This is a French Absinth distilled in Aix-en-Provence, a small city near St. Remy and an area where you can find many different Absinth and Pastis distilleries. This is the clear macerated and distilled version in which no sugar is added. The distillation is done in a partial vacuum (like some perfume distillations so lower extraction temperatures can be used for better extractions of essences using as little damaging heat as possible). It is more of the swiss style of absinth in the extra distillation and being clear rather than green. Nearby Marseilles and Antibes are two of the places to find a large variety (in the hundreds) so spend some time exploring - preferably on foot.

Nicely balanced and complex, if not awe inspiring. A nicely balanced aroma of wormwood, gentian, verbena, coriander and anise among other things. There are 20 different botanicals used in this blend and you can pick up on most of them.

Clear, bright. On swirling, leaves a thin coat on the glass with scalloping and very thin legs developing. Louche is good (turns opalescent).

Absinth is made from distilling the leaves and stems of hand-picked Artemisia Absinthium (Wormwood) and is then macerated in herbs. It is 100% natural and is created to this day using the same formula that made the distillery famous in the last century with exports to England, France, Germany and the rest of Europe.

Still today absinth drinkers enjoy the ancient ritual before they enjoy their drink:

Sugar is placed on a spoon and suspended over a tall glass
filled with a shot of green Absinth.
Then ice-cold water is dripped over the sugar
and allowed to fall in beads into the drink.

Each drip turns to a fresh snow-packed white.
The sugar cuts the Absinth's bitterness,
while the method was attractive in itself,
the drink's change in colour, drip by drip, resembles alchemy.