Fruko Schulz Tasting Notes

Red Absinth 70%

Coloured with E129 (Allura Red AC – originally manufactured from coal tar, but is now mostly made from petroleum.) and E132 (Indigo Carmine)

Tasted: Jan 2014

A pretty plain nose of alcohol and aniseed. The palate isn’t really anymore inspiring with sweet liquorice / aniseed, alcohol and an intense menthol and peppery finish. Water makes the palate sweeter and cloying on the finish. 

Black Absinth 70%

Coloured with E151 (Brilliant Black PN), E102 (Tartrazine), E110 (Sunset Yellow FCF) and E172 (Iron Oxides)

Tasted: Jan 2014

A nose of spicy liquorice, smoke and alcohol. Water emphasises the smoke. The palate is soft with liquorice, treacle and alcohol! Again a slight mentholated note ion the sweet finish. Water makes it a touch thicker and treacly. 

Green Absinth 70%

Coloured with E133 (Brilliant Blue FCF) and E102 (Tartrazine)

Tasted: Jan 2014

The nose is smokier and displays more ‘spirit’ character. The aromas are more ‘traditional’ with hints of soap, mint, menthol along with a light wormwood note. 

The palate is again more ‘traditional’ and slightly soapy/ oily. Hints of menthol, aniseed. Quite sweet and lingering, Water emphasises the mint and again makes it sweeter.

La Maison Fontaine Absinthe Tasting Notes

Absinthe Blanch 56%

This absinthe is produced at the Emile Pernot distillery using a blend of 15 natural herbs, including grande absinthe, green anise and fennel. As it has no secondary maceration of the various botanicals that are used it has no colour.

Tasted: Oct 2011

The nose is softer and it comes across as more commercial in style. Quite pure and clean with hints of spearmint and lemon but an annoying burnt caramel note hovers in the background. The palate is very much the same as the nose and rather lacks the rusticity of the Jade Liqueurs range. 

With water it displays more wormwood notes, and rather emphasises that burnt caramel note.

Jade Liqueurs Absinthe Tasting Notes

PF 1901 Absinthe Superieure 68%

Reversed Engineered from sealed antique bottles of pre-ban absinthe that were distilled in the original Pernod Fils distillery in Pontarlier. 

Tasted: Oct 2011

A seriously pungent nose of aniseed and liquorice along with an earthy, herbal/ botanical edge. Behind it has a slight soapy note which with time becomes rather floral. The aromas are quite thick and liqueur like – a beginner’s absinthe? 

The palate is softly sweet and full of aniseed and leafy, green herbaceous notes. The alcohol is pretty intense (no surprise!) mouth-wateringly so, but it balances the sweetness. Linear but very long. 

Water releases the innate oils in the spirit, as one would expect. It obviously softens the alcohol hit, but it does make it more soapier. 

C F Berger V.S 1898 Absinthe Superieure 65%

Reverse Engineered from antique bottles from the famous Swiss distillery of C.F Berger. 

Tasted: Oct 2011

The nose displays more of the earthy spirit character with the aniseed and botanical notes being more subservient. 

The palate is soft and sweet-ish. It has more of an edginess than the PF 1901. The botanicals are more gin-like in style with a distinct juniper note but the aniseed comes in on the middle along with the palate cleansing alcohol. Good length with a peppery/ spicy capsicum finish. 

Diluted it again becomes a tad soapy, which seems to be a characteristic of the spirit with a slight woody bitterness in the finish. 

Nouvelle Orleans Absinthe Superieure 68%

A recreation in homage to the old French style absinthe that was popular in New Orleans in the late 1800’s. 

Tasted: Oct 2011

The nose displays an even greater degree of spirit character with a lovely grapey/ light sugar-syrup sweetness. Pungent aromas of juniper, liquorice and aniseed are balanced by some floral and distinct wormwood notes. Very complex.

The palate is quite gelatinous to begin with but the intense alcohol lears that away to leave a very dry and distinctly wood middle. The alcohol, and although the same abv as the PF 1901 it feels higher, and thus definitely needs a drop of water. 

With water the nose becomes more herbal, but even though it does become a touch soapy, like the others it definitely holds its intensity. The palate does become a shade on the watery side but it does become more creamy and one has to say with the alcohol being tamed it is very flavourful and has a lovely purity of aniseed/ liquorice. 

Espirit Edouard Absinthe Superieure 72%

The first absinthe to be reverse engineered by Ted Breaux. This brand was very popular during the late 19^th century. 

Tasted: Oct 2011

Obviously the nose is very alcoholic, but there is again a lovely balancing sweetness from the spirit. Delicate but intense pure aromas of aniseed/ liquorice mingle with botanicals and wormwood. 

Surprisingly it’s rather sweet initially, but the rampant alcohol soon halts that. This is obviously the Stagg of the absinthe world as the intensity and complexity is stunning. Very pure with a lovely length with the refined botanicals, wormwood and expected aniseed/ liquorice notes coming through on the finish.

With water it becomes exceedingly leafy and slightly milky on the palate. Like the Nouvelle Orleans it holds its intensity very well diluted and there is only a slight soapiness on the finish.