obsello absenta
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obsello is for a fan of up - front french absinthes, and dirty old goths who once loved their precious, rareified spanish absenta. only this is better. our obsello was provided by the good people at absinthesalon for the purposes of review .
note: this absinthe is sold internationally with two different labels, one which say ‘absinthe’ and the other which says ‘absenta’ (absinthe in spanish). they are exactly the same product .
it was a great pleasure to see a stronger version of the nice segarra absenta. but that was quickly killed by the wrongful use of wormwood for coloring. that gives you a nasty bitterness. too bad .
many spanish distilleries also made their own absinthe, or absenta in spanish, and had done so since the peak of absinthe in the late 1800' s. several of these continued to do so well into the 70' s and 80' s. sadly they turned to cheaper methods to manufacture their absinthes as time passed and very few of the spanish absentas made after the 1970' s are actually any good. still today there are a lot of spanish absinthe available on the market, however only one - obsello absenta - is even close to the finer old spanish absentas such as escat, pre 1970 montana, argenti etc .
the obsello is the first traditional distilled absinthe from spain in decades. made by american distiller bryan davis in spain. it does present a little of the
spanish
touch with citrus and mint .
absinthe obsello is the only spanish absenta on the sad spanish market, that has not to actually offer any absinthe on swiss quality - level otherwise. obsello absinthe is distilled, not macerated. here are used 8 different herbs and another quality - characteristic the wine - alcohol, that is won from vineyards in the penedes. only very small ranks are produced in the alambiques. thanks to the traditional manufacture, a complex absinthe with a remarkable quantity is offered to the absinthe - connoisseurs at thujon (max). 10 mg / kg. exclusively natural herbs are used (in contrast to other artificial essences), and this absinthe is distilled twice .
obsello is worth trying imho, i' m satisfied with the purchase. there is some mint, which probably is the most objectionable part for some, but after the initial recognition of it, it fades while some other unexpected characters come out - including a lovely mouthfeel and satisfying finish .
the colour is a beautiful crystalline peridot which louches to a lovely, thick impressionist sage green. the louche also amplifies the sweet floral character of the absinthe. interestingly my obsello passed the traditional absinthe nose test – i poured a glass, left the room and five minutes later i returned – and it has perfumed the entire room. not bad, pedro…
given the above, you can understand how excited i was when i found out that i was getting a bottle of obsello, the first premium, distilled absinthe verte to be produced in spain. if you are a crusty old fan of dodgy spanish absinthe, and remember sitting by candlelight, listening to bauhaus and waiting for the mailman to come – wait ’til you try this one .
obsello is distilled on a grape alcohol base, which supports the lighter, upper notes of fennel and hyssop, while the wormwood offers a nice counter - balance quite apparent in the finish and lingers for a good few minutes. the anethole is characteristic, however it’s not overpowering. i did get ‘dead man’s tongue’ as i like to call it (the distinctive numb tongue caused by the anethole. go through half a bottle of pernod and you’ll dig what i’m talking about), although it was very subtle, and rather enjoyable .
although today, several different brands of absinthe are available on the u. s. market, it can still sometimes be hard to find. the best brands, i should add, also tend to be a little pricey. (i personally like kübler, obsello, and vieux carré absinthe, as well as marteau, la clandestine, and lucid; i' ve heard good things about leopold brothers, vieux pontarlier, and st. george, but i' ve never tried them .) you can substitute pastis in place of the absinthe in most absinthe cocktails; indeed, for nearly a century, bartenders had to do just that .
i was told that absinthe made today is not the same as historic 19th century absinthe. are your absinthes real? do they contain wormwood ?
all of our absinthes are made to the highest 19th century protocols and all contain wormwood. levels of wormwood vary between absinthe recipes and brands. our studies of unopened bottles of the best quality vintage absinthe have confirmed that the techniques we use give us absinthes of historic quality, taste and strength, without having to modify them to conform to modern regulations, and which still fall within legal limits .
