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Tasting Notes

All rights reserved
©2009 F. Paul Pacult
The following story appeared in the September 2008 issue of F. Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal.


New Absinthe and Liqueur Reviews

ABSINTHE - France & Austria

Editor's note: I've segregated the four absinthes for you, away from the rest of the liqueurs. I have always been puzzled by the wistful popularity of this now legal libation. My belief is that it was because it was illegal that some people made noise about it and took great pains to "smuggle" bottles into the U.S. and then tell their enthralled friends about their adventures. Make something taboo and some of us go wild. I think that it's much ado about nothing and that the mini-craze, if there is one, will blow over in 2-3 years once the devotees have their day in the green sun. In the meantime…

Grande Absente Absinthe Originale (France; Crillon Imports, Paramus, NJ); 69% abv, $70.
Pastel, neon, Jolly Rancher green/yellow color; excellent clarity. Considering the lofty abv, this opening aroma is gentle, even delicate in its conveyance of herbs, roots, and barks; following another seven minutes of exposure to air, the aroma features oily and moderately potent notes of aniseed and licorice. Palate entry is intensely spirity, deeply herbal and licorice-like, and totally dry; midpalate features the licorice attack on the tongue and is waxy. Concludes strong in abv aggression, intensely herbal/leafy, off-dry, and strikingly like black licorice. The bright yellow/green color looks manufactured and, to me, is a bit of a turn-off when compared to the others in this flight.
Spirit Journal Rating 2008:
Recommended


La Muse Verte Absinthe Traditionelle (France; Christine Cooney Spirits, Lakeville, MA); 68% abv, $62.
Dark, herbal, basil leaf green color; very good purity. First sniffs encounter strange and wonderful scents of herbed (rosemary) and salted butter, caraway seeds, and fresh herbs (dill, sage, rosemary); further aeration brings out a rye bread with caraway seed quality that's unusual and pleasing. Palate entry is desert dry, nearly mouthpuckering, and is intensely herbal, with dill, rosemary, and sage leading the way; midpalate is less aggressive and introduces an anise element that complements the herbs very nicely. Finishes chalky, minerally, concentrated, and spirity. This is more in line with how I envision real absinthe to be: unpleasant in a weirdly appealing manner. I know, it's a true paradox. Or maybe it's an enigma wrapped inside a mystery bundled inside a secret. I'm hallucinating. Call me a cab. Oh, I'm home. Right. Thought those pulsating walls looked familiar.
Spirit Journal Rating 2008:
Recommended


Mata Hari Absinthe (Austria; Beacon Beverage Imports, Manhasset, NY); 60% abv, $50.
Greenish/blue/ocean color; flawless clarity. Snappy, peppery, and dry aromas greet the olfactory sense in the early-on whiffs; additional time in the glass stimulates highly spirited aromas to emerge, ending up prickly in the nostrils as well as buttery/oily and grassy/vegetal; a fetching bouquet. Palate entry is coyly sweet, fruity, almost like cucumber, and nicely herbal; anise makes an entrance at midpalate and blends well with the fruitiness (which I fail to more closely identify). Concludes sweeter than most, nicely herbal but not overly so, and even a touch honeyed. Hey, I like this one a lot.
Spirit Journal Rating 2008:
Highly Recommended


Pernod aux Plantes d'Absinthe Supérieure (France; Pernod Ricard USA, Purchase, NY); 68% abv, $65.
Medium herbal green; unblemished purity. Spirity, herbal, and tangy aromas come across in the initial inhalations after the pour; another seven minutes unleashes an appealing wave of anise/licorice that is dry, spicy, herbal, and vegetal simultaneously. Palate entry is dry then off-dry, minerally/slaty, and anise-like; midpalate features the anise, but also nicely salty tastes of dried spice (mace) and herbs (sage) that overlap with the mineral/concrete characteristic. Finishes bitter, herbal, with a hint of anise and salt. Works for me as a standard.
Spirit Journal Rating 2008:
Highly Recommended


