Vintage Absinthes... The answer to how absinthe really did taste back in the days, and also the answer to how absinthe evolved and changed
through time and depending on what country it was produced in. The most sought after vintage absinthes, are of course the ones from before the
ban in Switzerland and France. Often hard to find, and at prices unimaginable to some it is an honor and a pleasure to actually have some.
Then there are vintage absinthes from countries that never stopped producing absinthe, such as Spain for one. Easier to find, and at lower prices
but still indicating the process of change up to what is produced today.
C.F Berger (circa 1910)Switzerland, 65% alc. vol. (130 proof), sample
People sometimes refer to floral gardens in bloom to describe tastes of absinthe. I tell you, forget the floral gardens in bloom. This here, is what gave the appearance, the smell, the look, the feeling, the state of mind entering the garden, its definition in the first place. This IS the garden. This is where the blooming starts, lives and keep living.
Having been kept in its original clear glass bottle since around 1910, the chlorophyll have been affected by sunlight and time in combination - the color have changed from the slightly greenish, yellow olive tint, to more brownish. Pouring it in the glass reveals that the only thing affected is the color. A lovely, wonderful bouquet immediately reaches my nose. It fills the glass, the room, everything. I am amazed by its appearance.
Tasting it neat was, despite the high degree alcohol, a pure pleasure. So smooth, so very well balanced, so floral and all my senses are affected by it, in all positive ways possible.
The real magic though, appears upon diluting it with iced water. The brownish, almost 90 years old absinthe, transforms into the most wonderful, light green opalescent louched absinthe I've ever experienced. Deep down, despite the change of color, the green fairy works her magic, and presents a perfect drink. Decades have passed since this particular bottle was produced and it still manages to totally knock me off my feet.
The incredible crisp, yet smooth, floral character of the Berger indeed is the definition of a garden in bloom. The taste of the C.F Berger is so wonderful, I have trouble describing it. It is so extremely complex and still so perfectly well balanced that it is not overwhelming in any way. There is simply nothing wrong. Nothing other than the fact that I don't have a bottle of my own. This is something I will never forget. A taste and a reference I will carry with me, always.
(Picture courtesy of Peter Verte)
Pernod Fils, Tarragona (circa 1950)Spain/France, 68% alc. vol. (136 proof), 1.0 liter
After the ban of absinthe in France, 1915 - Pernod moved their absinthe production across the border to Tarragona, Spain. Absinthe was readily produced in Spain by many distilleries already, and Pernod tried, somehow, to convince many spanish distillers to stop their production. The recepies of absinthe have always changed over time. The absinthe available in 1900 was not exactly the same as in 1800, but the Pernod Fils absinthe experienced a quite distinct change when the production moved to Tarragona. That is the reason for the difference in price of vintage Pernod absinthes from France before the ban, and the ones produced in Spain, after the ban. Also, the taste differs quite a lot.
My first thought when I saw the bottle was, wow. A vintage Pernod Tarragona. Actually, I must say I was a bit disappointed. After pouring some in the glass, I let it sit for a short while and then, smelling it out of the glass, revealed a nice smell. It was pretty close to the vintage Absenta, but not as smooth. The smell was a bit harder, more straight forward, than the absenta, but in no way bad. The anise is definitely present, but not overwhelming. The wormwood too, is certainly detectable and well mixed with the rest of the herbs. But it never gets that really smooth smell and rounded nose.
Adding iced water to it, certainly brings out the best of the Pernod Tarragona, and it smells very nice. The previously "hard" character of the drink have turned really nice, and a more balanced body appears.
Drinking it is ofcourse a great experience, but I must still say, it was a bit of a disappointment. Then again, it is not a pre-ban Pernod, and it is not produced in Pontarlier... It has a good balance between floral freshness and the bitterness and alcohol heat and letting it sit in the mouth for a while teasing all taste buds, does actually bring out that little extra, which it needed so bad. At this point it is very good, but still lacks of something.
It does ofcourse beat most brands available as of today, and it is a very nice drink. Still, with many good brands available now, I wouldn't swing the $1000 for a bottle just for the taste. Allright, it's vintage, hence the high prices - and in that perspective, sure. But not for the taste. If any of you out there has one for sale, at a humane price, though, I'm interested.
