est. 2007
Pernod Absinthe Review (US Approved):
-68% abv, .75 litre
-Country of Origin: France
Now that it’s not so uncommon to see absinthe at liquor stores, I thought I’d scour around my local area once again and see what they’re carrying. Having surveyed thousands of absinthe drinkers over the last year and a half, it seemed that elsewhere there was plenty of Lucid, Pernod, and Le Tournment Verte. So then, a faux absinthe (LTV), a mediocre one (Lucid), and Pernod; wonderful. Eeeexactly what I want someone’s first impressions of absinthe to be. It is no different in my area. My liquor store of choice had just gotten Pernod in, so I asked to take a look at the bottle, to see what tactics they’d utilize to scam me into buying it. As the man behind the counter handed me the bottle, he said something that proved my theory of why so many places seem to carry the stuff. He grinned and whispered, “It’s the original, you know.” My (non)friend, if this turd of a drink was in fact “the original”, absinthe would’ve died out in the 19th century.
Mainly what I’m picking up from this absinthe is lots of heat from the alcohol, a very chemical overlay, and a funky vegetal vibe, none of which I’m enjoying for even a moment. Basically, overwhelming amounts of anise and alcohol. At my normal dilution of 3:1, there’s enough heat in a glass of Pernod to keep my furnace running for a week.
There’s really no reason to keep going on about this, I’ve made my point. If you haven’t figured it out by now, Pernod is related by name only to the Pernod Fils of olde. Anyone with a mililitre of common sense should avoid it at all costs.
Other notes: I scheduled a meeting with the sales manager of said liquor store, and the little pooper wouldn’t hear a word of it. Upon investigating the business practices of this shoppe further, I see that they have some very questionable habits, including selling outdated beer…seems they’re not worth saving after all. Now quit stalling me, I just want this review to be done with.
Louche: 5.2
Presentation: 5.5
Taste: 3.2
Value: 1.7 (I paid $75+tax for this dog poo!)
Overall: 2.7/10
Published 1/30/09