Cointreau Noir Orange Liqueur & Cognac Liqueur (France, Remy Cointreau USA, New York, NY); 40% abv, $60.
Topaz/medium amber color; impeccable clarity. Comes off properly orangy and zesty in the opening round of nosing, with a mere hint of cognac and, even more subtly, almond paste; bouquet improves and deepens with aeration as the cognac emerges more and the orange zest turns more bittersweet than sweet, leaving the impression of elegance and fruity/nutty understatement. Palate entry is sweet, juicy, fruity, and spirity; midpalate features a lusciously deep orange peel bittersweet that's in complete harmony with the cognac foundation. Ends on a keen dried orange peel note that's tangy and bittersweet. Nicely done.
Spirit Journal Rating:
Highly Recommended


Espiritu del Ecuador (Ecuador; CMSC Spirits Group, Morganville, NJ); 30% abv, $27.
Displays a greenish/marigold/yellow color; appears pure. First sniffs encounter heavy confectionery aromas, most notably refined sugar and candied tropical fruits; aeration sees the sugary aroma eventually overshadow the sickly fruitiness. Palate entry is totally about sugar and super-sweetness and little else; midpalate taste can do nothing but be über-sweet because of the over-riding presence of refined sugar. Ends up as cruelly sweet and teeth-jarring as the entry. If there was fruit flavoring injected, it long ago succumbed to the sugar concentration. Perhaps Ecuadorians like their liqueurs super-sweet, that's fine. Too much for me. Genuinely god-awful.
Spirit Journal Rating:
Not Recommended


Feeney's Irish Cream Liqueur (Ireland; Sazerac Co., New Orleans, LA); 17% abv, $15.
Deep beige/khaki brown appearance. Smells as nutty as it does creamy out of the box and it isn't sweet in the least; as with virtually all cream liqueurs additional air contact does nothing to alter the aroma. Palate entry is snappy, tangy, nutty, and almost beany; midpalate features the nut-focused flavor and is anything but sweet as a result. Finishes well, medium sweet, medium creamy, and, you guessed it, nut-like. Pleasant and well-made.
Spirit Journal Rating:
Recommended


Kahlua Hazelnut Liqueur (Mexico; Pernod Ricard USA, Purchase, NY); 20% abv, $21.
Dark mahogany color, with red core highlights. Right out of the gate, the aroma has hazelnut plastered all over it, with the barest hints of coffee bean in the background; additional time in the glass allows for a complementary wave of peanut butter scent to mingle with the hazelnut and coffee bean aromas. Palate entry is smooth as satin, concentrated, creamy, and genuinely nutty; midpalate flavor profile builds on the entry tastes, but with a deeper and more satisfying coffee bean depth. Ends on a bittersweet note of medium strength.
Spirit Journal Rating 2008:
Recommended


Kahlua French Vanilla Liqueur (Mexico; Pernod Ricard USA, Purchase, NY); 20% abv, $21.
Medium mahogany/old brown sherry color. Enticing fragrances of vanilla bean and vanilla extract waft from the sampling glass; second passes pick up faint traces of coffee bitterness, but the over-riding aromatic aspect is vanilla bean. Palate entry dazzles with a keen, focused bittersweet core flavor rather than an abundance of sugary liqueur sweetness; midpalate goes for broke with the vanilla bean/coffee bean bitterness and, as such, the taste profile succeeds in spades. Concludes long, bittersweet, beany, and lip-smacking. Integrated and luscious.
Spirit Journal Rating 2008:
Highly Recommended




