Post #564649 by Mr. Moto on Thu, Nov 11, 2010 5:40 PM

Nice post, Torch Guy. I agree with pretty much everything in it. Except maybe the notion that the Czech method of preparation (dousing the sugar cube with absinthe and lighting it on fire before stirring the whole blackened, gooey mess into your absinthe with some water) is ever called for. I've seen it done many times and have (unfortunately) sipped the results on several occasions and I can unequivocally state that it has never, ever improved the drink for me. In fact, it basically ruins any authentic absinthe. (Not hard to understand--can you imagine the flavor of burnt sugar improving any drink?) It is basically a dog and pony show invented to draw attention away from the fact that Czech "absinth" doesn't louche. Admittedly, the flame is very pretty to look at, but the results are dire indeed. Friends don't let friends burn absinthe.

Regarding the question about Mansinthe. Marilyn Manson isn't one of my favorite artists either, but I can attest to the fact that--hype aside--the absinthe he commissioned from the Matter distillery in Switzerland is actually pretty good. It has a nice, traditional flavor profile. A little thin and hot with a heavy hand on the anise, but balanced by a nice refreshing wormwood bitterness. Worlds better than Le Tourment Verte, which as Torch Guy points out, isn't really absinthe at all. It compares favorably with Lucid as a good introductory absinthe.

[ Edited by: Mr. Moto 2010-11-11 17:42 ]