Distillation

An absinthe is never produced in one go, it is a long and complex process over 3 steps: the maceration, the distillation and the coloration. It’s impossible to obtain a fine Fée Verte in one day; all 3 steps are achieved over 3 days, not counting the wormwood stripping, the bottling and labelling of course.

Day 1 – The maceration



A distillation naturally starts with the herbs themselves. Each dried herb has to be carefully weighed following a precise recipe.
No big secret here, small quantities of herbs are weighed on a precision scales using a bowl, whereas big quantities – such as green anise, wormwood and fennel – are weighed with a professional electronic scales.
Once all the herbs are ready, alcohol and water are added into still. The herbs are then added and mixed with the alcohol/water. Than, the alembic are sealed. The alcohol and herbs will macerate at room temperature all night long.

Day 2 – The distillation



The following morning, at 7am, the alembic is heated and the distillation starts. It takes around 2 hours to heat the alembic to the required temperature.

The distillation process takes the whole day, during which the temperature within the alembic is very carefully supervised. If too cold, no absinthe will come out of the pipe. If too hot, the herbs are "burnt" and not only is the absinthe ruined but there is a risk of destroying the alembic.

One another critical step during the distillation is the supervision of "heads" and "tails". Heads are what come out of the alembic first and tails are what come out last, both are unwanted, only the clear and clean distillate is kept. Around 4 liters of heads are discarded and around 25-30 liters of tails are collected in a tank for future re-distillations. The very last tails are discarded.

Day 3 – The coloration



Coloration is accomplished by maceration of a percentage of the clear distillate with the colouring herbs. They can be added loose or in "tea bags" which makes filtration afterwards easier.

The alembic is then sealed and heated until the surface of the copper lid becomes too hot to comfortably touch (from 50-55°c). Then the mixture is allowed to cool, before being removed and filtered.

The whole coloration step lasts only 1 or 2 hours, an over-coloured absinthe can easily get unbalanced and unpleasant. The next step is the filtration which removes all sediments left by the coloration.

The coloured absinthe is then mixed back with the remaining clear distillate to make the final product. Only water is added right before bottling the absinthe, the alcohol percentage has to fall down to 68% for the Sauvage 1804.
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17 items,

Absinthe Neuzeller Calendula - 50cl

Germany / 72%
(9 Reviews)

Strong and complex, this absinthe is made from marigold flowers.

Strong and complex, this absinthe is made from marigold flowers. It reveals fruity flavours and there is slightly more alcohol present than in the other versions of Neuzeller. The spicy taste mixed with marigold flower flavour, is what make this ...

 £64/Liter  £32
In stock

Absinthe Midvinterblot - 50cl

Sweden / 50%
(2 Reviews)

An amber absinthe made in Sweden. Midvinterblot was awarded 'Master' at the Absi...

Midvinterblot 2012 is an "Ambre absinthe", meaning it has an amber colour and a warmer taste than other kinds of absinthes. You will be able to taste wormwood, fennel, anise, and a hint of cinnamon. It is a distilled absinthe, with typical Swed ...

 £66/Liter  £33
In stock

The first barrel aged absinthe from Philippe Martin.

Absinthe Bacchus is the first barrel aged absinthe from Philippe Martin.The absinthe has rested for 9 months in a Chardonnay barrel that is clearly recognizable in the taste as well. The notes of the barrel combine harmoniously w ...

 £236/Liter  £118
In stock

Absinthe Neuzeller Venus - 50cl

Germany / 72%
(3 Reviews)

Sweet, this absinthe is flavoured with rose buds.

Neuzeller Venus is sweet, and flavoured with rose buds. It reveals herbal and fruity notes. Its light bitterness and an alcohol level that is lower than the three other Neuzeller absinthes, make this absinthe a very “feminine” one. A ...

 £64/Liter  £32
In stock
Organic

Naturally colored red with wild plants. An organic absinthe from the Celtic regi...

What is special about this absinthe is the ruby red color that originates from a secret plant. This plant is harvested from the wild in the Ille-de-Vilaine region. The name of the plant remains a secret known only to the distiller, Julien Fanny. ...

 £70.50/Liter  £49.50
In stock
Organic

Colored with organic saffron for a golden hue. A world first!

