Absinthe Edouard

Another Jade Liqueurs product. This one is a distillers proof, though fully labelled, of the forthcoming Absinthe Edouard. The Absinthe Edouard is a clone of one of the finest absinthes during the Belle Epoque, Edouard Pernod. I got this one from Liqueurs de France...

This one, as the other Jade absinthes, is distilled using the old Pernod Fils alembics located at the Combier distillery in Saumur, France.

Now, on to the tasting. The Absinthe Edouard presents a very fine, intense green color. It is amazingly clear and bright, yet there's nothing artificial about it. When pouring the Edouard into the glass, there are so many wonderful scents coming out, it's almost hard to detect them. A fine complex aroma that slowly reveals its lingering textures. Fennel, hyssop, anis, wormwood - the most dominant ones, and of course most common ones as well. Slowly dripping iced water in it presents thick oily traces in the absinthe, as the louche slowly appears and clouds the drink. It turns to a very fine bright light green louche.

The louche brings out even more of the aroma, and the room is literally filled with wonderful herbal and floral scents perfectly blended together. No holding back... This calls for a sip. The Edouard has a most wonderful mouth-feel. Rich, full and complex - yet extremely smooth and almost cotton like. The hyssop surely reveals itself along with the wormwood that comes sneaking in from the back of the mouth and just holds. The taste of the Edouard is very nice. The taste is floral, to say the least, and though this is only a distillers proof, it is great. The first glass I had was immediately after opening the bottle. The absinthe itself was then more or less un-aged, and still - it was lovely. Now, almost a month later, the Edouard has become a much more mature absinthe. It has turned so much better in only this one month, one can only hope what will come after more ageing. Naturally the final product will be left to age for a couple of months before distribution...

To conclude this one, I can only say that this is one fine absinthe. I could say, Edouard! I love you! But I don't like the sound of myself shouting just that...