Absinthe Libertine 68 Amer - 70cl

Took advantage of 15% off all French Absinthe. Bought 5 bottles and this was one of them. Excellent!

Not my favourite among Paul Devoille absinthes, but I don't find it exaggeratedly bitter as it's described, and I appreciate its milky louche!
Similar to the other Libertines, the only difference is a little bit more alcohol feeling that seems to hide the other flavours, though they become more recognizable at the second sip. Despite this, a good one.

Having a desire to try Death in the Afternoon, I selected this one to be the mixing partner to the Champaign. Very potent and palatable. I am not one to measure a drink on appearance above all else, but the louche turned out rather nice. I suggest it for such an occasion.

I thought more anise flavor in this item.....but not. A lot of alchool taste.....nothing much to taste....Will not buy anymore....

Very strong & bitter w/ a dry aftertaste.You will need to double your sugar & add more water to make it palatable.It's not bad,especially if you're in a bad mood(Bitter!).But it's not a top 5 by any means.

When I first got it I found it difficult to drink, it smelled industrial chemical to me and did not taste much better. I put it away for a few months until I had ran out of my other absinthes (7 other varieties) On re opening it it the aroma had improved and so had the taste, I have no explanation for why but I now find it OK, especially with Sirop de gomme rather than a sugar cube.

I've provided my background and experience at the end of this review, so you might weigh my comments to others on the site.

REVIEW:
I really wish I could've given this 3.5 stars, but alas....I'd rather rate under than over. MOST IMPORTANTLY: This Is Not Your Standard Absinthe By Any Means! Extremely Musky, to the point of smelling like a musk sample from the Nuz du Vin sommelier training kits! Having said that, it's uniqueness allows for some GRAND creativity with food pairing and provides an excellent departure if you need a break from Anise and Fennel doing all the work for an absinthe. It's an absinthe that doesn't taste or smell like an absinthe, buy hey let's do it by the breakdown-

Eyes: You instantly notice the orangish hue, which I believe comes from barrel aging the bottle (though I forget if this is the case). The louche is thin and slightly disappointing given the other unique characteristics of this bottle, you'd hope for more despite the minimal anise and fennel use preventing that.

Nose: Your Grandfather's Cologne. Musk. Sweaty Horse covered in sugar. It sounds terrible. It's fantastic and amazing, but again, completely un-absinthe like

Mouth-feel: Medium-creamy, slight oil-like residue sensation on the finish., yet pleasant.

Palette: Sweet Earthy Musk with a hint of fennel and anise. It's ridiculously wild, and requires a SLIGHT sugar addition (Czech style / caramelized sugar is best).

Overall : WOW. I gave it 3 stars because it's not the greatest example of absinthe in any style, yet it is a wonderful experience.....in the right conditions. For an absinthe dinner, I took the wild and out of control musk sensation in this bottle and played it as a strength, pairing it with a handmade vegan pumpkin pie ice-cream from a place in Long Beach, California called Paradis. Apparently, they have 1 other shop and it's somewhere in Europe. If you can find them, ask the owners to make you a batch (they take requests), and bring along a bottle of Libertine. It's a mind blowing 5 star pairing, but the bottle on it's own? Its not an absinthe I'd care to drink without a unique setting and stellar food pairing. On it's own, it certainly doesn't stand up, despite the distiller's best intentions.

MY BACKGROUND:
2006 - Tasted my 1st Absinthe (All European)
2007 - Tasted 6 Absinthes new to me (All European)
2008 - Tasted 6 Absinthes new to me (All European)
2009 - Tasted 2 Absinthes new to me (US Only)
2010 - Tasted 5 Absinthes new to me (4 Euro, 1US)
2011 - Tasted 12 Absinthes new to me (All European)
I'm also a level-1 graduate from the Mastercourt of Sommeliers, worked in the wine industry from 2001-2008, and run an independent cellar-stocking business, where my palette is trusted by high-end clients to purchase wines matching their tastes and expectations of quality. Additionally, since 2010 I've hosted a semi-annual Absinthe Dinner for party sizes of 35-70 guests. Each course is paired with a dish developed uniquely to match the absinthe ordered for the event. Each event usually fills up more quickly with reservations than the previous one, due to the patrons enjoying the pairings and bottle choices to such a significant degree.

Anybody who likes quality absinthe, would have to agree that this stuff is nearly undrinkable. No flavor to savor, except for the sugar you add to help mask the bitterness of this 'spirit.' Not the worst, but far from a desirable absinthe.

This is a good absithe. It has a very opaque louche and fine highlights of anise and wormwood.

I'm not an expert, but I can say that this absinthe surprised me.
The louche was really powerfull, it was an impenetrable fog! It made me think about a strong and persistent absinth, aggressive, hot.
Indeed it was mild, bitter but not that much ( and I put 1/4 of a piece of sugar, usually ), gentle, with a retrotaste of liquirice and melissa, while wormwood and anise filled all the mouth... incredible surprise. It captured my attention!

Maybe it could be too much that liquirice taste, but only if you take 3 or 4 glass every day for a period.

I reccomend this absinthe for everyone, because of the Q/P and because this can surprise connoisseurs and please beginners. Libertine has personality ;)