Absinthe Safran is an organic absinthe of high quality, made by Awen Nature. Saffron has been appreciated for over four thousand uses, for its deep yellow color and hay-like flavor. Plucked by hand from the stigmas of crocus flowers, saffron is ...

 £70.50/Liter  £49.50
In stock

Absinthe WOLF Chili - 50cl

Sweden / 66.6%
(3 Reviews)

A unique red absinthe with chili.

WOLF Chili Absinthe is absolutely unique, and essential for any WOLF fan.This absinthe is red. But not the sweet pinkish red we know from other red absinthes, but a real fiery blood red.WOLF Chili Absinthe is naturally coloured, and b ...

 £73/Liter  £36.50
In stock

An absinthe which is both strong and smooth, flavoured with Hibiscus.

The strong character of the mallow flowers give this absinthe its unmistakable aroma. You can smell eucalyptus, a scent of mint and elements of citrus. The relatively dark color may seem unusual, however, is indicative for this is typical for macerated mallo ...

 £87.50/Liter  £17.50
In stock

A red absinthe from Germany. Six months maceration using berries and hibiscus.

Red absinthes are fairly rare, because it is a challenge to both obtain and maintain a natural red color. This young distillery was founded in Saarbrücken, Germany in 2018 and offers an interesting range of red, clear and green absinthes.Fragment Rou ...

 £77/Liter  £38.50
In stock

A cask-aged absinthe with birch juice, made in Germany.

Yggdrasil is a mythical tree that plays a central role in Norse cosmology, where it connects the Nine Worlds. It is said that the gods were conferring under its protective branches.Yggdrasil Absinthe is aged in an ex-bourbon barrel

 £99/Liter  £49.50
In stock

A red absinthe from Germany. Six months maceration using berries and hibiscus.

Red absinthes are fairly rare, because it is a challenge to both obtain and maintain a natural red color. This young distillery was founded in Saarbrücken, Germany in 2018 and offers an interesting range of red, clear and green absinthes.Fragment Rou ...

 £130/Liter  £6.50
In stock

A cask-aged absinthe with birch juice, made in Germany.

Yggdrasil is a mythical tree that plays a central role in Norse cosmology, where it connects the Nine Worlds. It is said that the gods were conferring under its protective branches.Yggdrasil Absinthe is aged in an ex-bourbon barrel

 £150/Liter  £7.50
In stock

Sweet, this absinthe is flavoured with rose buds.

Neuzeller Venus is sweet, and flavoured with rose buds. It reveals herbal and fruity notes. Its light bitterness and an alcohol level that is lower than the three other Neuzeller absinthes, make this absinthe a very “feminine” one. A ...

 £87.50/Liter  £17.50
Out of stock

Absinthe Neuzeller Malvales - 50cl

Germany / 72%
(1 Review)

An absinthe which is both strong and smooth, flavoured with Hibiscus.

The strong character of the mallow flowers give this absinthe its unmistakable aroma. You can smell eucalyptus, a scent of mint and elements of citrus. The relatively dark color may seem unusual, however, is indicative for this is typical for macerated mallo ...

 £64/Liter  £32
Out of stock

Strong and complex, this absinthe is made from marigold flowers.

Strong and complex, this absinthe is made from marigold flowers. It reveals fruity flavours and there is slightly more alcohol present than in the other versions of Neuzeller. The spicy taste mixed with marigold flower flavour, is what make this ...

 £87.50/Liter  £17.50
Out of stock
Limited

A barrel-aged, barrel-strength absinthe made by the Absintherie Bourbonnaise in...

Absinthe Napoléon III brut de foudre (barrel-strength) is the strongest absinthe produced by the Absintherie Bourbonnaise, with an alcohol content of 75,6%. The lovely, dead leaf color of this absinthe is the result of aging the absinthe in oak barrels. The ba ...

 £90/Liter  £45
Out of stock

Innovation in Absinthe also continued after the Spanish took over the reins as t...

Innovation in Absinthe also continued after the Spanish took over the reins as the world's leading absinthe makers. Like the invention of red Absenta, which is still around today in the form of Absenta Serpis, quite a quirky creation, and beloved by many an absintheur. ...

 £776.50/Liter  £776.50
Out of stock
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