Absinthe Montmartre - 50 cl

I've provided my background and experience at the end of this review, so you might weigh my comments to others on the site.

REVIEW:
I really wish I could've given this 4.5 stars, but alas....I'd rather rate under than over. I ordered this bottle as part of a 'Taste of Europe' order I placed when placing my first multi-bottle absinthe order in 2007. My goal was to taste for regional differences and take a general survey of absinthe styles and production. I tasted the Montmartre(Au) next to Absinthe Fee Verte's Elixer (De), Alandia Strong 68 (De), La Flur(FR), and Trul absinthium(Cz) and Absinthe Absinth 35(Cz). Being inexperienced, I the Montmarte had a HUGE advantage being tasted next to the FV Elixer and Absinth35, both of which were extremely bitter. I was a novice and didn't realize it was an intentional style. But let's do it by the breakdown:

Eyes: HOLY HELL! To this day, one of the thickest Louches I've seen! It's almost impossible to look watery!

Nose: Nothing outstanding, but solid performing as a standard Verte, with some hard-to-detect 'light notes' that dance at the top of your nose. If you haven't yet, try watching " Perfume' ". The part where they explain perfumes like musical chords helps people to break down smells not just in perfumes but all matters of connoisseurism that involves olfactory exercise. Once you understand how to notice and identify 'high notes' in the smell, you'll find the nose here to be quite pleasant.

Mouth-feel: THE CREAMIEST I'VE EVER HAD! Without question, a full and creamy mouth feel with the right water-absinthe ratio. There is the slightest of burn but the 'cream' sensation - as soft and thick as whip-cream/Cool-Whip' in the right conditions - absorbs most of the impact. It's wonderful, though at 65% you must wonder if the distiller might've aged the absinthe a bit longer and allowed for some angel's sharing to occur (wine term, look it up) so that the burn might blow off a bit before bottling.

Palette: While Palette should focus on taste, this bottle combines taste with mouthfeel to produce an experience: think Lemon-Meringue pie made with fennel and anise in the base. Were it not for the thickness of the mouthfeel, I'd say LMPie and Montmarte would make a wonderful pairing. If you were to add enough water to reduce the creaminess, it would weaken the strength of the glass and the palette experience too much, taking away from the bottle.

Overall : It's an excellent Desert Absinthe that, when used carefully, can also be paired with some creative cooking for a main course, though it has no place at the beginning of a meal. It also works well as a standalone bottle, particularly mid-winter when the creaminess creates a warm filling sensation. I'd highly recommend picking up this bottle! It's in my top 10...!


MY BACKGROUND:
2006 - Tasted my 1st Absinthe (All European)
2007 - Tasted 6 Absinthes new to me (All European)
2008 - Tasted 6 Absinthes new to me (All European)
2009 - Tasted 2 Absinthes new to me (US Only)
2010 - Tasted 5 Absinthes new to me (4 Euro, 1US)
2011 - Tasted 12 Absinthes new to me (All European)
I'm also a level-1 graduate from the Mastercourt of Sommeliers, worked in the wine industry from 2001-2008, and run an independent cellar-stocking business, where my palette is trusted by high-end clients to purchase wines matching their tastes and expectations of quality. Additionally, since 2010 I've hosted a semi-annual Absinthe Dinner for party sizes of 35-70 guests. Each course is paired with a dish developed uniquely to match the absinthe ordered for the event. Each event usually fills up more quickly with reservations than the previous one, due to the patrons enjoying the pairings and bottle choices to such a significant degree.

I have to agree with steevie.
The scent from the bottle is attractive, but doesn't strike me as very different from the numerous other absinthes I have discovered. It was truly, the description of a citrusy stand out, that compelled me to include this in my most recent order.
The louche is nice, but nothing more.
I prefer a 4-1 ratio, without sugar, to really let the distiller show me what they've got.
The flavor is intense, but lacking the depth I was expecting. The fennel and anise dominate my palate, like the winning end of un-matched gladiatorial combat.
It is a refreshing drink, far from unpleasant, that I will look forward to continuing to enjoy... more likely in a cocktail, instead of traditionally.
Overall, I give it a 5/10, but perhaps my expectations were a bit high.

This is my first taste of this absinthe, so I can't speak to the previous quality. This absinthe seems a bit off. Not very flavorful. It barely louched. It's not bad -- just not really a standout. It does have a crisp clear taste, though. I didn't think it tasted citrus-like at all.