Greetings from a newbie to this forum. As a first contribution, I am offering a rigorously subjective review of three white absinthes; [insert derogatory term of choice here]'s overpriced, underproofed #3 and #4 and a pre-release sample of MM's Larmes de Lune. All three were sampled without sugar. Please note, no Un Emile was harmed in the preparation of this review.

#3 is a fine absinthe. Neat, it is a bit anise forward on the nose but with a solid herbal base. The absinthe was louched at only about 2.5:1 since [insert derogatory term of choice here] thoughtfully pre-dilutes her absinthes for your drinking convenience. After louching, the absinthe comes together quite nicely. Not overly complex but with a nice wormwood aroma and a bit numbing on the tongue. Overall, a good choice for a quiet afternoon's drink.

#4 is completely unbalanced yet completely pleasant, much like a good day off the meds. We're talking liquorice candy but with just enough of an herbal base to keep it from being insipid. No need for sugar. A fun absinthe. #4 is not a classic rendition of a white absinthe nor a good choice for daily beverage. However, it does make for a nice change of pace.

LDL-1. Fresh and vibrant was my immediate reaction to this sample. The biggest surprise was going back and resampling the supposed LBs after the LDL. What was quite good before now came across as dull, even slightly stale. The LDL louches a bit weakly compared with #3 and #4 but is still quite acceptable in this regard. Louched at about 4:1 you can really appreciate the complexity of this superb absinthe. There is plenty going on, citrus, wormwood, mint, hyssop and many other herbs. And yet. As promising as this absinthe is, it remains a collection of great parts that haven't coalesced into a whole greater than its components. Perhaps this is because I am going off a pre-release sample rather than the final product. Should the fully aged product live up to its potential, it will demonstrate why absinthe has the potential to be addictive. Not for any pseudo-psycho-pharmacological reasons, but simply because it is so pleasant to drink.

new person.
Welcome aboard.
You have offered a very thorough and succinct review, which is greatly appreciated.

Your kind words are most welcome.

Salutations

yeah, but which one made you trip balz™ the most?

Through dilligent study and much practice I have learned to avoid tripping over my own balz™.

i'm very proud of you.

Don't forget the ™ - Balz will sue your ass.

yeah, but i won't take it lying down.

unlike balz at LF03.

How nice of you to chime in and contribute right away, Green. Welcome!

I see participating as akin to having a drink, why wait?

nice Avatar.

I assume that the mother has absinthe flavored nipples. In which case, where can I suck on her tits?

Useless knowledge — wormwood was once used to aid in weaning. Wet nurses or mothers would smear the bitter herb on their dugs to discourage suckling.

Thanks for the review

BTW, after having La Bleue before it went through the [insert derogatory term of choice here] conduit, it appears to be diluted to 50% by the source, as opposed to being diluted by [insert derogatory term of choice here].

Makes sense economically. Turns a 1 liter batch into a 1.5 liter batch. Fucking con-artists.

Odd this notion that Val de Travers is the end of the rainbow for absinthe. You are better off obtaining your beverage of choice from a dedicated artisan rather than a profit-mined farmer with a good marketing address.

Most of us agree.

I'd still like to go there just to say I did. Might be fun to check the place out.

DG

And catch the Princess of Paranoia in the barn toppin'
up bottles w/Evian.

Eeeek. I thought of Cros' avatar and it gave me the willies.

DG

Nice reviews -- welcome!

When you think of Cros' willie,
we'll change your avatar-

What do you think some of those Val de Travers distillers are?

Last I heard, the desert dwarf may have "a good commercial address" and be profit-minded but she's definitely not a Val de Travers farmer.

Plowhorse mebbe from the looks
of her, but not a farmer.

Not going to take anything lying down any more, the liver is in TOP SHAPE now!!! I'll show you all, just gotta finger out how to get time off in April, then you'll all see! I AM HUGE!!! I AM THE HULK! (Wow, those self-help tapes really work!)

Howdy The Green One. It is nice to see such a quick and eloquent review, but you still have to prove that you are "the one."

He's not the one.
He's just the green one.

Oh, well in that case, a shot of penicillin ought to do the trick!

Mmm, wormwood titties. . .

(drool)

it has nothing to do with size, Mr. Banner.

Lammy is a slight gal and i'll bet she'd be drinking as she sat next to you in the ambulance on your way to detox.

it's about stamina and tolerance.

maybe she and the mayor could give you training tips.....i would, but i have retired from coaching.

I've always thought of you as the Mike Ditka of Absinthe...

DG

da Bears!

Aren't the green ones home runs? That's what my girlfriend in high school used to tell me.

Da Bulls.

Da Blackhawks

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bulls, da bulls, da Bulls, da Bulls (screaming, crashing and falling as Farley has another Heart Attack)

. . .

(Farley pops back up, takes a swig of beer, a bite of Brat, and. . .)

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bulls, da Bulls, da Bulls, da Bulls!


God I miss Chris.

Goddamn fuckin' right.

I much appreciate the kind welcoming words from all. As for being the "one" or even the "green one," I prefer to think of the term as one of inclusion rather than exclusion. As the Buddhist said to the hot dog vendor, "make me one with everything."

ba-dum-bump