one must remember that there were also many poor quality absinthes in the past, made with oils, poorly made base alcohol and even poisonous dyes. it is certain that these attributed to absinthe' s bad reputation and you can be assured we do not try to replicate them !
the thujone content (measured in miligrams per liter) has nothing to do with the quality of absinthe. recent studies have proved that the best vintage absinthes were actually much lower in thujone than previously believed and that thujone levels do not have any provable bearing on absinthe' s perceived' effects.'
if an absinthe is correctly distilled, using the same ingredients, including wormwood and methods of the best distilleries of the past, the end product will actually be relatively low in thujone. the thujone contents (though slightly varied) of all our absinthes are within the norms of the european union limits, i. e. less than 35 mg / liter, without any compromises to the original recipes or reduction in the quantity of wormwood used. that said, the quality and authenticity of our absinthes are not surpassed by any other absinthe on the market today, no matter what other promoters may try to convince you about thujone levels .
this is very difficult to answer, but it would depend on if you just want to try it once, or plan to develop your tastes and experiment with the different ranges and styles. we recommend to start with a' lighter' style absinthe such as one from the pernot un emile collection or a swiss' la bleue' type such as la ptite. the smaller, 20cl un emile flasks from pernot or the paul devoille fougerolles flasks are convenient for you to try both a green and clear absinthe to compare, before deciding to purchase a larger bottle .
whilst our absinthes are completely unsweetened they are in no way what should be considered unpleasantly' bitter'. the distillation process separates most of the bitter components from wormwood and leaves them in the still, only the aromatic compounds find their way into the final distillate. anise seed contributes to the' body' of absinthe which people can also perceive as sweetness .
some people just have a sweet tooth, in 19th century france it was common to add sugar to absinthe and other high - alcohol spirits and the' sugar ritual' became a part of the enjoyment of the drink. excess sugar can contribute' body', mask high alcohol and also help hide defects in poorly made absinthes, which is why many absinthes have sugar added in the bottle. none of our absinthes have added sugar. in fact the addition of sugar changes the character of the drink considerably; we recommend tasting our absinthes with and without sugar to appreciate the difference. you will be surprised !
absinthe was originally produced as a herbal tonic - high alcohol is the best method to hold and transmit the intense aromas and flavours and also preserves the chlorophyll which gives the greenish colour. when it is correctly diluted with water, absinthe can be no stronger than a glass of table wine .
absinthe is a high - proof alcoholic spirit and as such is not anywhere near as fragile as wine .
it will be best stored at cellar temperature (+ / - 55°f) but ambient / room temperature is fine, as long as it is not too hot. absinthe should be kept out of direct sunlight and upright, as the high degree of alcohol can have an adverse effect on the cork. you can store it anywhere that you comfortably store other spirits .
absinthe should never be refrigerated as it contains anethole from anise, and anethole can start to crystallize at less than 68 °f - this crystallization is a major reason why absinthe turns white when cold water is added. if bottled absinthe becomes very cold, as in lengthy exposure to freezing temperatures, it can cause tiny' flakes' to appear and hamper its aromas and flavour. the flakes will normally dissolve once the absinthe warms up and they will not cause a permanent adverse effect .
aeration will improve the taste and aromas as it disperses the high alcohol vapors and allows other aromas to surface. an opened bottle can remain good for years, in fact in most cases it will improve. however, if you plan to keep it for more than six months, it is best that it not remain in a decanter or a half empty bottle with a great deal of surface exposure to air .
only if the cork is bad, or does not create a good seal .
absinthe was traditionally served as an aperitif. during the belle époque the time between 5 and 7 pm became known as' lheure verte', or the green hour, because everyone would stop by their local café for an absinthe on their way home from work, or in preparation for the evening meal. you can enjoy absinthe at any time but always in moderation. don' t drink and drive !
this' ritual' was created as a marketing stunt in the late 1990' s and has been unfortunately accepted by many as an historical fact, especially after being incorporated into some modern films about the belle epoque. it does not increase any' absinthe effects' and only serves to add an unpleasant burnt caramel taste to your drink. your glass may also break apart due to the heat, and send flaming alcohol across your table or down your arm - so be warned !
