Reviewed by C.F. Blok-Andersen 11/18/2007

COLOR BEFORE WATER 9/10
1797 is exceptionally bright and clear and a light-green that looks more yellow than green at particular angles. This is certainly a natural-colored absinthe without any sediment.

LOUCHE ACTION 7/10
As ice water drips from a fountain, the louche is slow to evolve. Initially the union yields an oil-like effect, but eventually the opaline takes. Overall, this is not spectacular louche.

COLOR AFTER WATER 9/10
1797 is light, translucent and more straw-colored than green, yet the lightest jade tones are there. This is a very natural-looking absinthe that stands apart from others in it's uniqueness.

AROMA 27/30
Before the addition of water, 1797 has a mysterious aroma that's alcoholic and medicinal. The scent is very potion-like. After the addition of water we have a much nicer bouquet of wormwood, fresh anise, with hints of coriander (although I am not sure if coriander was an ingredient). What an amazing transition from pungent to pleasant!

MOUTH-FEEL 10/10
1797 yields a nice, warm mouth-feel that is exceptionally smooth, sweet, and delicious at 3 to 1!

TASTE 20/20
It doesn't get much better than this! Roquette 1797 is incredibly well-balanced and smooth at 150 proof. The forefront is bitter-sweet maintaining a delicate, spicy finish that is second to none placing this fine opaline in a class of itself. This absinthe is very fresh, delicious, and fulfilling.

OVERALL IMPRESSION 10/10
This is a timeless absinthe that is as delicious as it is refreshing. One finds it hard to succumb to just one glass as the senses heighten half-way through the first. What a success! I am grateful to our comrades David and Peter who have recreated a true masterpiece. If this is what Archive Spirits has to offer in future productions, then modern, absinthe distillers have their work cut out for them. Roquette 1797 sets a new standard in absinthe distillation. Finally, the bottle shape and wax seal complete the package and perfect the aesthetic of this fine product.

C.F. Blok-Andersen scores Absinthe Roquette 1797 92 out of 100

Reviewed by Absomphe 11/21/2007

COLOR BEFORE WATER 9/10
A really appetizing bright, and vivid green which is absolutely natural looking.

LOUCHE ACTION 8/10
Initially, I thought there was no way that this absinthe could rate high in this category, as it seemed to take an eternity for the louche to begin to form. However, after a patiently slow drip of about ten minutes duration, I was rewarded with a much thicker louche than I could have imagined, and the slow unfolding that I observed was worth the price of admission.

COLOR AFTER WATER 9/10
Very appetizing pale minty green.

AROMA 28/30
Positively room-filling, and incredibly appetizing perfumy melange of spices…it is even more difficult to pick out the individual herbs here than it was in the case of Doubs Mystique. The overall aromatic profile definitely leans toward the vegetal, and slightly medicinal, but I mean this in the best possible way. This is one medicine I would have looked forward to taking BIG TIME during the late 18th century. I won't even hazard a guess as to what the pre-commercialization herbs are, but they certainly are intriguing, and ingratiating on the olfactories.

MOUTH-FEEL 8/10
This is thicker (almost bordering on creamy) than I would have expected, and certainly ample enough to support all the spiciness that suffuses this absinthe.

TASTE 18/20
A major improvement on the original 1797 (which was quite tasty) this version obviously benefits from longer aging, and some really postive tweaking. It is still quite eccentric, and certainly won't appeal to everyone, but I find it to be beautifully crafted, and incredibly appetizing. The rough edges of the original have been delightfully smoothed over (there is no metallic, or burnt component, whatsoever, and the balance is remarkable for such a flavor-packed herbal dynamo).

OVERALL IMPRESSION 9/10
Kudos to Oxy, and Peter for a beautiful imbibing experience!

Absomphe scores Roquette 1797 89 out of 100

Reviewed by Grim 12/20/2007

COLOR BEFORE WATER 6/10
Not consistent with a scented spirit that is further aromatized by the coloring step. More of a green tinge than the tourmaline alluded to by sources of the preban era. On par with the depth of discoloration that the tails of a distillation with Pontarlier A.a. provides.

LOUCHE ACTION 6/10
Without density and therefore it will not be fully be realized until at or beyond a 3:1. Tasted blindly, without being prompted that this is the replication of a medicamen more than a beverage, one might say the louche is disappointing. This absinthe is more unctuous than milky; akin, more, to the front-end of the cœur in an absinthe distillation than the whole shebang.

COLOR AFTER WATER 5/10
At a 3:1, the color is hardly existent for the fact that the troublement is so weak. This absinthe does not whiten, it refracts light in hazes. No offense, like bath-water… so glints of color are sparse and indefinite. Maybe I don't see as well as Absomphe.

AROMA 18/30
There is no fruity anise nose, or dominant wormwood aroma, the scent is characteristic of all the absinthes distilled at the Pernot Distillery (a big flaw in l'Artisanale, that mellows but never completely disappears). Dripping a few drops on the back of a spoon, and paying close attention, I don't smell empyreuma, or even an excessive tinge of queue. The scent is, however, muted, dumb, un-inviting. More salty and low-toned than floral and herbaceous.

MOUTH-FEEL 7/10
Tastes as though anise dominated the macerate but fell short of the receiver. Somewhat cool, but no more dense or coating than a vodka (and you can sense the base in the finish at a 3:1).

TASTE 16/20
The dryness of this absinthe would be corrected with more essential oil from the anise/fennel. Not vegetal, completely, but certainly toughened by root-herb and/or A.a..

OVERALL IMPRESSION 8/10
This is absinthe could be much more, and it wouldn't take much. Nothing is aggressively disharmonious. I suggest that anyone tasting this absinthe not make the mistake of associating its weakness, for subtlety. Complexity is not a forward profile of the most volatile part of the distillate...

Grim scores Roquette 1797 66 out of 100

Reviewed by jmark 1/10/2008

COLOR BEFORE WATER 8/10
Paler than most, though natural looking. Pretty balance of green & yellow, maybe a tad towards the yellow. Clear.

LOUCHE ACTION 6/10
Mid-rate drip from a see-saw brouilleur. Very slow louche, no drama, just a slow, general opacification. I found that a slow drip is key to getting any louche at all.

COLOR AFTER WATER 8/10
I give it a nudge, as it eventually achieved full opacity, though never looked what I would call "milky." Pale, yellowgreen and watery.

AROMA 28/30
Before water wasn't too much of a treat, though not bad. Alcohol was strong and the other herbs seemed balanced enough to not stand in front of each other. A nice mix.

After water…wow! Full bloom of wormwood I could smell from feet away. Herb, grass, very light, no trace of funk. Great promise in this aroma.

MOUTH-FEEL 7/10
Seems caught somewhere between the oiliness of a macerate and the creaminess one should expect. Not unpleasant in any way, but simultaneously round and watery.

TASTE 16/20
A lot to speak for it: lots of wormwood without being the full artemisia-bomb that always turns me off. Herbs seem obviously of a high quality and besides the step forward of the wormwood, all the rest seem nicely balanced. I like the anise in the mix rather than up front the way this is, BUT…this is too sweet for me. Almost tastes pre-sugared.

OVERALL IMPRESSION 7/10
Louche, mouth-feel and taste are the hat-trick for me, and this doesn't really do it in those arenas. I like it fine, it will be a nice flavor to mix up the taste buds from all the others. It is refreshing, but, as said above, a bit too sweet, thin and pale to rise to my favorites.

jmark scores Roquette 1797 80 out of 100