Week 17: Libertine Amer 68 [52 Whispers From The Muse]
Libertine Amer 68
Overall Rating: 1.1
Appearance: 2.5
Louche: 3.0
Aroma: 0.0
Flavor/Mouthfeel: 0.5
Finish: 0.5
Overall: 0.5
Style: Verte
ABV: 68%
Country: France
Distillery: Paul Devoille
Appearance: A medium dead leaf yellow, clear enough.
Louche: Quick and thick, but interestingly dynamic.
Aroma: Strong. Not in a good way. Underneath what should be a nice herbal Anise is a certain…. Human-like element I’d have to consider more of an odor than an aroma. Brings back some bad memories. Can I rate a Zero? Because I rated this a Zero.
Flavor/Mouthfeel: Unfortunately that aroma/odor carried over to the flavor as well as an alcohol burn and a significant astringency. I’m really having a hard time sorting out any other flavors… and I really don’t want to.
Finish: I have no idea. The only thing that lingered for the few seconds I endured was the significantly increasing bitterness and that body odor, now a pronounced flavor. I popped open my last bottle of Crabbies so the ginger goodness could wash the flavor away.
Overall: I’ve never had a “true” Absinthe that I couldn’t finish before this one. Everything about it was offputting aside from the label itself. I only graded the last three as 0.5s because I’m pretty sure you have to rate them something. I do believe I bought this a while back, stored it with my reserve of crapsinthes and promptly forgot about it until I gathered up all of my bottles to take pics of the whole collection. I really wish I read other’s reviews beforehand because other reviewers definitely experienced the “Body Odor” that this has. That odor triggers memories.
Many years ago I worked in Human Services, a job I highly recommend for everyone at some point in their lives. It’s rewarding, enlightening, and blah, blah, but you do gain a new perspective on the human condition (both good and bad) and you do learn a lot about yourself (both good and bad). In the group of developmentally disabled adults I managed there was a 400 lb. man confined to a wheelchair who couldn’t take care of his personal needs. To change his clothes, we had to lift him onto a bed and do it for him. Being so large and unable to care for himself he often had an odor that we complained to his homecare givers about, requesting more hygienic care. It was a struggle to ensure a weekly shower. This instantly brought back all of those olfactory memories.
I’m hoping that I was just unlucky enough to get a bad run as I’ve heard good things about Devoille Absinthes. Unfortunately this is the first I bought and it doesn’t give me much confidence to buy others. Maybe this is the Limburger of Absinthes that requires a refined, acquired taste that only a few elite understand. Perhaps those in the know can shed some light.