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from the famed combier distillery, recognized as a historical landmark in france, jade liqueurs ® brings forth its globally acclaimed absinthes and artisanal spirits .
the absinthes produced by jade liqueurs ® are uniquely crafted using only the original equipment and methods employed by the artisans of the past, without compromises or shortcuts. these absinthes are carefully constructed using the full compliment of selected herbs, including artemisia absinthium (grande absinthe), and are absolutely authentic down to exacting details. to' refine' or modernize our absinthes in the typical industrial fashion would be to negate their authenticity, which is unfair to the discriminating connoisseur, and equally unacceptable to us .
upon savoring the bouquet and flavor of the absinthes offered by jade liqueurs ®, the connoisseur is taken back to a time where artisanship and quality were honorable traditions. at jade liqueurs ®, uncompromised historical accuracy and authenticity is our only recipe .
are distilled directly from select botanicals, and are never fabricated from assembled distillates, commercial flavorings, or synthetic dyes. of critical importance to the production of historically authentic absinthes is the type and quality of the botanicals employed. plants vary widely in quality and essential oil characteristics depending on cultivation methods, terroir, climate, and harvesting techniques. most herbs in commerce today are unacceptable for our purposes .
jade liqueurs ® employs rigorous scrutiny and quality control methods in selecting only the most fragrant plants of the correct original variety, regional origin, and essential oil characteristics. our attention to these details raises our materials costs substantially, but the difference in quality speaks for itself. in fact, our standards are so demanding that the availability of our absinthes is always limited by the availability of suitable botanicals .
to ensure an ongoing supply of botanicals of correct variety, our team cultivates the most critical plants in the loire, including two distinctly different, historically significant cultivars of grande wormwood .
while modern absinthes are almost always made using inexpensive alcohols, jade liqueurs utilizes only the most historically correct base spirits to create its vintage - style absinthes. the most renowned original absinthes were crafted using a specific class of spirits derived from certain wine producing regions of france, and were oftentimes transported by rail over a considerable distance from the vineyards to the distilleries. unfortunately however, the few wine spirits in commerce today tend to differ substantially in construction and content from the spirits in commerce in the 19th century, and are therefore unacceptable to us .
the absinthes offered by jade liqueurs ® are crafted only with spirits prepared from a proprietary french eau de vie that adheres strictly to our specifications, and are derived only from specific grape varietals and terroir. our selectivity with respect to spirits raises our costs dramatically, but the use of anything less would compromise the historical accuracy and supple nature of the jade absinthes. as such, it can be said that the origin of jade absinthe lies in the ancient vineyards of the loire .
the delicate process of fine absinthe distillation demands considerable knowledge, expertise, and attention to detail. for various reasons that are not obvious to the casual enthusiast, a historically accurate absinthe cannot be realistically recreated from a paragraph or two of' recipes' or other generic information lifted from literature, the internet, or otherwise. the absinthes offered by jade liqueurs
are uniquely derived from actual full, sealed bottles of the finest original absinthes, and represent the results of a decade of careful analyses .
alembics that were acquired a century ago from what was perhaps the most famous original absinthe distillery in pontarlier, france .
these beautiful antique absinthe stills are quite a prize, having been purpose built entirely by hand circa 1870s, and feature full hydro - rectification to ensure an incomparably smooth product. these fabulous icons of the absinthe era have been returned to their full glory, producing the finest absinthes today just as they did during the 19th century .
in the spirit of the finest originals, jade liqueurs' ® absinthes are never adulterated with sugar, commercial flavorings, non - traditional herbs, or chemical dyes. the authentic, natural tint of the jade absinthes is derived solely from a traditional, delicate process that is conducted entirely by hand, using only original materials and methods. this expensive step is the only way to obtain the correct tint and final flavoring, and perfecting this antique process on a historical scale is no small feat .
