Lucid Absinthe

Strong black licorice taste

Not an absinthe fan, but this is very tasty. The black licorice is subdued by the sweet fennel and much more manageable on the palate

This is my go-to absinthe for a proper dram, and for Sazerac cocktails. The taste is primarily anise, with undertones from the fennel and wormwood. It’s balanced and smooth enough that I don’t use sugar at all! Highly recommended.

It smells like chicken with turmeric, salt, black pepper, and fennel. Frankly, it smells like an enjoyable dinner. The fennel grows the more I smell it and sweet anise come sour too. The flavor is very much like black licorice but with a bit of an earthy twist. The drink is quite numbing too. It's very odd. That hint of meatiness does remain, though it is often overpowered by other herbal flavors. This is a lot less subtle and complex than the Mata Hari and the numbing element makes it less pleasant to drink. It isn't like the numbing element dulls the harshness since it isn't very harsh to begin with. It amore bitter than I would like. It does have Jagermeister and fernet flavors, but the earthy notes and numbing element make it a lot less like those than Mata Hari is. The long finish is bitter, earthy, and numbing. Not great. This is a passable Absinthe, but it isn't all that great. Adding water makes the flavor more herbal and bitter rather than improving it. That's a real disappointment. The water also brings out the spice and dryness much more than I would like. Whereas Mata Hari arguably gets better with water, this drink gets worse. In the end, this isn't very drinkable, but it does pack a punch.

One of the first absinthes made with grande wormwood to be legally imported into the USA in 2007 after a 95 year prohibition. Produced with traditional methods and ingredients by Combier Distillery in the Loire Valley in France. 62% abv, light green color, and medium body. Loaches beautifully with water or ice. This is a beautiful example of a classic absinthe, and works well in a Green Fairy with ice water, or in a classic cocktail. Anise and fennel, grassy, earthy, and sharply herbal. Alcohol blast followed by a long sweet minty finish. Not overpowering in a cocktail, but not shy in flavor. Perfect.

Smooth and exactly what I expect from absinthe.