Italy, land of Grappa, nice wines and fancy clothes and fine shoes. Who knew there would be absinthes coming out of Italy - ever.
Well, a few Italian absinthes have been available for quite a few years now but it's not until the last couple of years that really fine absinthes
have started to show up. So now there's yet another reason to visit this beautiful country.
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Created: 5/23/2003
Absinthe Dedo
Italy, 75% alc. vol. (150 proof), 0.2 liter
Already before opening the bottle I pretty much knew what was coming... Let me put it this way, at the back of the bottle, besides the lame story about the founder, it says; Don't drink and drive... OK, I know that. And then, it says; nor drink to excess. Now that's a good point. I will never drink this one to excess, that's for sure. Itäs now located way back on the shelf and it will never see daylight again!
First off, I was dumb enough to try it neat. I've had many drinks that are stronger than the Dedo's 75%. But this one got me burning. Nothing but strong alcohol. So, I didn't even bother bringing out the fountain, just a can of water, and to be on the safe side, I added some sugar. And I added much water. Still, it's not good. A shame this one took up space in my luggage on my way back from england!
Absinthe DedoItaly, 75% alc. vol. (150 proof), 0.2 liter
Already before opening the bottle I pretty much knew what was coming... Let me put it this way, at the back of the bottle, besides the lame story about the founder, it says; Don't drink and drive... OK, I know that. And then, it says; nor drink to excess. Now that's a good point. I will never drink this one to excess, that's for sure. Itäs now located way back on the shelf and it will never see daylight again!
First off, I was dumb enough to try it neat. I've had many drinks that are stronger than the Dedo's 75%. But this one got me burning. Nothing but strong alcohol. So, I didn't even bother bringing out the fountain, just a can of water, and to be on the safe side, I added some sugar. And I added much water. Still, it's not good. A shame this one took up space in my luggage on my way back from england!
Created: 2/19/2005
Pastiglie Leone Absinthium - Fata Verde
Italy, 72% alc. vol. (144 proof), 0.7 liter
From the makers of various candy pastilles, Pastiglie Leone, comes this absinthe. They are the ones behind the absinthe pastilles found in the Oddities section. A couple of days ago I had the opportunity to taste the Pastiglie Leone absinthe. It's called "Absinthium" or "Fata Verde" which means Green Fairy, in Italian. The only thing I knew was that it couldn't be worse than the old italian "Dedo". And it wasn't. But by that, I didn't say it was all that good either. So, here's my "Fatal Verdict".
I had heard that it would have a citrusy flavour to it, so I pretty much expected something along the regular spanish fare type of absinthe. That was not quite right. It's a rather flat drink, really. No need to read the label to understand that it's artificially flavoured either. so, to get down to what this one is all about then...
The citrus smell is there - no doubt, you couldn't miss it. It's actually pretty much at war with the star anise. The citrus takes over every other smell there is. It presents a good enough louche though, but that's not hard to obtain with some star anise and oil extracts. I wouldn't say there's a need for sugar in this one. It neither improves the taste, nor destroys it. It pretty much doesn't do anything. The Leone Absinthium didn't do much for me either.
I'd say this isn't a very fine absinthe. However, I do believe that there are some people out there that might actually love it. Why? Well, it's got such a "special" taste to it that it's got to be tailor made for someone. I'm not going to totally off this one, since it's actually a step up from the Dedo, or... Several steps up. But it's got a long climb before it reaches the penthouse. Still, it's better than many absinthes (and absinths) available on the market.
Summary? Personally I'm not impressed at all. The taste is way too strange with way too much citrus/lemon flavour. They need to look at the Montmartre to get proper directions... Less star anise, more wormwood and why not try distilling it all? It's not the worst I've had, and if someone tries this as their first absinthe they will atleast not be totally put off about it. It goes upwards from here.
View additional photos: 01 | 02 | 03
Pastiglie Leone Absinthium - Fata VerdeItaly, 72% alc. vol. (144 proof), 0.7 liter
From the makers of various candy pastilles, Pastiglie Leone, comes this absinthe. They are the ones behind the absinthe pastilles found in the Oddities section. A couple of days ago I had the opportunity to taste the Pastiglie Leone absinthe. It's called "Absinthium" or "Fata Verde" which means Green Fairy, in Italian. The only thing I knew was that it couldn't be worse than the old italian "Dedo". And it wasn't. But by that, I didn't say it was all that good either. So, here's my "Fatal Verdict".