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View photos of 1965 Miniature bottle: 01 | 02 | 03
(Picture of eight Tarragona bottles, courtesy of Peter Verte)
Absenta Montana (1969)Spain, 68% alc. vol. (136 proof), sample
This one was definitely a surprise, and I can safely say, I am very sorry that the Montana distilleries have given up the distilled absinthe, and turned to oil mixes instead. This was a very good absinthe. Not the best of the vintage ones, but very good. I'd actually say, even better than the Pernod Tarragona. When Pernod moved its production across the border to Tarragona, Spain, after the ban in France, they tried convincing the spanish distillers, that they should stop absinthe production. However, the Distilerias Montana didn't care. They kept producing, and they still do today. A wise choice, I say.
Upon smelling it, it brings a nice floral bouquet, with the anise quite dominant, but leveled with the freshness of citrus, as always in the spanish absentas. The citrus is not at all as harsh as in many of the modern absentas, but it is there. There is a slightly detectable bitterness, but it is very nicely balanced.
Tasting it neat gives a nice full bodied mouth of a good blend of herbs. It does have quite the heat from the high degree alcohol, but that dissapears after a while and bring out the great taste of a very good absinthe.
Adding a bit of water to it, produces a thick fine louche. The smell of the anise mixing with the bitter wormwood fills the glass, and it is very good. The taste smoothens into a really good, easily enjoyable aperitif. As I said, this is a very good absinthe, or - absenta, and it is just a pity that the modern Montana, although quite nice, is not as good. At the time I sampled this one, Montana was on the virge of releasing a new Montana 68, which I have yet to try. It would be great if they actually turned back to their old, original recepy, but I take it they still use oils to produce a cheaper drink. Too bad. This one though, was mighty fine, and the one that surprised me the most. I'd love to get hold of a bottle, and I wouldn't hesitate drinking it.
(Picture courtesy of Peter Verte)
Absenta Argenti (circa 1970)Spain, 68% alc. vol. (136 proof), 1.0 liter
I recently obtained a bottle of this vintage spanish absenta and I've been anxious to try it for a long time. Finally I recieved it - I've tried it and here's the verdict.
Out of the bottle it smells really nice, a good bit of wormwood mixed with anise, mainly. I'm a little surprised that being a spanish absenta it's actually rather low on the anise. I poured some in my glass and smelled it again, and it presented a lot more of an alcohol smell. Tasting it neat was another surprise, at first it presents rather subtle, herbal characters and then after a short while the wormwood bitterness appears way back on the toungue, and then slowly disappears. It's in no way a bad form of bitterness - it's just enough.
I placed the glass brouille on top of the glass, a classic spanish type "Tarragona" glass. The type commonly used, and referenced to, by Hemingway. I figured that'd be suitable for having a glass of vintage absenta. Placed a sugar cube in the brouille and poured water over it.
The Argenti slowly presented a fine, light green/yellowish louche, and along with that the herbal scents lingered out of the glass. The character of the diluted Argenti isn't quite that of a floral drink, like some others, but rather herbal. I only diluted it about 1:2 parts, a little more, and it turned out really nice. It's a very interesting, rather special, drink. Not at all like the typical spanish fare. That makes this one unique, at least to me.
How would I sum this up? Well, the taste of the Argenti is really quite nice. I've had many other brands that have the same type of "bitterness" to it, but none of them manages to keep it at the same balanced level as this one. It never becomes "too much". Considering that it differs a bit from the other vintage absentas I've had, I'd put it in a league of it's own, and I really really like it. I've said it before, and I'll say it again... Why won't the spanish distilleries of today take a good look at how things where done before.
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Absenta Augustin Bofil (1969)Spain, 65% alc. vol. (130 proof), sample
Many thanks to Simon Pedersen, I have gotten the opportunity to sample this quite nice absenta. It's a 1969 Augustin Bofil. Considering the many finer absentas that obviously has been present, one cannot but wonder where they all went.
Upon smelling it neat, the first impression is mainly anise. Maybe expected from an absenta, but it was in no way too much. If one moves behind the anise, there's the lighter kind of fruityness I believe might be from fennel. It blends very nicely and the 65 degree alcohol is barely noticable.
Tasting it neat does however remind you about its alcohol content - it's got quite the heat. I diluted it with two parts water, and already after one part water it presents a very nice louche. When diluted more aromas seem to linger out of the glass and present a much more complex drink. It is by no means as complex or floral as the finest vintage ones I've had, but the dominant anise and fennel smells seem to have mellowed out.
Tasting it now, diluted it gives a very nice rounded taste. Sure enough there's a heavy dose of anise at first but there's a very appealing slightly bitter finish to it. It doesn't quite reach the complexity and well balanced taste as the 1969 Montana, but this is surely a fine drink. I tried this one both with and without sugar, and I find it a bit nicer after adding sugar to it, but it does very well without. I do believe one could dillute it a little bit more, to make it a little more 'refreshing', but at this ratio I think it gives a perfect experience of this absenta really is, which according to me is - a very fine, high quality absinthe that I could easily enjoy drinking regularly.