Kahlua Mocha Liqueur (Mexico; Pernod Ricard USA, Purchase, NY); 20% abv, $21.
Medium deep caramel/burnt russet color. In the initial nosing passes, the mocha aspect is like cotton candy and cocoa butter and is more bittersweet than sweet; smells a bit woolly/cottony/fabric-like in the later sniffs. Palate entry features a stunningly rich and voluptuous texture that supports the dark chocolate/chocolate cake frosting flavor; the midpalate stage highlights the cocoa/coffee marriage in the most delightful manner that cradles the taste buds in creamy texture. Finishes long, appropriately bittersweet, chocolate-y, and luscious. Delivers the goods in style.
Spirit Journal Rating 2008:
Highly Recommended


Metaxa Private Reserve Greek Specialty Liqueur (Greece; Remy Cointreau USA, New York, NY); 40% abv, $100.
Old brown sherry/old brandy/bronze/dark copper color; flawless purity. Right up front it smells of brown butter and cooking oil, with hardly any trace left of fruit or herbs; another seven minutes of exposure to air bring into play a toastiness that's one-part cigar tobacco and one-part buttered popcorn. Palate entry is fudge-like and intense in its sweetness and woodiness; midpalate introduces some wood resin to counter the sweetness. Finishes toasty, bittersweet, caramel-like, and woody.
Spirit Journal Rating 2008:
Recommended


Pimm's No. 1 (Great Britain; Diageo NA, Norwalk, CT); 25% abv, $18.
A quintessential aperitif and mixer. Redcurrant color; superb clarity. First sniffs are greeted with herbal/earthy smells of grass, wet soil, wet sidewalk pavement, dried flowers, and dried red fruits; additional exposure to air adds bits of citrus rind, orange zest, and orange blossom. Palate entry is sweet/sour, even a touch bitter, yet is refreshing and juicy; midpalate remains juicy with red fruits, but is also minerally, focused, and delightfully savory and citrusy. Finishes intensely fruity and stone-like, yet composed and elegant. Make a classic Pimm's Cup cocktail by mixing 2 ounces of Pimm's No. 1 with 3 ounces of good ginger ale, like that from Fever-Tree, and adding a cucumber slice and garnishing with a lemon wheel.
Spirit Journal Rating 2008:
Highly Recommended


Plymouth Sloe Gin (England; Absolut Spirits Co., New York, NY); 26% abv, $35.
At present, due to limited quantities, Plymouth Sloe Gin is primarily available on-premise only. Ruby/redcurrant color; impeccable clarity. Initial sniffs pick up lovely red berry fruit fragrances, especially red currant, sloes, and red plums, along with an herbal kick; aeration of another seven minutes brings out a viny, bramble aspect that complements the bitter ripeness of the sloes. Palate entry is sweet/sour, intensely fruity, but not cloying or syrupy; the midpalate highlights the bitter nature of the ripe sloe berries perfectly and is succulent and fresh. Concludes medium-long, viny/brambly, and very seductive. The quintessential Sloe Gin.
Spirit Journal Rating 2008:
Highest Recommendation


The Spirit of Liberty Cream Liqueur (USA; CMSC Spirits Group, Morganville, NJ); 18% abv, $33.
Editor's sneering note:
The sheer absurdity of the bottle being in the shape of a frosty green Statue of Liberty alone makes it worth getting for the derisive hoots and howls of your friends. Even more absurd, to get the bottle open you have to wrestle the Statue off. I kept thinking that some lunatic Libertarian was going to burst into my office, guns blazing, accusing me of desecrating the StatofLib. Geeez. "Don't shoot me!! I'm just a spirits critic!!" Anyhoo…
     Milky beige/wet sand appearance. Smells of cream and sugar and ripe fruit in the first inhalations after the pour; remains creamy and sweet well into the latter stages of sniffing following aeration. Palate entry is nicely fruity and creamy, with level sweetness; midpalate stage adds a pleasant spiciness to the dairy and fruitiness and, you know, it actually works. The recommendably decent character of the liquid and the wackiness of the bottle make it worth the price.
Spirit Journal Rating 2008:
Recommended

© F. Paul Pacult
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