Reviewed by hartsmar 7/2/2006

COLOR BEFORE WATER 10/10
It's a clear blanche.

LOUCHE ACTION 7/10
A nice louching but not really any action. It louches good though.

COLOR AFTER WATER 8/10
A nice white with a hint of blue. Could be a little thicker and whiter but it's very nice.

AROMA 23/30
Very much wormwood up front, fruity and nice. Fennel stays in the back and comes out just slightly. There's a hint of melissa and also star anise. Not too much though, so it doesn't destroy anything.
After adding water it presents a nice scent out of the glass and the notes of wormwood is slightly more balanced with the rest.

MOUTH-FEEL 8/10
Creamy, full and quite nice. Slightly numbing on the tongue but it's good.

TASTE 16/20
This is the only spot where it falls back a bit. I'd like a bit more green anise and fennel in the aroma and taste to level the wormwood. There's nothing wrong with the taste of wormwood but it can easily get overpowering. Just a little less star anise would probably make it less numbing on the tongue and let the other herbs out just a bit more.

OVERALL IMPRESSION 6/10
It's a nice blanche. With some tweaks here and there it will be a very nice product indeed. There are only minor things I personally think should be done and yet keep its own profile. The wormwood up front is one of those things that should stay there to make this a bit more unique from most other blanches, it just needs to be a little better balanaced. All in all I think it's a good blanche and I'm confident it will have great success.

hartsmar scores Farom Old Blanche 68% - prototype 78 out of 100