Absinthe Akveld's Artisanale Verte 68% - 50cl

A Very good Verte..Would start with or with this,1 or 2 teaspoon of icing (confectioners) sugar ,enough for 2 glasses,if you don't have a fountain.

Ich fand den Absinth - als ich das aller erste Mal am Glas nippte - sehr schwer zu beschreiben. Ich trank ihn vermischt mit einem halben Zuckerwürfel und Eiswasser. Vielleicht so: hervortretende, starke (leicht säuerliche) Anis-Noten, Koriander, Großer Wermut, dazwischen noch ein sanfter, erdiger Geschmack. Ich mochte ihn erst gar nicht sehr. Aber nach dem zweiten, dritten Glas, merkte ich erst, dass sich der Akveld's artisanale Verte ganz schön stark von seiner Konkurrenz abhebt. Wer sich mit diesem holländischen Kräuterschnaps eine absinthtypische Wirkung erhofft, sollte sich lieber den Tschechen ("Cami") annehmen. Auch sollte man hier nicht die Farbe zu erst beurteilen, denn: bei diesem Absinth hat der Geschmack (seinen verdienten) Vorgang. Fazit: eigenwilliger Absinth, den man schätzen und nicht einfach runterkippen sollte. Akveld's: fünf verdiente Sterne.

When opening the bottle, you can smell the herbs.
After edding water, the anis and other herbs filled my room.
Great taste and very nice louche.
Good experiance with this first try of (dutch?) Akvelds absinthe.

Good quality absinthe but bitter due to unusual ingredients.

Classic French style verte with some extra complexity. Top shelf treat for a reasonable price, but still a step below the real best ones.

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:
The idea of a Netherlands produced bottle, along with customer reviews convinced me to give this bottle a chance. Those of you familiar with the Alandia production line can consider this a more delicate, nuanced version of the "Alandia Strong 68". Flavorful with Anise and Fennel driving the core, but with a floral mint character whisping through the nose and palette, with a just-above standard louche for a typical verte style.

Eyes: The Louche was a solid standard. A nice glow-like quality to it takes it just a step above typical verte.

Nose: Again, typical Verte but a step beyond thanks to the 'floral-mint' and the lightest hint of musk.

Mouthfeel: Actually, some bonus points here as well, the structure was rounded and lighter than expected and while it still gave the 'coated tounge' sensation while being tasted, it was not an 'oily' feel. The absinthe was soft in my mouth yet had a clean finish with no 'residual' coating sensation after

Palette: A step above your typical verte thanks to that herbal mint and even the musk adding some character, helping to slightly tone down the anise and fennel flavors with an earthy character.

Overall, I'd say buy if you're doing a strict Verte tasting or focusing on the style. If you're looking for something to rely on that will absolutely astound you however, this is not your ideal purchase.

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 was surprised by this bottle, I love the flavor, anyway is not one of my favorites.

Great green fairy from Holland, very pure, enlightening!