In my experience, this is the list of commercial absinthe worth buying:

Un Emile 68
Un Emile Blanche
Un Emile Sapin
Un Emile 45
Francois Guy
Segarra

Here are two I haven't tried, but heard may have value (can anyone vouch for these?):
Abisinthe 72
Kübler 57

There are a few others that are mediocre and I believe are sincere attempts.
However, the VAST majority of the rest is pure shite. Don't bother with anything else:
Unless you're board
Don't believe me
Something new has come out from LDF
You can't get enough THUJONE!!!-this stuff has nothing to do w/the buzz from absinthe, NOTHING!.

Please, feel free to add to this list, if I've missed something, and you have an intelligent recommendation.

I'm just trying to do my part to build the integrity of this budding forum.

Buck

The three Emile's. Then:

These days everything commercial seems boring.

I just received a new bottle of Kubler 57 last week, and, after not having any for about a year (because I didn't like it), I was surprised at how it had improved. It's quite drinkable, and no longer requires gassification, although some may still feel it desirable.

Is it in the same league as the Emiles? No. But it's certainly better than it was, and I'll probably buy it again.

I've also tried the Lemercier Abisinthe 72. I believe my opinion is more harsh than others' - but - after giving it my best shot, it ended up thirst-quenching the alligators under the streets of the District of Columbia, banished to my (long) "sinkworthy" list.

In addition to K57, the commercials brands that I'm regularly repeat-buying now? The Emiles, La Fee and Segarra.

I don't think it is a sin (yet) to say you like Le Fee.

So. . .

I like Le Fee, :)

Not a sin but a misspelling.

I like the La Fee as well. ALthough I think it would be much better if they would use herbs for the coloration.

Hmm, flavor wise I love the UE 68, and UE Sapin,
La Fee is a good 3rd in that list. Sry! I havent gotten my tongue into a bottle of HG yet!

The UE LB isnt horrible, infact after a few glasses of the others I find myself zoning into the amazing mother of pearl swirls of a louched glass of UE LB. For some reason it seems way too light to me...

I guess I enjoy the 2ndaries of the 1st 3 too much...

I love the UE LB. It is my fav of the three. La Fee is good as well, but it has a little too much of an grain alcohol taste to the finish to me.

Actually I am drinking some La Fee right now. It's still pretty tasty for an oil mix.

" I havent gotten my tongue into a bottle of HG yet!"

Jethrow, Moonman will spoil you.

Just mail you'r address to absintheauthentique@hotmail.com and tell him Wolfgang just declared you winner of the Moonman's giveaway.

Cheers !

Congrats Jethro. Enjoy!

I have tried the Abisinthe 72 and the Kubler 57. Neither struck me as anything particularly special, although I have used several glasses of the Abisinthe 72 (over multiple occasions) as a warm-up before moving on to a good HG.

I couldn't tell much of a difference at all between the two Kublers, although to be fair, the only time I bought a bottle of the 57 was when it was first offered.

For the money spent on either brand and shipping, I'd rather put it in the Hogsmack coffers.

Well folks.
W/that, the Admins no longer have anything to do w/the giveaway.
And the giveaway should be done by email or PM.
Make that "will" please.

I won? Really? That is awsome!

I will email/pm wolfgang and moonman just to be sure.
Thanks again, I cant wait to become a slave to the HG.

(I am grinning so damn big I think I will never get to sleep!)

Welcome to the other side.. There's no going back now! Seriously..you'll love it.

Yes, you will.
But, your bank account will not.
And count on the rent being late occasionally too.

I can't wait 'till my sample of da Moon shows up .... it's be a nice christmas after all.

DG

Wow! Congrats, Je-Fro! Enjoy, and tell me what it tastes like too! I also have never tried good HG, and I would love to give my rent money to Moonman instead of my landlord. Moonman provides a valuable service and product. My landlord just puts off fixing shit.

I enjoy both the Lemercier "Abisinthe" 45° and 72°. The 45 is refreshing, and the 72 is dry, with no unpleasantness to my taste. I think La Fée is only as good as Pernod 68°, which is to say, it's not very good IMHO. The only oil mix that I continue to enjoy is Muse Verte 68.

Of course the Emiles are better than any of these. And I can't want to try gentiane-mint-Emile!

maybe Patsy needs a different drink?

It's probably the only kind they have at OddBins.

As my experience with HG's grows, I find myself turning more often to them.

However, I still like the LDF products and have recently restocked my supply of them.

Two other commercials I like that aren't to popular here are: Versinthe La Blanche
and.........MATA,MATA HARI!

I mix the MH with Red Bull and use the VLB the traditional louching method or in my eyeopener : Kaffe Versinthe

thanks again all, mainly wolfgang!

Absinthespoon, you like 'La muse Verte?' For some that brand is one I keep finding myself wanting to try. I hadnt heard much about it, and what little I had wasnt good. If its at least up to La Fee snuff then I will def give it a try... if only to flesh out the liquor cabinet

OK, I must admit that I happen to like Lasala quite a lot. Especially the price, which is of some importance here in Scandinavia, where taxes on alcohol are outrageous, but the taste is also ... ah, well, such that I actually like drinking it. That means, a nicer drink than most whiskies I've come across. Like an OK, everyday wine. Like the average beer that is mostly drunk, because it's just nice to sit with a glass of beer.

But also bad enough to make a glass of Segarra a true revelation, when I treat myself with that.

There have only been a few brands that make me want to hurl:

Sebor
Ulex
Lehmann

Other than that, the rest have been okay.

DG

Monkeyhurl.
I like!
RobertSmithBunnyLeBowskiLarryWinelandScopio,
This simian fuck needs a 3 pic deal!
He's a natural.
And he'll bite the nuts off anyone who says he'll work
for peanuts.

Here's a pic of him on his off day:



DG

Absinthe Original will make you hurl, if you choke it down. I spit it out as did the rest of my friends that tried it.

If you start out on the bottom, there is no where to go but up.

La Fee on the other hand reminds me of the Absinthe I had in Spain long ago. Not bad, but no well balanced for some reason.

Nope, La Fee is not very well balanced but that is part of it's charm. I like a bit of harshness in my absinthe.

Not all mixes are shit.

A not so good one. BrainFog.

You might be a bit Jade- the only REAL Burnt™ absinthed of commercial guv'nah.

Wait ... we're not going to start a Jade- the only REAL Burnt™ absinthe rumor, are we?

DG

Read your dictionary, you might just learn something DG.

Not all Shits are mixes.

Yes, it's the one oil mix that I can even stand to drink these days. It's clearly an oil mix, it can't really compare to any of the distilled products, but I think it's pretty good. And I always feel something a little special when I have a glass or two...

Here's another vote for La Fee on the short list. I found it to be quite an enjoyable drink, even if it isn't distilled.

If someone forced me against the wall and demanded I choose one oily mix to drink, I'd still choose La Fee. It's just about the only mix I still regularly enjoy, although, based on an earlier favorable review by Absinthespoon, I tried La Muse Verte, and it is pretty yummy.

I like the Abisinthe 72. But, either gassifieing or having a drink and then lettin it sit for several months does seem to improve it. I only let it sit opened for one month then gassifiedthe other bottle. I like it though. Almost as much as I like Emile. To each his own I suppose!

"either gassifieing or having a drink and then lettin it sit for several months"

There seem to be a generalized lack of aging in the commercial offering. Only one thing seems to count : fast profits. Of course, if a distillery have to age thousands of liters of absinthe, it is a huge investment and the cost would be more than the potential extra profit on the short term.