are never packaged in screw - cap bottles. following a settling period that averages at least three years, the jade absinthes are properly bottled and corked by hand in quality heavy glass. like a fine wine, age brings to these fine absinthes a certain mellowing and marrying of flavors that can only be achieved through the passage of time. fine absinthe, like fine wine, deserves to be bottled and stored properly. the delicate natural coloring of these absinthes must be bottled in dark green glass in order to preserve the delicate natural color from oxidation. each bottle is topped by hand in the traditional wax, and each receives the jade liqueurs
• not poisonous, and never was? • not hallucinogenic, and never was? • legal in the usa since the 1960s? • not just a novelty? there are fine absinthes, just like fine wine, whisky, and cognac. read more here :
properly preparing a glass of absinthe isn' t as complicated as you may think .
absinthe enthusiasts often refer to absinthe preparation as the
absinthe ritual
, but it' s not very different from making a cup of tea .
do you know how to tell a great absinthe from a so - so absinthe? what does one look for, or demand, in a glass of absinthe? just as with fine wine, fine absinthe has a whole language and system for evaluation and tasting .
i remember a time, not that long ago, when carfax and i would place an order to an online bottle shop in spain, and sit in our respective living rooms for about two weeks clock - watching and praying that we would get a lazy customs person this time, or that they wouldn’t realise that the booze in their hand was illegal to import into australia, or that they didn’t know what absinthe was. just let it get through! most of the time it did. some of the time, however, it did not. it was the latter scenario which prompted us to investigate the prohibition on absinthe active in australia at the time, and led to an interesting discovery… but that’s another story .
what i was getting at is that i have very fond memories of my first spanish absinthe experiences, even though they were all oil mixes and of questionable connoisseurial value. though i do still say that serpis is one of my all - time favourites. it’s red, for f * cks sake .
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urltoken
musset didn' t write the way he did because he drank absinthe, instead he drank for the same reason for which he wrote just like that: namely out of despair .
many writers
of old
wrote poems or passages about absinthe. some drank it, some didn' t. find some of them here as well as reviews and notes on modern books about absinthe .
the absinthe poetry section has seen several updates the past days. poems and information about more authors; antonin artaud, arthur symons, francis saltus saltus, florence folsom and robert loveman. open your mind and have a drink while you enjoy their lyrics. read more ...
it' s the new bistro, the new bar in town. a good place to meet when meeting in real life isn' t always an option. meet me on facebook for more updates from the absinthe world .
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absinthe libertine 72 intense 0. 7l / 23. 6 fl oz i recommended it. this absinthe is an interesting concoction
23, 90 eur 47, 80 eur per liter 19% vat incl. excl. shipping costs
35, 50 eur 71, 00 eur per liter 19% vat incl. excl. shipping costs
40, 50 eur 81, 00 eur per liter 19% vat incl. excl. shipping costs
34, 50 eur 69, 00 eur per liter 19% vat incl. excl. shipping costs
35, 90 eur 71, 80 eur per liter 19% vat incl. excl. shipping costs
36, 50 eur 52, 14 eur per liter 19% vat incl. excl. shipping costs
abtshof magdeburg akveld' s artisanale absinth. . bairnsfather / sebor baumgärtner / eabsinth blackmint, kübler & wy. . breaux, t. a. / combier jade bugnon, c. a. / artemisia cami cannax devoille, paul guy, distillerie / pontarli. . hill' s huguet / lohmann l' or special drinks lemercier frères licores sinc liqueurs de france / timber. . matter - luginbühl / erlebni. . monforte del cid, destil. montana perucchi neuzeller klosterbrennerei penedés, destilerías del pernot, les fils d' émile provence, dest. et domaines provence, liquoristerie de rauter, felix rochère, la schnapsmuseum, alt - wiener segarra, julian ulex vallesana, la valote / bovet valote, la wild, familie / eichelberge. . žusy
the fée verte absinthe forum - the oldest, largest, most authoritative absinthe forum. > absinthe & absinthiana > absinthe brands discussion
informed imbiber group: members posts: 801 joined: 29 - april 08 member no. : 3318
just got a bottle of this yesterday, review will go up on ws before too long. has anyone else tried it? i had a good time tasting it, some things caught me off guard, but overall i enjoyed it .
