Thread: Absinthe?

can anyone recommend a really good quality Absinthe?

I've tried a couple and didn't like them much. (One was Hill's Absinth.) Seems to me that if you can't get some with the active ingredient there isn't much point.

I found this at absinthe faq: Absinthe Buyers Guide :

On June 14, 2004 the Swiss Parliament lifted the 96 year old ban on absinthe. We expect to see commercial Swiss absinthe in 2005-2006, including many brands offering "la bleue" (clear) absinthe, a style typical of Swiss absinthe.

ABSINTHE - ALANDIA World of Absinthe seems a useful place, they deliver to the US.

EDIT> Looks like a good forum here: The Wormwood Society Absinthe Association
Your Top Ten Commercial Absinthes - Wormwood Society Discussion Forums

actually, since last year, you can legally get "real" absinthe in america.

let me clarify terms:

the active ingredient in real absinthe is thujone, a neurotoxin. it occurs naturally in certain species of wormwood plant.

during the extended prohibition on this stuff in america, companies like Absente made a product using a different species of wormwood... more or less the same flavor (although an aficianado like me can tell the difference) but none of the neurotoxin. during this time if you wanted real absinthe, you ordered it from europe and had them ship it in an unmarked box. i did this several times.

now, you can get real absinthe in america. the Lucid brand is real absinthe (although i find it too sweet), the Absente brand now does a real absinthe called "grand absinthe" or something, i haven't tried it. Another newcomer to the american market is LeTourmente (sp?) which I just finished drinking a bottle of. weird flavor compared to traditional recipes, but very tasty in a Tormented Gargoyle ****tail.

Doc,

Go to www.absintheonline.com and order something from the Jade distillery. If you want to try out something cheaper and easier to get first, you can pick up some Lucid or Kubler in the states for $50-$60 a bottle.

It should be noted that you would likely end up in the hospital for alcohol poisoning before experiencing any effect from thujone which, as jockeys points out, is a neurotoxin and would likely make you wish you were dead anyway. The pleasure I gain from absinthe is in the ritual of making the classic c0cktail. I have a bottle of Le Tourment Vert and I like it for the anise and fennel flavors it has in spades. Though, this bottle will likely last me a long time.

If you are delving into herbaceous distillates, I would also suggest finding your way to a glass of Chartreuse, preferably the green kind (as opposed to the yellow). It is quite nice neat and sipped slowly and is very much like sipping fresh cut grass. Not for everyone, but neither is the green fairy.

-Rob

I tried and liked a Chech absinth- Absinthe Toulouse Lautrec. I did try in in Europe and mentioned it to a friend of mine from NY. Apparently he found it in US at Absinth24.net. My 2c.

Originally Posted by sicboater

a bottle of Le Tourment Vert and I like it for the anise and fennel flavors it has in spades. Though, this bottle will likely last me a long time.
-Rob

THAT'S what it's called. have you tried the ****tail they have on the label with lemons? it's fantastic.

although it should be noted that this brand of absinthe is way WAY more peppermint-y than the traditional recipe.

sicboater is right about thujone, it's only allowed up to a concentration of 12ppm or so, which is totally negligible. most absinthe is 135 proof, so the alcohol will make you blind LONG before the thujone will make you hallucinate. i like absinthe because it tastes like liquified black jelly beans, which i love.

Originally Posted by jockeys

THAT'S what it's called. have you tried the ****tail they have on the label with lemons? it's fantastic.

I usually just enjoy it straight or with caramelized sugar and a little water. I'll have to try the Gargoyle. Citrus and licorice would be interesting I bet.
-Rob

Try Lucid absinthe. It is the first that was released in the US for legal sale, and is considered a good "starter" absinthe. You can find it at Bev-Mo.

Stay away from the Czeck absinthes like Hills. Those are reportedly the worst of the worst.



Scott

Never tried the stuff myself Doc, but there was a cooking programe last week that featured a 4 foot high Absinthe jelly!! Link to the recipe is here - The Food Blog - Feasting on absinthe jelly

If you get chance to watch the whole show, do so, it was really cool - http://www.channel4.com/food/on-tv/heston-blumenthal/feast/heston-s-amazing-victorian-feast-09-03-03_p_1.html