I had heard that it would have a citrusy flavour to it, so I pretty much expected something along the regular spanish fare type of absinthe. That was not quite right. It's a rather flat drink, really. No need to read the label to understand that it's artificially flavoured either. so, to get down to what this one is all about then...
The citrus smell is there - no doubt, you couldn't miss it. It's actually pretty much at war with the star anise. The citrus takes over every other smell there is. It presents a good enough louche though, but that's not hard to obtain with some star anise and oil extracts. I wouldn't say there's a need for sugar in this one. It neither improves the taste, nor destroys it. It pretty much doesn't do anything. The Leone Absinthium didn't do much for me either.
I'd say this isn't a very fine absinthe. However, I do believe that there are some people out there that might actually love it. Why? Well, it's got such a "special" taste to it that it's got to be tailor made for someone. I'm not going to totally off this one, since it's actually a step up from the Dedo, or... Several steps up. But it's got a long climb before it reaches the penthouse. Still, it's better than many absinthes (and absinths) available on the market.
Summary? Personally I'm not impressed at all. The taste is way too strange with way too much citrus/lemon flavour. They need to look at the Montmartre to get proper directions... Less star anise, more wormwood and why not try distilling it all? It's not the worst I've had, and if someone tries this as their first absinthe they will atleast not be totally put off about it. It goes upwards from here.
View additional photos: 01 | 02 | 03
Created: 8/19/2006 Updated: 5/6/2008
Farom Absinthe Old Blanche
Italy, 68% alc. vol. (136 proof), 1.0 liter
So, it has been quite a while since I received the first bottle of the Farom Old Blanche to sample. I much enjoyed it but there were certain little bits and pieces that I personally felt lacking or could be improved. A while back I received another bottle of the Farom Old Blanche and to my pleasure it was indeed improved. So, here's the updated review...
Being a blanche it's a perfect crystal clear absinthe and its nice fragrant aroma is literally room filling. Once you open the bottle you immediately notice the fine flowery scents and the nice blend that I came to like so much in the first prototype I got is now nicely balanced and fits perfectly in the mix with the fine wormwood and anise. Yes, that is the touch of vanilla and camomile that I'm referring to. With that little bit improved I must say that the Farom Old Blanche is one of the finest blanche absinthes I've had in a long time. It's a nice step away from many of the Swiss blanches that floods the market and it has its own character making it unique. I like that.
Adding water to the Farom Old Blanche produces a very nice louche which builds up nicely and not too fast even though there is star anise in it, something that usually is overpowering all other flavors in most absinthes that use it, but I actually don't find that in this one.
There is really no need to add sugar to the Farom Old Blanche since it carries its own sweetness from the star anise. However, with sugar added the sweetness puts a slightly different character to the front and it's still an enjoyable absinthe.
So, basically - the Farom Old Blanche has gone through a very nice development and is certainly a fine absinthe. I believe there are further modifications being done and the one thing I think could be said is that it would be nice to see the wormwood lifted just a little more. Either way, this is still the first top notch Italian absinthe I tried and once it's finally released I am sure many will love it. Things are looking bright for the Italian absintheurs. The L'Italienne is hitting the stores and I hope soon they will find this one there as well.
View additional photos: 01 | 02
Farom Absinthe Old BlancheItaly, 68% alc. vol. (136 proof), 1.0 liter
So, it has been quite a while since I received the first bottle of the Farom Old Blanche to sample. I much enjoyed it but there were certain little bits and pieces that I personally felt lacking or could be improved. A while back I received another bottle of the Farom Old Blanche and to my pleasure it was indeed improved. So, here's the updated review...
Being a blanche it's a perfect crystal clear absinthe and its nice fragrant aroma is literally room filling. Once you open the bottle you immediately notice the fine flowery scents and the nice blend that I came to like so much in the first prototype I got is now nicely balanced and fits perfectly in the mix with the fine wormwood and anise. Yes, that is the touch of vanilla and camomile that I'm referring to. With that little bit improved I must say that the Farom Old Blanche is one of the finest blanche absinthes I've had in a long time. It's a nice step away from many of the Swiss blanches that floods the market and it has its own character making it unique. I like that.
