Since about 1997-1998 several hundred various brands of absinthe is available all over the world. Some bare almost no resemblance to vintage absinthes what so ever, and some are excellent reproductions. There are anything from vodka and essence mixes to macerate and oil mixes, and of course true distilled absinthes, made according to age old recipes. There are absinthes from France and Switzerland, but also from the Czech republic, Germany, Spain and many other countries. Along my way with the "fairy" I have sampled several brands, contemporary as well as vintage absinthes from around the 1900's. And I can sincerely tell that there is a huge variety in quality and authenticity. To make it simple, I guess it would be a good start to say that in order for an absinthe to be of good quality, it should be 100% distilled. It should not be overly bitter, and not overwhelming with anise. There is of course differences in all brands, but then, people have different taste. One must also keep in mind that a fine absinthe is not only a wormwood based spirit. It should be anise based as well. If there is no anise at all in it, I wouldn't classify it as an absinthe. Go ahead and browse through the various categories in the navigation, to find reviews of absinthes from each country. There is also a "Substitutes" section, which covers some Pastis and Liqueurs d'Anis variations.