Absinthe Questions for 08!

A

Adikt

Bluelighter
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
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ok...so i know the US govmnt partially legalized the sale of Absinthe in 2/08...

i also know this requires the Absinthe to have 10parts per million of Thujone or less...when the thujone is derived from a certain type of plant/root...but i know there are other ways to get Thujone as well...


So my question is this, and im sure its been asked before, but possibly not since the changes in the law sooooo: what is the best brand Absinthe to buy here in the US? I guess the real question is if anyone is aware of certain brands having higher Thujone values than others...as i'm really not interested in paying 70 bucks for a bottle of licorice flavored grain liquor.

At the local liquor store there is Lucid brand & 'Grande Absinthe' brand...are these two just as good as anything i could get legally online or should i search deeper for better and more classic quality? Any info would be helpful...looking to get a bottle for my girlfriend's birthday, whcih happens to be New Year's Eve...so i have plenty of time to sort this out.

Thanks ahead of time...been a few years since I've been on Bluelight...glad to be back :D
 
[California distiller] St. George will compete with three other absinthe distillers - the Swiss Kubler, French Lucid and the Brazilian Absinto Camargo.

[...] Lucid was the brainchild of Ted Breaux, a New Orleans chemist who reverse-engineered an old bottle of absinthe to devise his formula. He worked with a French distillery to reproduce it.
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T.A. Breaux is a well-known authority on absinthe and the mastermind behind Lucid, so you might want to check that one out first.
 
Man, if you're going to buy Absinthe, might as well just order the real shit. Because I've had the shit from overseas and the shit in the U.S. and it's completely different, IMHO.
 
I drank up A LOT of Lucid (5-7 1.5 oz shots on ice) and didn't notice anything unusual about the experience when compared to just getting drunk.

I'd search further. Maybe consder just buying an oz. of wormwood.
 
yeh, I've had american absinthe before as well & wound up being disappointed as I was simply told "have some absinthe!" and was foolishly expecting the good stuff. But that was a couple years ago...when i read that the US had actually changed it's Thujone laws I was (perhaps also foolishly) hoping that I could find some quality french-style Absinthe or something in American stores.

The Grande Absinth(Absenthe Supreme) or something like that(the only other variety besides Lucid at the local store) claims that it has "The highest amount of Thujone allowed by law"...thus making me want to try that over Lucid, since lucid has no such claim.

I would really like to find a comparison chart, naming some legal US brands, some French brands, bootlegged stuff from the 90s, etc & stating how many ppm of Thujone is actually in the drink. Dont suppose that is around no?

I've also heard from 2 different people that getting a 1oz bottle of wormswood and mixing it wth grain liquor didnt provide them with any greater sensation that just being really drunk.

Me thinks the only possibility of finding truth in all of this is to purchase a bottle at the local store, purchase striaght wormswood & mix & take a trip to France so's I can compare them all...Anyway, if anyone can shed some light on any of this it would be much appreciated...lets not even get into the fact that Thujone can come from many sources, only a few of which are sanctioned...and that one of the FDA's tests for Thujone involves a "sight & smell" test. wtf? Hoping to figure things out by New Years so I'll make sure to share all found info...thanks guys! :D
 
how many of you guys have tried the "real shit" and are comparing it against american absinthe? i think there's a lot of mythology and mystery around absinthe in the states because it's been illegal here so long. my guess is that people expect too much from it. i definitely made this mistake - i tried absinthe (overseas, in spain, purchased by seasoned belgians) and found it underwhelming. it was fun, but mostly for the novelty and not because the effects were anything special. if you're expecting some kind of crazy van gogh trip then you might be disappointed. absinthe, in my experience at least, does not pack the hallucinogenic punch that most of us have heard about in the legends. from what i can tell it's not a question of american absinthe vs. european; it's a matter of fairy tale vs. reality.
 
yes Alter...this is another big problem im having in finding out truths. I know that the absinthe I've had before was simply licorice tasting green liquor, as it was purchased from a liquor store in Tampa before the law was changed. Thujone itself in large amounts will supposedly fuck you up & not so much in a good way. Many 'drugs' are after all, little more than refined poison.

This leaves me wondering if 10ppm Thujone(legal limit in the US) is actually a standard measure in absinthe world-wide or if it is a significant decrease in measure that the FDA deems 'safe'...as I said i would think the only way to sort that out would be a straight up Thujone ppm/brand comparison, or just going to France, finding some bootlegger's original and comparing the intoxication that follows.

