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One can rightly question if it's possible for the modern Butterfly Absinthe to be the same as the Butterfly Absinthe of the 1900s. We think it's probably unlikely. To produce a complete copy of an absinthe based only on a recipe and a few notes, even highly detailed ones, is actually impossible.
What we can say for certain is the recipe has lent a specific aromatic profile, and the making of Butterfly absinthe has benefited from Mr Bugnon's expertise, unless there has been some incredible luck, it won't be the same as its ancestor. The distiller says it himself: “using the same recipe, if you change the alembic, you won't get the same taste again”.
None of this detracts from the great quality of the Butterfly absinthe reproduction. 100% delicious.
Butterfly absinthe was produced in Boston in the early 1900s by P. Dempsey & Company. It's one of the only US absinthes to be rediscovered in recent times, thanks to an intact, but unfortunately empty, bottle (in the collection of David-Nathan Maister - www.oxygenee.com)
Brian Fernald, a passionate and known absintheur from Boston, discovered a veritable goldmine of documents, including the original annotated recipes.
Following these finds, he sought a distillery so that the Butterfly absinthe could be reborn. Claude-Alain Bugnon's famous Artemisiadistillery was selected to produce the absinthe, a test distillation giving definite proof that this was the right distillery for the task.
- At first, enjoy a glass of Butterfly absinthe with half a piece of sugar. For the next, add more or less according to taste.
- For one measure of Butterfly absinthe, add 2 to 5 volumes of ice-cold water.
Claude-Alain Bugnon was the first clandestine distiller granted legal status by the Swiss government in the spring of 2005.
For years he had been responsible for a certain quantity of bootlegged absinthe that brought so much attention and status to this small region. His ‘Clandestine' has been and is still considered by many to be the best Swiss La Bleue available today. Claude Alain's custom designed distilling apparatus is located at his premises in Couvet, a former butcher shop!
The alambics each have a capacity of 145 litres, and produce 95 litres of finished absinthe. They are single-walled, rather than duplicating the bain-marie system more commonly used in France. Claude-Alain feels that the fiercer heat gives better extraction of the herbs.
By Absinthe
Added on the : 02/04/2020 EnglishThank you, Butterfly had very distinct flavor. It was also smooth. I enjoyed it very much
By Dominant Fennel Taste
Added on the : 03/09/2019 EnglishI do feel a little bad leaving the lowest review on his absinthe, but I'm trying to leave the most honest review in light of all the absinthes I've tried from the worst to the best. This is certainly not a bad absinthe, however, my taste buds generally favor a more even balance of flavors throughout and I found this one to have a very dominant fennel flavor. I love fennel in general, however, my favorite absinthes have had a much more even spread on the flavor pallet with herbal and aromatic flavors. Louche was decent - I'd say 4/5. Not the thickest and most opalescent I've seen, but definitely not thin either.
By I loved it
Added on the : 16/01/2019 EnglishMe and my sisters loved it strong black jelly bean taste but it's good mixed with coke and other drinks
By Anthony
Added on the : 22/08/2018 EnglishWhat a great absinthe,. Has a lovely unique green color. Louche is pretty good too. Has a lot of flavor and very smooth. More on the wormwood side then the anise which is a plus for me!
By Tad Fitch
Added on the : 03/02/2018 EnglishVery satisfied. Arrived safely overseas, and was very good quality, as described. Thank you!
By Daniel
Added on the : 25/11/2017 EnglishMy wife and I are born and bred outside of Boston, so how could I not try this? We prepare with an auto see-saw dripper and 1 sugar. Initial color was a gorgeous emerald green. The louche was not too fast and beautiful to watch develop. The louche ends opalescent but a bit of the green color remains for a beautiful post-louche look. However mouthfeel was quite light. Nice and sweet up front however I found this to be a weaker tasting absinthe than those I have had from the Jade family. In the first few sips, I felt that there was limited aftertaste with everything hitting up front. Also, my wife and I both lean towards stronger anise flavored absinthes, but this one was anise light. Like my thoughts on the Jade Terminus, I began to enjoy it more and more as flavors developed over time while the glass sat. I also felt the aftertaste developed more fully after time, so going forward I'm going to let my glass sit a bit longer before diving in. Certainly an absinthe I enjoyed, especially as it sat a bit and opened up. 4 stars from me ONLY because of my personal preference for stronger anise flavor.
By Taste4Dark
Added on the : 17/11/2017 EnglishOne of my favorites. I try to get this every order, but I'm a sucker for the Sade.
By G2
Added on the : 22/09/2017 EnglishVery good, according to the person I gave it to as a gift.
By Kalle
Added on the : 15/06/2017 EnglishA very nice absinthe from Claude-Alain Bugnon! Slightly better than Angelique verte. I'll definitely order more in the future.
By Mike
Added on the : 26/01/2017 EnglishMy experience with Absinthe is still quite limited, however this one is great for my beginner's palate. Very flavorful with fairly intense anise.