Vintage Absinthes

Absenta Argenti was made for several decades but production ended in the early 1970's. The recipe changed over time and this here represents the very last version. It's easy to see that more and more producers resorted to mixing essences and taking shortcuts.

I was thrilled to find this as it gave me the possibility to compare it with the same brand, 30 years younger. Needless to say they should've kept to this older recipe.

Another nice absenta true to traditional absinthe with the typical Spanish touch.

A terrific absenta made in Barcelona with a long history and a long lingering taste. Where did all these great brands go...?

One of the first vintage Spanish absentas I ever tried. It made sure I kept hunting for more. Montana is still made today but nothing like this - sadly.

It's not very common to find old bottles from before 1900 which is why this is even more interesting than these vintage absinthes usually are. Of course it doesn't hurt that it's actually really really tasty as well.

A Danish essence based absinthe made by wine merchant Arthur Fich's Vinhandel, Copenhagen around 1930-40. 

The Swiss producer C.F Berger did as most others and started to make Pastis and other anis liqours. The Berger Pastis is still in production today but not nearly as interesting as this pre WWII representation.

A true gem among the vintage absinthes I've had the pleasure of tasting. The C.F Berger was also one of the first pre-ban absinthes I ever tasted. It certainly made that trip to Paris extra special.

The once famous Oxygenée brand of absinthe was replaced by substitutes of various kinds. This is nowhere near absinthe as it's a simple anisé and very sweet.

From one of the very prestigious Pontarlier distilleries come this very fine absinthe. Made around 1910 and it has been waiting to seduce me ever since. The Dornier Tuller absinthe is without a doubt one of the finest I have tasted. 

Cuba isn't exactly the first country that comes to mind when thinking of absinthe makers. But considering Hemingway went there a lot and that he drank absinthe there, surely not all could have been imported...

One of the major absinthe producers during the Belle Epoque was Edouard Pernod. They continously manufactured top quality absinthe all the way up to the 1930's. After the ban they eventually merged their Spanish production and companies with Pernod Fils.

This Japanese treasure comes from a time when people in the west knew little about absinthe's quiet existence in very few countries but the Japanese had full access to it, made by Suntory.

Jules Pernod started out as a small distillery in Avignon which grew into a successful large producer. In the early 1900's a legal battle between Jules Pernod and Maison Pernod Fils ruled in favor of Jules Pernod who could keep using the name "Pernod" on their products.