I realize fully that the likelyhood of my finding that hallucinogenic 'punch' that you so described is very low & that the Van Gogh-inspired madness will not be showing itself...rather, I'm more hoping to find a nice drink to pair with this clean-as-fuck white/white paper i've had in the freezer for a bit too long...followed by a hottub & sensi for New Years...<sigh>...:)
 
I've had a good amount of absinthe from overseas and I assure you, like the others have posted above that it is nothing out of the ordinary. You just get drunk like you would off of any grain alcohol and it tastes like shit..in my opinion.

I've never even seen it sold in the states, I'll have to check that out, is it all over the US, or just in certain parts? I live in Indiana, so any help would be appreciated...
 
supposedly it is available many places in the US now, tho it passes FDA restrictions of 10parts per million Thujone content, which is or isnt enough to even count, depending on your sources. Considering the supposed Thujone content of some European Absinthes, it doesnt seem like 10ppm would do fuckall. But I've also been told that things like Anise and other herbs have Thujone as well, which isnt restricted like wormswood is under the new laws.

I read in another absinthe thread that multiple people have enjoyed a very high quality, non-bitter absinthe that gave a mild high effect(compared to thc, kind of) as one would expect from old-school drank. The obviously fake absinthe i've had in the past tasted fucking terrible. Perhaps this would be a question to ask when looking into this? I'm not sure...

I've also found things like the brand 'Absinthe Versinthe La Blanche' which is clear, apparently very high in thujone & very cheap in comparison to the mostly-liquor bottles here in the US. I am to understand that it would not be legal to import this? :(
 
Adikt said:
The Grande Absinth(Absenthe Supreme) or something like that(the only other variety besides Lucid at the local store) claims that it has "The highest amount of Thujone allowed by law"...thus making me want to try that over Lucid, since lucid has no such claim.
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TA Breaux has claimed that all of the vintage absinthes he and his people could get their hands on really didn't have that much thujone... certainly not much more than is currently allowed by US law.

Either way, the main difference between Lucid and all the other American absinthes I've tried was the wormwood. Lucid uses grande wormwood as opposed to the petite wormwood found in everything else I've purchased here in the states. I have no idea what effect this has on the thujone content, but it makes a noticable difference in the taste. It's like any other liquor. A Speyside scotch won't taste the same as an Isley scotch.

- If you just want a bottle of absinthe to show off to your friends, get whatever domestic brand you like. Chances are no one will know the difference. Most people end up hating the taste anyways.

- If you want to buy a nice tasting, high quality bottle of absinthe definitely go with the Lucid. It's fucking tasty and it will make you black out drunk if you don't pace yourself.

- If you really fancy yourself as an absinthe connoisseur, and you want to sample a variety of legit foreign bottles, google "absinthe" and look for a German site (with a .de domain). They have a wide selection, reviews and all the accessories you could ever want... and they guarantee delivery.
 
yeh, i also read that the classic quality european absinthes didnt really have that much thujone, but looking thru absinthe sites that list thujone content seems to turn up different results. Many absinthes available from Europe have 30mg/kg...which is 30partspermillion...3 times what the US allows! It would seem that this would be a considerable difference!

I'm not interested in showing off or getting drunk...i'm interested in finding a quality bottle of not-horrid tasting stuff that will get me higher than drunk(as i've heard many reports of!) to pair with this lovely white/white Lucy i have left for my girlfriend's birthday.

Also, I'll look into this Grande vs Petite Wormswood thing, as Im sure Grande Absinthe would use Grande wormswood as well...or so it would seem. I'm not down for wasting 75 bucks on a bottle of licorice tasting grain liquor. If anyone has personally had absinthe that pleased them properly, please share the brand name if possible, it would be much appreciated, if only for comparison's sake :)

Also, you say there are .de sites that guarantee delivery despite legality issues?
I understand thus far that it is illegal to sell it, but not to possess...
So if I ordered from a guaranteed site, there would be no legal issues on my end, correct?


Sorry if Im asking redundant questions, but this line of conversation seems like a discussion of salvia or similar...everyone has opinions and 'facts' and knowledge that should be sorted thru before deciding whats really up. Thanks so much for helping!
 
