swallowed.

TASTE 4/20
Very disappointing. Like Pernod pastis (here, too) but sweeter and not even that herbal if one could say that of Pernod pastis.

OVERALL IMPRESSION 3/10
Absente is neither absinthe nor a liqueur that can be taken seriously. It could have some use in cocktails or neat as small shots served cold. But for this purpose there are better and more herbal drinks available.

Bruno Rygseck scores E.U. Absente 23 of 100