Duplais Balance Verte Absinthe

Appearance: (neat) A pale moss color with yellow peridot highlights. (louched) Pale and opalescent with an off-white, bluish tint. The louche begins slowly then rapidly develops just before a 1:1 ratio and is fully formed by 1:3, but it's not a strong louche; it's cloudy rather than dense and opaque. When held up to a strong light, the louche appears misty. Nose: (neat) Green anise, fennel, mint. Fresh, pine-like notes and a hint of almond. (louched) The aromas intensify significantly with the initial drops of water, easily noticeable from a distance. It has a clean and fresh character with distinct wormwood. The anise is well-controlled, and there's a light floral and spearmint presence along with a woody note. Palate: Balanced and delicate. The combination of green anise, grand wormwood, and fennel is well-executed, with the green anise slightly dominant. The palate has a pleasant texture, though not entirely creamy. As it develops, subtle woody qualities emerge, followed by more complex alpine herbal flavors and a strong mint presence. At no point are there any harsh or overpowering notes, even with minimal dilution, but there's a pleasant bitterness on the later palate and finish. I recommend avoiding excessive dilution, as its delicate nature can be easily overwhelmed. A ratio of 1:3 is suggested, at which point there's a slight tangy numbness on the sides of the tongue, and the palate is at its best. Duplais Balance was created by Oliver Matter at the Matter-Luginbuhl distillery, near Bern. His recipe was inspired by Paul Duplais’ 1855 book “A Treatise on the Manufacture & Distillation of Alcoholic Liqueurs”. It's a skillfully crafted absinthe that, true to its name, exhibits excellent equilibrium. However, the name is actually a tribute to the musician and artist Jhonn Balance, who passed away tragically after an accident in 2004. This is a competent absinthe and very well-made, but it's not among the exceptional ones. Since it costs the same as the Jade range, I would suggest one of those instead. I've primarily used this for Sazaracs rather than drinking it diluted on its own. “Good”: 83/100 (3.5)