As I said, it's a real pity that the spanish absinthes, the absentas, of today doesn't present the same quality as the vintage ones I've had.
(Picture courtesy of Simon Pedersen)
Edouard Pernod (circa 1910)Switzerland, 68% alc. vol. (136 proof), sample
A piece of history. Absinthe history. One of the finest brands during the Belle Epoque - Edouard Pernod. Thanks to Jim Francis I had the chance to sample this one and I can say that I enjoyed every single second of it.
A hot summer night with just the slightest wind, flowers in bloom in the garden and all is quiet. The perfect time and place to enjoy a gem like this. It goes without saying that the thoughts and mind wanders off to what it would have been, being there, almost 100 years ago. Maybe sitting in a quiet garden a summer evening sipping on a glass of Edouard.
It's not only the flowers that are in bloom though. The Edouard presents an aroma so rich and complex that it borders to overwhelming. It doesn't present the optimal floral smooth boquet as the Berger but it's very close. Everything in the glass is in harmony and though it's been nearly a century since it was bottled it's just wonderful. I sit and watch it for a while then slowly drip iced water into the glass. I let it take its time, it's wonderful to watch the thick milky louche rise from the bottom of the glass, forming strange cloudy patterns in the drink only to suddenly completely louche and again, all is still.
The aroma of the Edouard once louched is just as perfect. There isn't one single smell or taste that overpowers any of the others. Slowly drinking it, trying not to analyze it too much but instead just enjoy it - and it's a pure pleasure. I am honored to have had this glass, and I still have enough left for another. I'll save that for a very rainy day. Good old Edouard knows how to cheer me up.
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(Photos of Edouard bottle and labels are used by permission, courtesy of Oxygenee.com)
Legler Pernod (1915)France, 72% alc. vol. (144 proof), sample
Thanks to my good friend Simon Pedersen I had the opportunity to sample this exquisite piece of absinthe history.
In 1863 Otto Legler, married to Caroline Pernod (daughter of Edouard Pernod who ran the Edouard Pernod distillery), set up an absinthe distillery in Couvet, Switzerland. He added his wifes last name to his own, and the name of the company was Legler-Pernod. (from the book "Pernod 200 years" by Marie-Claude Delahaye)
With the wonderful brownish color that follows years and years of ageing and storing - the color known as feuille-morte, the dead leaf brown, and a wonderful rich and complex nose it's a pure pleasure to slowly pour a measure into the glass and noticing how its scent fills the room.
A nice and smooth blend of herbs, a clear hint of wormwood in harmony with a healthy dose of anise. Not too much, not to make it harsh... Just very well balanced.
Slowly dripping water into it forms strange cloudy patterns and displays a fine thin layer of unlouched absinthe on top. Then it too louches and the glass displays a thick creamy wonderfully floral drink.
Tasting it reveals a drink exactly as wonderful as the aroma invited me to think. Creamy, soft, round and yet so complaex and full of taste. Every time I get to drink a glass of pre-ban absinthe of this high quality I know why I love this drink.
This is plain and simply wonderful.
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(Picture of bottle courtesy of Oxygénée.com)
Una Castña Absenta (circa 1970)Spain, ??% alc. vol., 0.1 liter
A little something from Spain. Interestingly the distillery is actually still in business, however the only one there who knew any english knew about 50 words... So - calling them and asking about this Absinthe didn't give me much more than an expensive phone bill. Either way, the one thing I got to know was that they actually made absinthe from around 1920 and all the way up to 1984. Given the color on this one I first dated it to somewhere around 1950-1960. However after I tasted it I would have to say it's more likely to be newer than that. So, somewhere around 1970... Why? Well - first of all pouring the contents in a glass didn't reveal any of the fine aromas I've scented from other vintage Absentas. There was some anise and a little herbal complexity but nothing spectacular at all.
Further more, the thing didn't louche. I used ice cold water and dripped it very slowly into the glass, but nothing happened. Keeping in mind that they produced absinthe from the 1920's it's a fair guess that someone altered their recipe along the way. If so, no wonder they stopped producing it in the mid 80's. If this was their absenta in the 1920's they'd be shit out of luck in no time.
So, it really didn't taste all that great. It was a bit sweet and with a hint of herbal notes and anise, but nothing I would care to drink again. Fact is - I poured the remaining half of the drink down the drain. Sad, but true. You win some and you lose some and certainly this proves that not all producers get things right even if they had continous production for over 60 years.
