Best Absinthe: Which one shall I buy?

Absinthe: The new drink of choice

Best Absinthe: Most important facts

  • YES, finding the best Absinthe is a matter of personal preferences.
  • BUT, very good Absinthes have to conform to some important quality indicators.
  • The quality of an Absinthe can furthermore be reviewed by 6 quality criteria.

Absinthe: How to evaluate quality

In our previous article “How to make Absinthe the right way” we already mentioned, that real Absinthe should be distilled and naturally colored, as they were made 100 years ago. These are very objective quality indicators. You can also say, it is the prerequisite for a premium Absinthe. Other than that, as you can imagine, there is not one right method to evaluate an Absinthe. Often it is a matter of personal preferences. But there are some quality criteria that have been developed by experienced Absintheurs to judge the quality of Absinthes. This is how the quality measures are split up in many forums and Absinthe tasting events:

1. Appearance (15%)
2. Louche (15%)
3. Aroma (20%)
4. Flavor and Mouthfeel (20%)
5. Finish (10%)*
6. and Overall Impression (20%)

*Sum up to the measure “Taste (50%)”

Quality measures for reviewing an Absinthe

The Appearance means how the Absinthe looks like undiluted in the glass. Is it of a nice green color? Before you make your evaluation you should check, if the Absinthe is naturally colored. Because if artificial coloring is used you might like the appearance, but well, somehow it is fake. Naturally colored Absinthe, to be honest, is only bright green, when it just got colored. The green color will (unfortunately) vanish over time. But this is not a sign of inferior quality, it just means that you have bought the traditional, natural Green Fairy. So evaluating the appearance is obviously quite difficult if you like bright green Absinthes.

The Louche is the opalescent color, the Green Fairy gets, as soon as it gets in contact with cold water. Many Absintheurs appreciate a thick milky louche in their Absinthe glass as it indicates that a lot of herbs were used for distillation.

The Taste largely decides about the (subjective) quality of an Absinthe. Although the taste is subjective an Absinthe should not taste too alcoholic. The herbal aroma should develop on your tongue without making it numb. Once sipped, the finish is as well quite important. How long does the herbal flavors stay? Is it pleasant, does it make you seek for more? The taste makes up for 50% of the final evaluation as it includes “Flavor and Mouthfeel”, “Aroma” & “Finish”.

The Overall Impression includes factors like the composition of the Absinthes’ recipe, its story, labeling, bottle etc. It is a holistic quality measure for the best Absinthe, and one, that is more emotionally driven.

Finding the best Absinthe
Is this a good Absinthe?

Source: Shutterstock / Eric Litton

List of the best Absinthes

At ALANDIA we can look back on an Absinthe history of 18+ years. We started the business in 2001 and meanwhile have tasted thousands of different Absinthes. When we orientate at our personal preferences and cross-reference them with the reviews in our store, we can derive a list of our top 3 Absinthes.

#1 Absinthe Strong68

Why is this Absinthe at #1? Because this is our bestselling Absinthe for years. People like the straight-forward taste. The recipe is not too complex, instead a focus is set on wormwood, Absinthe’s iconic herbal ingredient. Other than that it has everything many people are looking for: Distilled (not macerated), natural coloration, high alcohol by volume (68% / 136 proof), made with local French wormwood, thick louche. There are more complex Absinthes out there, but a #1 has to please everyone, therefore Strong68 is top of the list.

Absinthe Strong68
#1 Absinthe Strong68

 

#2 Absinthe Jade PF 1901

Jade Absinthes belong to the most prestigious Absinthes on the market. This is not only our opinion, this is the opinion of the worldwide Absinthe community. Mr. Ted Breaux is the distiller of the Jade Absinthes. All of them are authentic reproductions of vintage Absinthe brands. Jade PF 1901 is made in reference to the famous Pernod Fils Absinthe. Its taste is rich and herbal, the aroma structure very complex. You can not go wrong with this Absinthe, especially if you appreciate authenticity. 

#2 Absinthe Jade PF 1901
#2 Absinthe Jade PF 1901

 

#3 Absinthe ALANDIA Verte

We are very proud of the creation of this Absinthe. It has everything we associate with an “original” Absinthe. It is made in France at a family-owned, historical distillery dating back to 1859, locally grown wormwood is used for distillation, a carefully selected blend of traditional herbs is added to acquire a very smooth taste, the final Absinthe is naturally colored with herbs, the overall taste is not too licorice but strong on wormwood. ALANDIA Verte pleases connoisseurs and beginners alike. This one is the Absinthe we serve, when friends come over for a visit!

#3 ALANDIA Verte
#3 Absinthe ALANDIA Verte

Finding your favorite Absinthe: Something to remember

There is one thing to remember, when trying to find the best Absinthe. Even though there are the established quality measures and recommendations, finding your favorite Absinthe still is a subjective task. Taste, which again is a deciding measure for quality, is so subjective, that one is not able to give a 100% objective rating to a drink. Reviews and ratings are rather a helping factor in deciding for one Absinthe to then rate it oneself.

Well, we do hope that you enjoyed this post as always! If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask us! You can find us on Facebook and all our other Social Media Channels.

Enjoyed this article? Show Your friends and share this article on your favorite Social Media Channel!

Much love,

Nico from the ALANDIA Team

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.