St. George Absinthe Verte (aka the Monkey Absinthe)

Earlier this week my precious bottle of St. George Absinthe Verte came. There it is on the right with the label which has the monkey playing the cowbell. I ordered two bottles but because of overwhelming demand I was lucky to get this one. The distillery and all of its distributors sold out the entire stock within 24 hours of release. Being from San Francisco, it is the first bottle to be legally distilled in America since prohibition. Although they are now making a second batch with a much larger run, that red stamp to the right of the monkey certifies mine being from the original series. What does that mean? Well, not much more than owning the first edition of anything. But bragging rights always rule.

I was a bit nervous about this absinthe as it has a reasonably low alcohol content (60%) and is prepared with Brandy instead of something more akin to moonshine. Those fears were unfounded. The louche is exceptional. It clouded up immediately to a color reminiscent of green pine rather than the typical bright green of jade absinthes.

That color is a bit weird, right? The taste is amazing. It is much sweeter than any other absinthe I have had and the licorice flavor is very subdued. The top notes are much more akin to vanilla and mint, with a hint of citrus. I am in love. I poured a glass, fired up the NI Akoustik Piano and started working on what may turn out to be a love song. Or a song about aliens. I'm still working that out, but the baroque piano lines were definitely a product of this intriguingly pine colored fairy. You can learn about the great work of these distillers here.

You may notice in the background of the photo the other absinthe currently de-regulated in America, Lucid. It is a little less delicate than other European absinthes, the anise is right up front, but it sure gives that loving absinthe feeling. We drank a bottle of it on new year's eve. Good times.