Rxx said:
Man, if you're going to buy Absinthe, might as well just order the real shit. Because I've had the shit from overseas and the shit in the U.S. and it's completely different, IMHO.
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Yeah, the European Absinthe has a heroin base to it, whilst the American Absinthe is free of any illicit drugs. I DO prefer the European, though :)
 
^ a heroin base? 8) throw a winky face on there or something if that was meant to be sarcastic.

adikt: since you were looking for a thujone breakdown by brand, this might be of interest to you. it's from several years ago but it still gives you a good idea of standards:

Absinthe Original: Made in the Czech Republic and based on an old Swiss forumla, this is probably the best absinthe available today. Powerful but smooth and with rich aromas and deep flavors. 70% alcohol and 10 mg./kilogram of thujone. 75 cl. bottles cost about $75.00

Absinthe King: Made from a Swiss forumla and free of artificial colorings and preservatives, this is a delicate and gentle drink, with a marked flavor of anise and an attractive pale green color when mixed with water. Smooth and with pleasing aromas and flavors. 70 alcohol content and 10 milligrams per kilogram of thujone. About $85 for a 70 cl. bottle

Absinthe Sebor: In its triangular bottle meant to be a collector's item, but with flavors that are a bit too marked this Chezch produced liqueur has an unwanted coarseness that tends to burn the throat. 55% alcohol and 2 mg./kg of thujone. About $40 for a 70 cl. bottle.

Hill's Absinthe: Powerful but smooth and with rich flavors this traditionally emerald green beverage has distinctly bitter herbal flavors that are moderate nicely by being poured over a sugar cube. Produced according to a French forumla in the Czech Republic since 1920. 70% alcohol and 1.5 mg/kg of thujone. 70 cl. bottles cost about $60.

Absinthe Pilsner: A smooth drinking but particularly potent liqueur, the main herb used being wormwood. Emerald green in color in the bottle (due to no small part to color additives), but with good flavors and depth. 70% alcohol, 9 mg/kg of thujone. About $55 for a 70 cl. bottle.

Absinthe Schulz: Powerful, deep emerald green in color, with a distinctive bitter flavor but smooth to drink and with rich anise flavors. Czech made, the liqueur has 60% alcohol content and 2.7 mg/kg of thujone. 70 cl. bottles cost about $45.
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hmmm...well ppm=mg/kg...so 10mg/kg is equivalent to the US law of 10ppm.

By this logic, the Grande Absinthe i mentioned above should have the same Thujone content as the finest absinthe quoted in the last post. This leaves me a wondering if the Thujone being from wormwood or Anise or etc makes any difference. Also, if i just order an oz of wormwood as suggested, it would not be distilled...what difference would this have on the final product.

Absinthe was often ingested with opiates of various forms...but thats as close as it gets to having heroin in it...i just want to understand all the myths & facts...looking this up gets a bunch off shite advice like the heroin guy so perhaps we can come to some conclusions here...many thanks! :D
 
Hello,
After reading this thread I just had to join to tell everyone of my experience. I have tried many different types of Absinthe on my tour in the military. I have been to Italy, France, Spain, Dubai, Bahrain, Djibouti, Kenya, Turkey, and a few other places. Some friends and I have drank many types of Absinthe. It’s gotten me pretty drunk but never a high type feeling. When in Sicily we stumbled into this bar call the “Stags Head” and of course I figure I would throw down a few Euro’s and get me some Absinthe. There was this polish girl who spoke perfect English so I asked her why all the hype around Absinthe it just taste like a bitter Jeagermister. She told me that the Absinthe doesn’t get you high its opium you burn over top of it that gets you high. She said they burn sugar over top of it now but back in the day that used to burn opium over it.

So there is my two cents. If you wanna get fucked on Absinthe burn Opium over it.
 
Just read over this quikly...

Been drinking absinthe all over the world since the late 70's...

I had been getting my absinthe sent to me in the USA (which was not illegal to do) since 94 when Imoved here full time.

I'm pleased that the laws have relaxed & that we can get some decent brands.

Anyways, as I saw mentioned above, the good stuff isn't jam packed full of wormwood, in fact, the best vintage & the best IMHO hasabout or just under the legal limit for it to be sold in the USA.


My persoal prefs are as follows:

Kubler Swiss, not the high octane version either.
It is well rounded, loches the best, tastes the best & makes me feel happy.
(anybody who says they trip on it is fooling only themselves)

Pernod (originalmakers of absinthe since day 1)
This is now available in the USA.
It's my 2nd choice if I can't find my swiss Kubler.
This is the one that started it & the recipe is the same today as it was in the first ever batch.
Some might find it a bit too harsh, higher in anise than most, but I like it.