amateur d' absinthe group: absinthe mafia posts: 3061 joined: 24 - september 03 from: san francisco member no. : 34
mthuilli says eet ees sheeet! hartsmar sent me a sample and i didn' t think it was too bad. definitely a huge step up from the other spanish absentas .
da froggy group: admin posts: 2445 joined: 6 - september 05 from: (french) west coast member no. : 1711
the sample i' ve tasted was bad indeed. was it the sample? the soiree ?
anyway, was too minty and far from absinthe, we were 3 - 4 drunkards thinking the same .
i' d rather drink the segarra 45 if it wasn' t so fookin' expensive .
segarra definitely has to be considered apart from all other absentas. it is unique. i don' t know if i would like it now or not. i bought a bottle back in like 2000, when the only other ones i had tasted were mari mayans, deva, and serpis, and i didn' t like it at all. but at that time i guess i had never tasted
real
absinthe. i never bought another bottle. i still wonder about it, but not enough to pay the price for another bottle. i loved peter' s story about going to see julien. search for it if you haven' t read it .
tasted it again last year in nico' s den at boveresse and i still like it. as a change .
vaginafly trap group: absinthe mafia posts: 4682 joined: 13 - august 07 member no. : 2953
i think many things may be worth trying. far fewer may be worth purchasing. your advocating putting down hard cash for this one ?
when i wake up, i try to convince myself that my arm isn' t there - - to retain my sanity. then i try to convince myself that it is. frank bidart
if you' re in the u. s. i would wait until it is available stateside (which it should be soon). i ordered mine from spain and i would probably not advise paying the courier fees incurred by los monos del vuelo. i think it' s worth the money to buy it domestically if you are not going to flip out about the mint. or a sample may be an option if you' re in the u. s .
absinthusiast group: members posts: 211 joined: 25 - june 07 from: brescia, in the north of italy member no. : 2889
i tasted marc sample too and disliked it… it wasn' t actually soooo bad, but definitely unpleasant. i used to like segarra 45, but the last time i tasted it (5 - 6 month ago) i didn' t like it very much… nico' s den doesn' t count, there you would like almost everything that is not a la bleue !
elitist bastard group: members posts: 1889 joined: 22 - june 06 member no. : 2181
i' m liking this stuff more and more by the day. if there' s a
dessert absinthe
i think this would be it .
absinthusiast group: absinthe mafia posts: 308 joined: 1 - july 04 from: germania inferior / ducatus cliviae member no. : 834
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the only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it .
so many stories, myths and rumours are heard and told about absinthe. the question is how much truth lies in it. to get to the bottom of that we need to go more than 200 years back in time and travel to the jura mountains in switzerland and france where absinthe as we know it started its journey .
generally when we think or speak of absinthe, we think of the glittering parisian theatres, the moulin rouge, the artists, the cafés and all the icons of the belle epoque .
however, its origin is far more subtle than that. absinthe was first produced near couvet in switzerland, and nearby pontarlier in the doubs region of france. to many this rural part of france is still considered the home of absinthe .
supposedly it was dr. pierre ordinaire who invented absinthe in 1792. it was shortly after the french revolution that he produced the first commercial absinthe, or more accurately it was actually a medicine, meant to cure just about anything. it was recommended for the treatment of epilepsy, gout, kidney stones, colic, headaches and worms .
dr ordinaire travelled the countryside with his medicine and sold it as a cure - all to the people there. the medicine included typical herbs for the region as well as other herbs known for their medicinal properties. local wormwood, roman wormwood, fennel and several other ingredients made up the first version of what was to become france' s most popular drink .
another man, major henri daniel dubied was very interested in the invention by dr. ordinaire. not as a medicine but rather as an aperitif. the recipe had changed slightly and the previously medicinal concoction had instead become quite potable and people started to like it, not only for its supposed medicinal qualities. dubied allegedly purchased what was reputed to be ordinaire’s original formula from two sisters named henriod at the beginning of the 19th century and started a larger scale production. their distillery was located in the little town of couvet in val - de - travers, switzerland .