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Absenta Escat (1920-1925)Spain, 68% alc. vol. (136 proof), sample
A sample of this old spanish absenta was graciously given to me by my friend Simon Pedersen. Dating back to around 1920-25 it is not that far from the french ban. It actually does remind a bit of older Pernod Tarragonas but not with that typical Pernod character. However it is a very nice absinthe.
The color is lightly feuille morte with a slight touch of green hinting in there somewhere and along with it follows a full and rich aroma that does follow what you would expect from a typical spanish absenta before the modernisation and clubhoppers came along to make absinthes in all kinds of colors and terrible tastes.
Compared to other vintage absentas it's very good and holds a long lasting fruity but anisey taste. Slowly adding water to it presents a nice and thick louche, just as expected from the anise character, and it further enhances the aroma coming out of the glass.
Its taste packs a nice wormwood flavour in the back of the mouth which just seems to linger there, not wanting to come out and take over too much. It's just there, somehow.
I think it's needless to say that absinthes of this quality are rare today and I could easily live with drinking this every day - all day. Again, it's hard to find anything more relaxing and soothing than sitting in a summer garden where all is quiet except for some birds singing and just sip on a glass of excellent old and well preserved absinthe.
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(Pictures of bottle and label courtesy of Simon Pedersen)
Absenta Argenti (circa 1940)Spain, 68% alc. vol. (136 proof), 0.5 liter
Here I have a Spanish absenta from WWII era - the bottle was in very good condition when I aquired it, still with about half of the original wax seal left and the cork nicely intact. The color - a nice feuille morte and the level of the absinthe in the bottle very good. All in all it was in very very good condition. Everything still is, only now the absinthe is extracted and put in little 25 and 50ml bottles...
Pouring this aged brown drink in a glass lets a quite nice herbal complexity out and along with the quite classical vintage-woody smell comes hints of Coriander, Anise and some Melissa.
With a very slow drip of ice cold water it presents oily swirls slowly moving in the liquid, like things happen in slow-motion in the glass. Then after a while at about a one to one ratio of water/absinthe it starts to louche. Slowly. If water is added too fast it is ruined. The louche ends up quite nice even if it's a bit thin, considering the lower amounts anise and fennel I can detect, it's quite reasonable.
That's what makes this a rather interesting drink actually, in the way that it differentiates itself from most of the other Spanish absentas I've had from around the same years. It's less anise-laden but still very "Spanish" in its Melissa flavor.
The mouth-feel it presents is quite round and rich with a slightly dry finish. Not a bitter dry in any way, just slightly dry - plain and simple. The aroma profile is carried onto the taste in that it mainly presents the same three characteristic herbs, Coriander, Anise and Melissa. The Coriander is in no way dominant but lingers there just to hint that it's present.
On the whole, this is actually not a bad drink and in a way a really interesting step away from the more "ordinary" Spanish style. What makes it even more interesting is to see the way the brand developed during the years, given that I have a bottle of 1970 Argenti as well. Though, it is not the best vintage absinthe I've had, I'm glad to have it and glad to have tried it.
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Absinthe Suisse Grande Distillerie Lyonnaise (circa 1895)France, 65% alc. vol. (130 proof), sample
On a wonderful summer day, what can be more relaxing than enjoying a glass of good absinthe in the garden? I was in the mood for something special and decided to have a glass of the Absinthe Suisse Grande Distillerie Lyonnaise from around 1895.
Just opening the bottle and pouring a measure of this absinthe in the glass instantly revealed the character of this beauty - a strikingly floral perfume. The aroma was so intense it's hard to describe. It showed off a perfectly balanced aroma in full bloom right away and most noticeable was a fine green anise along with Wormwood and Angelica. More in the back there's a hint of Artemisia pontica and what I believe was Veronica. I could sit for hours just enjoying the perfume of the Lyonnaise but it was inviting me to start mixing it to get a taste.
Using a brouilleur filled with ice to get perfectly cold ice water I started adding water to this fine "Feuille Morte" colored drink. It had a faint hint of orange to it which I've noticed in some vintage absinthes before. With the water starting to drip into the absinthe a nice and thick clouding began from the bottom of the glass. For every drop the color turned more peachy brown with a nice very slight touch of green in it - much like that I noticed in the 1910 C.F Berger I had a couple of years back. Proof that the green fairy really does live in the absinthe maybe?