Keep well away from 'Grande Absente'
This is made by the people who gave us the 'fake stuff'

It's high octane liver stripper & tastes like crud.
It does louche but not too well.
Apart from the crap I drank in prague (King of absinthes, wich I assure you isn't), this is the only absinthe to give me a hang over or make me feel like I just wasted my money.

==================

As for method..
Just good old absinthe in a nice glass with iced water dripped in to 'my' taste.

I don't go in for all the spoon, sugar& espesh' not the burning the sugar that fools thetourists in prague.

In a pinch, I will mix my absinthe with gin & pomegranet juice as a cocktail.

I do like my 'breakfast shot' of absinthe & it's the only way I have ever felt anything outside of intoxicated with absinthe.

Take 2 oz of your absinthe, pour a double shot of espresso into it & knock it back in one go...

Tastes almost medicinal, leaves you feeling verywarm & a light'pre-med' type of haze comes over you for a short while.
 
I've read that the early Absinthes in Europe which sparked all this curiosity tended to have much more thujone content than the modern European brands do. There were a few Czech brands of Absinthe that came closer than the rest, but all contemporary Absinthes are a lot weaker than classic ones. I think this explains very well the popular misconception that you'll trip more than you'll feel drunk.

I can't imagine dealing with so much anise flavor and not tripping my ass off.
 
Silent G said:
I've read that the early Absinthes in Europe which sparked all this curiosity tended to have much more thujone content than the modern European brands do. There were a few Czech brands of Absinthe that came closer than the rest, but all contemporary Absinthes are a lot weaker than classic ones.
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No offence, but you couldn't be further from the truth.​

As I said in my post directly above yours, the 'PERNOD' branded Absinthe that is available today is 100% true to the original recipe and content that started the whole absinthe ball rolling.

Not one of the earlier (Pre-Ban Era) absinthes had more than an 8% increase of Thujone of what is available today & there were only two brands that claimed this, both brands were a cheap and nasty 'rip-off' of the better, more popular absinthes of the time.

As I mentined above, I have had many absinthes over a great many years both legal, illegal & most certainly paid theorugh the nose for original pre-ban era un-opened bottles of variuos brands.

The highest content of Thujone being in a bottle from Prague (named above) which was more like listerine than absinthe, it doesn't even 'Louche' and the addition of the massive amount of thjone did nothing to improve any buzz at all.

To be honest, I found only two out of several dozen brands in the Czech Republic (not just Prague) that could even be deemed as being absinthe even though the others contained thjone.

To add a little credence to my posts in this thread, I have visited over a dozen distileries producing absinthe (between 4 dif' countries) since 1975 and have been invited to vistit the Kubler & Pernod distileries (Switzerland & France respectivly) during 2009.

I have attended over a dozen absinthe conventions worldwide & countless tastings too.

I don't claim to be any sort of world authority on absinthe, but I do know my stuff & very much the history from day one (first btl produced) up to now.

I had also been using absinthe as a form of medication for quite a few years until 14 moths ago, so research on all levels of all brands past & present has been essential.
 
TorchwoodLabs said:
The highest content of Thujone being in a bottle from Prague (named above) which was more like listerine than absinthe, it doesn't even 'Louche' and the addition of the massive amount of thjone did nothing to improve any buzz at all.
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curiosity got the better of me and i decided to look further into this whole 'louche' thing. i have to admit the iced water louche process now sounds far more intriguing than the (flashier) fire method that i tried originally. i love building ritual into my consumption as well. i may actually have to give absinthe another try someday.

great information, thank you :)

for everyone else, read more here if you like.
 
...

Tried some new Absinthe last night (had lots of cheap stuff before, got some good stuff yesterday). I think it is a great drink. It' never been illegal where I live so I guess the access to the good stuff is easier here. Most of the brands I hear Americans talking about I can't even find over here.

Anyway, here is what the bottle shop guy told me.

For an overall original Absinthe taste and experience try the Pernod. If it's maximum thurjone you are after Mansithe (Marylin Manson Absinthe) is the way to go, but I heard this isn't avaliable in the U.S yet? (Has anyone in the US seen it yet). It's really expensive and the fact is you are not going to hallucinate anyway, so go for taste and quality over wormwood content.

I did the whole firey sugar cube thing and it tasted great, but I have to say I really love aniseed. The first drink I ever truly loved the taste of was Lago Nero. Two standard size whiskey glasses (mixed about 1:3 parts Abs:Water) and that was enough.

In short great drink, but don't expect hallucinations.

-EDIT- I just realised what section this is in LOL (I just searched Absinthe). Sorry for stating non U.S drinks
 
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