french demand for the new drink from couvet across the border in switzerland - absinthe - became so great that a factory was built in pontarlier, france and started production there in 1805. this eliminated previous problems with taxes and trade between the two countries. the company was run by dubied' s son - in - law, henri - louis pernod. it was to become one of the largest and most successful companies in france. little did they know that the pernod absinthe would be such a success that others would try to copy not only the drink and the recipe but also the name .
the french troop fighting in algeria in the 1840' s used absinthe as a fever preventative, and upon their return to france, they brought the taste for absinthe with them. it became an instant success. the bars and bistros where crowded by people drinking absinthe, and every day at around 5 pm. it was
l' heure verte
- the green hour .
of course, since absinthe was such a success, and so was the pernod company, more wanted a piece of it all. there was a multitude of brands that more or less copied the name pernod, and many of them became truly successful as well .
absinthe hit its peak during the years from 1880 - 1910. it was a quintessential part of belle epoque french society. the french consumed far more absinthe than any other country, and absinthe drinking was one of the special marks of paris in the 1890s and early 1900’s. absinthe was a symbol of inspiration and daring, and became indelibly associated with the bohemian artists and writers who were revolutionising art and literature. many famous works of art were directly inspired by the drink, including some of degas’ and van gogh greatest masterpieces, and the very first cubist paintings by picasso and braque .
everyone drank absinthe – society ladies, gentlemen - about - town, businessmen and politicians, artists, musicians, ordinary working - men. in 1874 alone, france consumed 700, 000 litres of absinthe, but by 1910, this figure had exploded to 36, 000, 000 litres of absinthe per year. that sounds like a whole lot, but it actually accounted for only 3% of the total french alcohol consumption, whilst wine had 72% of the total. the french drank a lot !
what is important to keep in mind though is that the majority of the binge - drinking of absinthe took place in the larger cultural capitols of france such as paris and marseille for example. in the countryside absinthe was just another drink you quietly enjoyed like any other drink be it wine or brandy .
it was also in the major cities that the problems with adulterated cheaper artificial absinthes emerged. companies with little scruples but with a hunger for profit saw their chance to produce cheaper absinthes to the lower classes of society. much of absinthes trouble to come was due to these faux products and of course the rising problem of a steadily increasing consumption of alcohol in general .
leading up to the ban of absinthe in several - but certainly not all - countries in the world was a series of incidents and a whole lot of lobbying from the anti - alcohol - league as well as the wine industry .
seeing how the french people drank more and more much was done to prevent this and absinthe was hit hardest. being a high - proof spirit and, at least in the major cities, fairly cheap it was the perfect target .
on the one side there was the anti - alcohol - league providing scientific studies that proved absinthe to be a terrible poison. on the other side was their opponents providing studies contradicting those
findings
. one of the most well known, and cited, scientists in this field was dr. magnan. he made several studies on the effect of absinthe. reading them today they' re really not that scientific and would be heavily questioned, but at the time it made out the creme - de - la - creme of studies .
he did find a component in absinthe which was previously unknown, the so called active ingredient of wormwood - thujone. his studies on the effects of thujone was used to ban absinthe .
thujone is a terpene and is related to menthol, which of course is known for its healing and restorative qualities. thujone is a naturally occurring substance in wormwood and is also found in the bark of the thuja, or white cedar and in other herbs besides wormwood - including tansy and the common sage used in cooking. aside from absinthe, other popular liquors, including chartreuse and benedictine, also contain small amounts of thujone .
dr. magnans studies proved that thujone was indeed a poison, and giving a laboratory rat a certain amount of ordinary drinking alcohol and then later the same amount of concentrated thujone oil - which killed the animal - he
proved
that since absinthe contained thujone and thujone killed the rat, absinthe was a poison. not taking into account of course the actual levels of thujone found in absinthe, which are well below the lethal dose for humans .
