Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 11:15 AM
A few friends of mine got together for drinks this weekend and got to try something really new. One of them had gone to Europe and on the trip back brought some Absinthe with them. They also had a bottle of Absenthe which was an americanized “legal“ version since it isn't made with the same type of Wormwood.
We tried both. The first night we did 50/50 mixes with water and a cube of sugar. I must say the licorice flavor was just too strong and the burn on the lips was not altogether enjoyable. We tried the americanized version first and it was basically like drinking green sambuca slightly watered down. I had my fill of the flavor when we tried the Absinthe so I didn't get to really enjoy it as much, however it had a...woodier...flavor. There was a taste underneath the licorice that gave it an interesting taste but my taste buds were still revolting at the strength.
The next night we tried about a 33/66 to 25/75 mix with water and two cubes of sugar. Wow..what a difference this makes to the flavor of the drink. Perhaps it was too watered down for the absinthe connisseur but I enjoyed it a lot. The flavor wasn't overbearing and was actually quite pleasant.
Suffice to say, this stuff does pack a punch at nearly 70% alchohol. It seems to be stronger than say, twice the amount of vodka even though vodka is usually 40%. I imagine the higher concentration hits you quicker with the lower dose so the impact is a bit different.