Okay ... I got my package from FSC about a month ago, but never had the opportunity to sit down and fire up glass (or two ... or three). So I decided tonight would be the night.

Right off the bat, I thought the absinthe had the color of lime juice, sans the cloudiness. I really thought this was going to taste kinda thin, but decided to cast off my preconceived notions and jump right in.

For starters, this comes in a full liter ... it stands as tall as my Versinthe fountain, and is a beautiful bottle. The label seems kind of out of place, almost like it was printed on a bubble jet printer. But aesthetics aside .....

DG

Straight, it didn't have the oak/cherry wood flavor I've grown to like about regular Segarra, But it had a real alcohol kick, which is obviously the 68 degrees. On a slow drip, it only took about 10-15 drops before the louche kicks in, bringing the mixture to a pearl white, with just a touch of green. This thing really comes into full bloom on a slow drip ... very nice and fragrant ....

DG

The mixture that works for me is a 2.5:1 ... it's very heady, and really gives off the anis flavor ... I wish they had kept the subtle oak/cherry wood flavor, but man oh man ... it a good drink. Very tasty and drinkable ... I've had three and the secondaries have kicked in ... light sensitivity ...clear headedness ... the whole nine yards. Seriously, it's all good baby.

I gotta go eat something .....

DG

Great review and photos, I can almost picture you reaching for the ass peanuts.

No ass peanuts, but the Partagas 150 Robusto was a tasty alternative ...

DG

Hence, the turd on the table.

No dog rocket there, my friend ... that be some good xit.

DG

xit is as xit does.

It looks like there's a lot of star anis in it. It's too bad what poeple can do only to have a nice louche.

Strange how you'd mention what it "wasn't".

I tasted a sample this week. There's a lot of anis for sure but I don't think there's much star anis or maybe not at all.. It's just too much anis seeds. The "anis level" is comparable to a very thick arak. I think Segarra just tryed to put as much anis and wormwood as possible in his pot, ran a batch, skipped the brandy barrel aging and sent the very potent (and aggressively unbalanced) result to SC.

I did appreciate the strong wormwood smell floating in the air around the freshly watered glass.

This potion deliver quite a punch. It's not an excellent absinthe but it's comparable to many LaBleu I tasted (lots of anis, distilled, potent but not exceptionally complex).

Worth trying. Some people will like it a lot, I have no doubt about it but I also prefer the butterscotchy Segarra 45.

There he is.

Maybe someone will bring some to LCLF... hint, hint....

I could have my arm twisted ....

DG

SPAZ-ASS will twist yer baby arm.

I get the feeling that's not all he'd like to twist.

DG

Duh.
That is your baby arm.

'Cept yours would be a stillborn Ethiopian
baby's arm.

Soft bones?

And real, real short.
Like half a wishbone.

Broken wishbones, broken dreams its all the same when it comes to DG's unit.

He doesn't dream?

Don't robots dream of electric sheep?

Oh wait ... that's Balz.

DG

What? NO, I mean, ouch man! What if they short out?

Electricity and screwing something moist NEVER MIX! Hell, I learned that clear back in third grade. Whew, that was the first AND last time I ever backed a bucket-calf into the electric fence! Pert-near 20 stitches and it still hangs crooked!

She sure could suck a di.., er, bottle though!

You, Ballz, are one whacked fuck.
Thank you.

... or one fucked whack.

DG

>I think Segarra just tryed to put as much anis and wormwood as possible in his pot, ran a batch, skipped the brandy barrel aging and sent the very potent (and aggressively unbalanced) result to SC.


in julian segarra's defense, even he prefers the 45°, and would most likely have never released the 68° on his own, had he not been told by others that they liked it.

oh, how we corrupt the natives...

You know, after thinking about it, the stuff could use a few more monts of aging under it's belt. Might just bring it to where it needs to be.

DG

I agree that a few months of further aging couldn't hurt the Segarra 68, but as far as it being straight anise and wormwood on the palate, I'd have to diasagree. That cherrywood/butterscotch thing may not be as present as it is in the 45, but I find the middle of the taste to be even more brandyish than the original, which I can't say I dislike.

Also, 2 and a half to one is almost too concentrated for the 68, giving it a raw edge, while that ratio is great for the 45, I'd go with closer to 4:1 for the 68, to really open the sucker up, and save some bucks in the long run!