further
proving
the dangers of absinthe due to its containing thujone he stated absinthe to contain around 250 - 260 mg / kg of thujone. the numbers were mere calculations based on the amount of wormwood used in a standard absinthe recipe and the amount of thujone found in wormwood. again, not taking into account that not all of this follow in the distillation of absinthe, which makes the actual level of thujone found in the finished drink much lower. however, not even the 250mg / kg would actually kill a man drinking that absinthe .
extremely high doses of thujone are however dangerous, and have been shown to cause convulsions in laboratory animals, but the concentration of thujone actually found in absinthe is many thousands of times lower than this. thujone' s mechanism of action on the brain is not fully understood although certain structural similarities between thujone and tetrahydrocannabinol (the active component in marijuana) have led some to hypothesize that both substances have the same site of action in the brain. more recent scientific research however has completely discredited this idea. more important, thujone is rather irrelevant to absinthe itself .
read more on thujone, the effects of thujone and a number of scientific studies on the subject here, on urltoken .
absinthe was originally fairly expensive, and largely a drink of the upper - middle classes. however, by the second half of the nineteenth century it had fallen dramatically in price, both because of increasing economies of scale in its production, and because most producers had switched from grape alcohol to far cheaper grain and beet alcohols. at the same time the number of brands exploded, with many catering for the very cheapest end of the market .
it is quite a long story to tell, but to keep it simple, it goes something like this; it was a man named lanfray. he killed his entire family with a shotgun, his wife who was four months pregnant and his four year old daughter. he tried to take his own life, but failed .
since he was quite the drinker, it was said that it was absinthe that drove him to commit this hideous crime. no one took any notice to the fact that lanfray during that day had more alcohol than anyone would consider healthy. and not only absinthe. absinthe actually accounted only for a very small part of it all. in the morning he started off with two absinthes, before he went to work. on the way there, he, his father and his brother stopped at a café where he had a crème de menthe and a cognac. at lunch break at his work in the vineyards, he had no less than six glasses of
piquette
, a heady local wine. in the afternoon, just before he ended work, he had another glass of wine. at their way back from work, they again stopped at a café, and had a cup of coffee laced with brandy. in the evening lanfray and his father each had another liter of
piquette
. and that wasn' t enough. lanfray poured himself some coffee and laced it with his own powerful homemade brandy .
he got into an argument with his wife and asked her to polish his shoes for him. when she refused lanfray went to get his rifle and shot her once in the head, killing her instantly. his father fled and his four year old daughter, rose, heard the noise and entered the room. he then shot rose and her two year old sister. he shot himself in the jaw and was arrested by police which had been notified by lanfray' s father .
after recovering from his selfinflicted injury he was put on trial for the murders of his own family. his attorneys argued that it was the two ounces of absinthe he had consumed before that was to blame for his actions. a leading swiss psycholigist, dr. alber mahaim also testified that jean lanfray suffered from a
classic case of absinthe madness
.
however, prosecuter alfred obrist, argued that the two ounces of absinthe he had ingested were minor in relation to the large amounts of other alcoholic beverages he had consumed during that day .
some producers opened up distilleries or hired distilleries across the border to spain to continue producing absinthe there, as it was never banned there. some of these include edouard pernod and pernod fils. the two eventually merged and pernod absinthe, although the recipe changed slightly over time, was continually produced in tarragona all the way up to around 1965 .
the stock that was left in france at the time of the ban in 1915 was allowed to be sold off and much of it was exported. eventually the government bought up large stocks and actually used it to manufacture explosives for the war .
absinthe is an anise - flavored spirit that was originally 136 proof and made with grande wormwood. it is typically made by distilling neutral grain spirits with herbs, predominately anise, florence fennel and grande wormwood. other herbs such as angelica root, coriander, dittany leaves, hyssop, juniper, nutmeg, melissa, star anise, sweet flag, and veronica are also used .
the color of the distillate is clear and is often bottled this way in a style known as blanche or la bleue or as a bright green .
the coloring is added, either through the chlorophyll from steeping herbs like hyssop, melissa and petite wormwood in the liquor or adding artificial coloring. other absinthes are available in red or blue hues .