The louche was very thick and the aroma was further enhanced and went into absolutely full bloom after the glass was fully louched and I really really wanted to have that first taste - that first sip that you will remember for a long time. The mouth-feel was excellent - very creamy and rich, though it could've been a little bit creamier actually - at least that was expected from the aroma, but that's just nitpicking - it was excellent.
The taste was as expected from the aroma and mouth-feel certainly a nice experience. The Angelica and the hints of Veronica made this a very interesting drink. The very fruity anise and the wormwood was clearly present and all together it made a nice step away from the classic Pontarlier style absinthes like Pernod Fils, Edouard Pernod etc. With everything finely tuned and in perfect harmony this absinthe tasted wonderful.
There's really only one thing wrong with the Lyonnaise and that is the fact it leaves you longing for more. The Absinthe Suisse form the Grande Distillerie Lyonnaise is actually one of the finest pre-ban absinthes I've had this far. Unique in character with a strikingly floral bouquet and equally savory taste... Give me a time machine, please.
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(Pictures of bottle and label courtesy of David Nathan-Maister at Oxygenee.com)
Jules Pernod, Avignon (circa 1910)France, 68% alc. vol. (136 proof), sample
Jules Pernod - a large distillery located in Avignon down in southern France of course made an absinthe bearing that same name. Not only the name was a competitor to the well known Pernod Fils and Edouard Pernod but also the quality of the drink.
The sample I had was a perfect Feuille Morte color with slight hints of green and in all aspects perfect for a pre-ban absinthe. Once in the glass there's a fine smooth floral aroma slowly filling the room, it's the aroma of fine green anise mixed with wormwood and a slight touch of Coriander and what I believe is Angelica.
Gently pouring ice cold water into it results in a thick creamy perfectly opaque louche and the color presents hints of peachy amber. The aroma is still as intriguing and the green anise and wormwood is very fruity on the nose.
The thick and creamy louche carries over in the mouth-feel which is also very rich and creamy. It lingers on the tongue and even though it's clearly a complex absinthe its mouth-feel is refreshingly light. The light and refreshing character moves on to the taste as well and I'm actually taken by surprise how light it is. Not in a bad way, but rather that the complexity is so well balanced and the fruity, fragrant herbs makes it so easily enjoyable.
I must say that I've had a couple of other pre-ban absinthes that have been better than this, but it certainly is an amazing absinthe and I can see how this would be one of the top 20 absinthes on the market in its day. It is without a doubt a serious competitor to the top brands and if I had the option, I'd most definitely reach for this one quite often.
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(Pictures courtesy of David Nathan-Maister at Oxygenee.com)
E. Aldabó, Habana - Extrait d'Absinthe (circa 1930)Cuba, 65% alc. vol. (130 proof), sample
We all know Hemingway made visits to Cuba and we also know that Hemingway liked to drink absinthe. What we don't know is whether or not he ever drank this absinthe from E. Aldabó, Habana. If he ever did, I'm sure he quickly moved on to another drink - of another brand.
The most interesting thing with this absinthe is the fact that it comes from Cuba and that this is the only Cuban vintage absinthe to be found yet. It dates to around 1930 - the time when Spanish made Edouard Pernod (Pernod S.A) still tasted pretty damn good and a lot of other Spanish distilleries where still making excellent Absentas. Sadly it seems only the Spanish language is there - not the quality of the absinthe.
The color is a bit too yellow for my liking and I'd say that the color of this drink was quite yellow already when it was new. It does show a bit of the old vintage brown of course, but it looks like an old version of the 1970 Ancora from Portugal I've previously tasted.
The aroma is very flat and presents some coriander, only the faintest little hints of anise - barely none, and wormwood. Along with that there's a strong alcoholic smell. There's really nothing fruity or floral about this. Upon the addition of iced water the aroma flattens out even more and the most noticeable is the citrusy coriander and a little minty background.
The ice cold water reacts with the alcohol and creates some swirls but there's no louche.
Having a sip of it takes the character, or lack thereof, of the Aldabó and puts it in the mouth-feel which is dull, boring and uninteresting. To top that off there's a distinct dry coating in the mouth from it which is also clearly detectable in the aftertaste. A very dry bitter finish. Other than that, the taste is mainly that of citrus and a little bit of wormwood but mostly it's that distinct bitter finish that remains.
In other words, it's a nice novelty for being a Cuban absinthe and the taste fits my image of life on Cuba (unless you're a wealthy tourist). Not a very good absinthe, but I'm happy to have tried it - the absinthe, not life on Cuba.
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(Picture of bottle courtesy of David Nathan-Maister at Oxygenee.com)