Wow .... 4:1???? I tried it at 3:1 and it was WAY too thin ... can't evn imagine 4:1.

DG

Normally, I'm happy at 2+:1, but with that level of anise, I didn't find the louche on the 68 thin at all, at almost 4:1...it also eased that intense Brandy thing in mid-taste.

Not that I wouldn't enjoy the stuff at 2:1, but it'd be gone in no time!

PV.: I know, it seems SC followed the tread started by LDF and ordered a special product from a distiller. I certainly don't question Mr.Segarra skills.

The idea from SC was not half bad either, next time they should just ask Segarra to craft another more complex absinthe without imposing any rules, just let the man do his work or just let him know that if he feels like crafting something new, they will be happy to sell it.

Unfortunately, based on your travel report, it seems absinthe is the last of his priority.

I have not yet had either of the Spanish Absentas mentioned but I am looking forward to trying the 45 when I am not broke. I think for 130 bucks the 68 sounds like it might be risky business....I would be interested in knowing how it compares to other commercial vertes before I would order it.

Just my worthless two cents on the matter.....

>The idea from SC was not half bad either<

it was not SC's idea...mr. segarra was not asked to make a 68° until january 2004, well after i had told SC that i had wanted julian to do this, but could not communicate it to him when i was there in 2001. unfortunately, my recounting of my meeting with segarra in 'emerald quest' was only half posted, and stopped right at the point where i presented him with a HG to taste. (his mother liked it more than julian). for some reason the other half was not posted and was lost, and i lost my original story during a hard-drive crash. (why did SC create 'old way' when they could have had something made by segarra?) i was told in october in pontarlier that segarra would probably go out of business in a couple of years, since his mother, who was a very driving force in his business, had died, and assumed (as was planned) that any sort of further development would never happen.

>next time they should just ask Segarra to craft another more complex absinthe without imposing any rules, just let the man do his work or just let him know that if he feels like crafting something new, they will be happy to sell it.
Unfortunately, based on your travel report, it seems absinthe is the last of his priority. <

in segarra's mind, he already has 'his' absenta in the 45°.
my impression from talking to him is that the 68° was done purely for marketing reasons, and not his own...it is extremely difficult to tell someone with commercial investments and reputation that what they are doing is good (especially if it is highly praised), but not good enough, and ask if they can make something else to your amateur specifications... i have pulled this off in french, but can only go so far, and my spanish is nonexistant!

this may all sound like sour grapes and as much as i would be happy to sell it for choice, the cost plus UK alcohol taxes and shipping makes it impossible for LDF to stock.

I love the 45 ... I've always felt it was in a class by itself. The 68 is ... well, for a lack of a better word, interesting. I really like it, but then again, my palate's been tainted by the fabulous HGs.

DG

And Jack.

No really, I did laugh out loud.

DG

"I really like it, but then again, my palate's been tainted by the fabulous HGs."

Well, I wouldn't call that "tainted", but then, so has mine, so I guess I WOULD call that tainted.

Weren't the Fabulous HGs that
tightwalking family that fucked up and
fell all the time?

I think the were called "The Flying HG'ers".

Tainted by HG

I tried some of a sample of the Segara 68 this evening.

It is a pleasant drink, but come across as pretty one-dimensional. It doesn't seem to have the range of flavors that the regular Segara did. I'd say that I like this version, but not as much as the regular, and definitely not as much as other products I've had.

Though my palate isn't that educated, I'd have to agree with the other posters so far on this topic. It might have been better to let him continue doing his own thing his own way. It isn't a bad product, just not as good as it could be. However, I will still enjoy finishing off my sample.

I was going to try a sample tonight, but I'm too trashed on beer and whiskey to do it justice. I'll have some Fou .

Screw the Fou.

I'm drinking GSsynthe blend HG. According to the maker, it was made by making three batches of the same modified Nerfchatel, and then blending all three together to age them as one batch.

Not bad at all.

Hmmmm.













ALL YOUR POSTS ARE BELONG TO ME!!!!

Tried the Sgearra 68 tonight. Stuf reminds me of the Abainthe I had in Spain long ago. Not bad, but HG is much better.