this potent liqueur was outlawed in many countries for years following multiple instances of harmful effects and even deaths of its drinkers, most of which were due to over indulgence of the green spirit. since the 95 year absinthe ban was lifted in the united states in 2007, many brands have been released with lower thujone levels. during the bans homemade absinthe kits became popular, however this can be dangerous. for instance too much wormwood or the use of wormwood extract can be poisonous .
there have been a number of famous absinthe drinkers throughout time, most notably among artists and other creatives in the 19th century. pablo picasso, edgar allen poe, arthur rimbaud, ernest hemingway, and oscar wilde made this list and absinthe is often found or has influenced their work .
possibly the best known absinthe imbiber was vincent van gogh, who drank it for years (presumably addicted to it), painted still lifes of absinthe, and some believe he was under its influence when he cut off his ear .
absinthe brands range in alcohol content, though you will rarely find one below 90 proof. most absinthe falls in the 90 - 148 proof (45 - 74% abv) range .
abisante, anisette, pernod and herbsaint are often used to replace absinthe in cocktail recipes .
absinthe is commonly classified as a liqueur, however it does not contain any sugar and is actually a liquor .
since the shift of legality regarding absinthe we have seen many brands become available throughout the world. these are just a few :
it is not recommended to drink absinthe straight because of its potency and pungent taste. consider it fair warning that if you do take a straight shot of absinthe, you may not taste anything else for a day or two .
a better way to drink absinthe is to use the preparation often called the absinthe ritual. it is a far more gentile option that involves water, a sugar cube and specially designed spoons and glasses .
there are many great absinthe cocktails available. when mixing with absinthe it is important to remember that the anise is a strong flavor and it is recommended to measure its portion according to the recipe. also, be sure to properly clean any bar tools that have contained absinthe as the flavor and smell can remain for quite some time and taint other, non - absinthe drinks .
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i’m not an expert on the subject of absinthe, but i’ve had the good fortune of being able to drink quite a few different ones over the past three years, and i believe that knowledge base may be of some use to some people who are considering a purchase in the near future. while i’ve taken notes on almost everything i’ve ever sampled, and even published a number of reviews online, that would be a lot of unnecessarily detailed information to force someone to wade through before dropping a pair of benjamins on a couple of bottles of good absinthe. consider the numbers below to be the cliff’s notes version, minus the notes .
i’ll continue to add new scores to this list as i sample more absinthes. perhaps at some later date, i’ll also add in three or seven descriptors to provide a little extra insight and detail (and yes, it has to be three or seven; not only are they prime numbers, but they are magic ones as well, and i’ve got to justify that title up there somehow, gentle reader). for now, though, the numbers below represent the final score (which is given first), and then in parenthesis i have given the score for each of the two categories that i wrote about previously in this post – namely, appearance and aroma, as well as flavor and finish .
as one or two of you may have noted in the comments section of one of my previous blog posts, i recently purchased a sealed bottle of vintage pernod fils tarragona. while the tarragona operation in spain was originally started by the edouard pernod distillery around 1910 in order to escape the swiss and (soon to come) french ban on absinthe, the operation was absorbed by the larger pernod group sometime around 1938. at this time, the recipe appears to have changed from that of the spicier edouard pernod, to the more floral and somewhat “feminine” pernod fils recipe, and continued on in that vein until 1960, when a new master distiller and new recipe resulted in a drink which more closely resembled pastis.
obsello absinthe verte , or simply obsello was a brand of absinthe . obsello was an award-winning " verte " or green absinthe that was manufactured by distillation from eight herbs including grand wormwood . obsello was distilled in california . 
obsello absinthe verte, or simply obsello was a brand of absinthe. obsello was an award-winning " verte " or green absinthe that was manufactured by distillation from eight herbs including grand wormwood. obsello was distilled in california.
obsello absinthe verte, or simply obsello was a brand of absinthe. obsello was an award-winning " verte " or green absinthe that was manufactured by distillation from eight herbs including grand wormwood. obsello was distilled in california.