Adding water to the Farom Old Blanche produces a very nice louche which builds up nicely and not too fast even though there is star anise in it, something that usually is overpowering all other flavors in most absinthes that use it, but I actually don't find that in this one.
There is really no need to add sugar to the Farom Old Blanche since it carries its own sweetness from the star anise. However, with sugar added the sweetness puts a slightly different character to the front and it's still an enjoyable absinthe.
So, basically - the Farom Old Blanche has gone through a very nice development and is certainly a fine absinthe. I believe there are further modifications being done and the one thing I think could be said is that it would be nice to see the wormwood lifted just a little more. Either way, this is still the first top notch Italian absinthe I tried and once it's finally released I am sure many will love it. Things are looking bright for the Italian absintheurs. The L'Italienne is hitting the stores and I hope soon they will find this one there as well.
View additional photos: 01 | 02
Created: 4/24/2008
Absinthe L'Italienne
Italy, 65% alc. vol. (130 proof), 0.5 liter
Every year in Pontarlier and Boveresse for the absinthe festivals there's a little Italian crowd of absintheurs. A bunch of very good people with the love for very good absinthe. So, there's really only one thing wrong with that and that is the fact that there's not really any good Italian absinthes. The Farom Old Blanche is excellent but not yet commercially available... The Dedo is complete crap and the Leone Absinthium is not a whole lot better. So, one of these Italian absintheurs, Stefano did this, L'Italienne. A truly authentic absinthe verte from Italy.
It has a slightly brown/yellowish hue to the green color, leaning a bit towards olive oil but more vibrant. I would personally like it a bit more green but it's natural looking and definitely appealing.
The first impression when smelling it is that it's a highly complex, spicy yet flowery herbal absinthe. It's quite promising. Slowly adding iced water to it generates a nice thick louche, slowly rising from the bottom of the glass putting wings to the nice floral aromas and help them fill the room. The aroma develops into a nice blooming herbal garden inviting me to drink.
The taste is crisp and clean with a good portion of wormwood and a healthy amount of green anise. Its nicely blended composition of herbs is so very balanced and there's nothing that stands out on its own too much. It creates a nice typical absinthe flavor. Maybe that sounds simple and boring but on the contrary, that is the essence of absinthe. Complexity so well carried out that it seems simple and straight forward.
This absinthe is absolutely a very fine high quality addition to the ever growing list of absinthes available today. It stands out not only in being Italian but also because it's really good. So, now Italy has two good absinthes soon available on the market. The L'Italienne verte absinthe and the Farom blanche which I hope to see commercialized really soon... Salute!
View additional photos: 01 | 02
Absinthe L'ItalienneItaly, 65% alc. vol. (130 proof), 0.5 liter
Every year in Pontarlier and Boveresse for the absinthe festivals there's a little Italian crowd of absintheurs. A bunch of very good people with the love for very good absinthe. So, there's really only one thing wrong with that and that is the fact that there's not really any good Italian absinthes. The Farom Old Blanche is excellent but not yet commercially available... The Dedo is complete crap and the Leone Absinthium is not a whole lot better. So, one of these Italian absintheurs, Stefano did this, L'Italienne. A truly authentic absinthe verte from Italy.
It has a slightly brown/yellowish hue to the green color, leaning a bit towards olive oil but more vibrant. I would personally like it a bit more green but it's natural looking and definitely appealing.
The first impression when smelling it is that it's a highly complex, spicy yet flowery herbal absinthe. It's quite promising. Slowly adding iced water to it generates a nice thick louche, slowly rising from the bottom of the glass putting wings to the nice floral aromas and help them fill the room. The aroma develops into a nice blooming herbal garden inviting me to drink.
The taste is crisp and clean with a good portion of wormwood and a healthy amount of green anise. Its nicely blended composition of herbs is so very balanced and there's nothing that stands out on its own too much. It creates a nice typical absinthe flavor. Maybe that sounds simple and boring but on the contrary, that is the essence of absinthe. Complexity so well carried out that it seems simple and straight forward.
This absinthe is absolutely a very fine high quality addition to the ever growing list of absinthes available today. It stands out not only in being Italian but also because it's really good. So, now Italy has two good absinthes soon available on the market. The L'Italienne verte absinthe and the Farom blanche which I hope to see commercialized really soon... Salute!
View additional photos: 01 | 02