Well, that was a pretty interesting feeling I can now say for certain that whatever I tried the first time in London, it was different. That stuff was floaty, very "body" feeling. This stuff was more mental. We did sugar cubes on a fork, for lack of better equipment. 1.5 oz of Lucid to 4.5 oz of water. Went a little too fast on the first glass, and the cube was melted before I got through a quarter of my water. Strong black licorice taste for both of us, but we are also both a little sensitive to it. Drank the first glass, and felt the alcohol hit me... and then it went away. Now, for reference, you should know that I'm a total lightweight when it comes to drinking. I get a nice buzz off one beer, and 3 will get me officially tipsy. This stuff is 124 proof, so it should have kicked me in the ass, and it tried to at first. But then it just kind of cleared up. It was interesting to say the least. The second glass amplified the feeling of the first. From this much alcohol, I should have been feeling fuzzy, but instead I didn't feel drunk at all. It was a The Ms. has decided to hold off on her review, as her stomach was a little upset from dinner to begin with, and the absinthe made things much worse. So all in all, quite an interesting experience, and we will definitely be trying it again
Does the flavor differ between the blanche, and verte varieties? This really shows how uneducated I am about this, as I had thought all absinthe was green (hence the green fairy).
Yes Sparky it will differ ever so slightly. The coloring herbs are soaked in the high proof distillate, sometimes wrapped in burlap like a giant tea bag, after it has been distilled and depending on the blend used, Grande Wormwood shoulod never be used in the coloring step, they will add complexity. I tend to prefer the simpler blanches to start off the night, or for mixing into cocktails, and progress into the verte's as the night goes on. After about three or four glasses the herbs can numb and over power your taste buds so it is good advice to have your quality drinks before that. I remember a night where some of the infamous pre ban 1914 cache was served after three glasses and wasn't appreciated like it should have been. It was still incredible to sample something authentic like at a Paris cafe at the turn of the century, surrounded by ghostly poets, writers and painters.
Some good absinthe out there now that it is "legal" Several small batch ones in US, Canada but $$$ You only live once
Well, it turns out I can buy absinthe locally. It has to be ordered, but the price works out better than online. I can get Kubler, Lucid, Pernod, or Le Torment Vert. I'm thinking I should go for the kubler.
You'd be doing well with either the Kubler or Lucid. The Kubler will come in a litre size and the Lucid will be 750ml. The Kubler ages better IMO also.
Everything I read pushes me toward Kubler, but I just have a hard time thinking of Absinthe not being green. Still, flavor should be more important.
Some of the nastiest absinthe's available are green. Too green. Green glowing chemicals do not a quality absinthe make. Flavor is the key, IMHO. The color is lost in the louche anyhow. Kubler is a fine choice.
I agree all around on this. Green is not key, the louche is very important and flavor is just as so. Kubler is one of my favorites.
