Review: Kubler Absinthe
Kübler is the next big name you’ll find on liquor store shelves in the newly budding absinthe section. Made in Switzerland, it’s 106 proof (comparably light for absinthe) and unique in one particularly (and uniquely Swiss, reportedly a means of end-running the absinthe ban of that lasted there for about 150 years) way: It’s nearly completely colorless, a see-through spirit that, if you didn’t smell it, could easily be mistaken for water. This is known as absinthe blanche.
With sugar and water it louches into a milky, murky concoction, but still has no color. The flavor, though, is unmistakably absinthe. Intriguingly, Kübler suggests a blend of 1 part absinthe to 5 parts water, whereas most other bottles lean toward a 1:4 ratio. The ultimate blend is of course a matter of personal taste, but no matter how much you water it down, the flavor of anise is powerful in the glass.
It needs very cold water, but the sweet and licorice-like taste is easy to drink and generally pretty good. It lacks much nuance beyond the anise, however. I had hoped for more herbal character make things more complicated, but Kübler shows its hand early and doesn’t try to hide behind its roots. (Get it!? Sorry.)
106 proof.
B / $54 [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE]
Kübler Absinthe
$54
What the author doesn’t tell you is that an absinthe blanche is produced the same way as a traditional green absinthe and then redistilled. preserving enough flavor and essential oils to produce the milky pearlescent louche effect (white was a color last I checked) is a triumph in distillation. To compare it to absinthes that are distilled then macerated with herbs before filtering and bottling is both unfair and wildly out of category. Enjoy Kubler for what it is: a superbly crafted Swiss Absinthe (long held to be the standard of quality) of the blanche variety (redistilled after maceration removing the telltale vegetal color)
How much Thujone does it have? do you people even think about that? Well, if you want real absinthe….you better start thinking about it..If we wanted another licorice flavored liquor, we could have Sambuca or Ouzo….
Joseph,
I’m afraid you’re incorrect in your assessment that Kubler is “wildly out of category” when compared with verte absinthes. A verte absinthe is made by macerating the herbs in alcohol for a very specific length of time (which causes the mixture to turn a bright, chlorophyll green depending on the herbs used), distilling that mixture which results in a perfectly clear, flavored product, and finally, the coloration stage which is simply a secondary maceration with one or two herbs (typically lemon balm or artemisia pontica a.k.a. petite wormwood). Depending on certain variables, a solution of water and spirits may be added afterward in the “proofing” stage.
The ONLY difference between the above procedure and that of a blanche absinthe is that the final coloration stage is skipped. There is no “redistillation” with the blanche. No matter the color of the initial maceration, a clear product always emerges from the still. Both vertes and the blanche variety are distilled just once.
And XPert: The thujone content has little to nothing to do with the “authenticity” of an absinthe. Thujone does not cause “hallucinations,” and there is peer-reviewed, scientific literature showing that the most celebrated absinthes of the Belle Epoque were largely low in thujone content and many might have passed FDA approval. You should start with this wired.com article and follow the links:
https://www.wired.com/2007/07/barely-legal-american-absinthe-passes-the-taste-test/
A relevant quote by Ted Breaux, producer of Lucid Superiere:
“When I tested bottles of vintage absinthe,” he says, “I was surprised to find they contained very little thujone.”
Stay tuned for my own absinthe, in federal approval stages at the time of this writing, and in stores soon…. ;)
it tastes like butterscotch candy.. no licorice/fennel/anise flavor at all.. just really sweet
Edward 3rd… Finally!!! Someone in the absinthe community who actually knows what they’re talking about. I’m so sick of “2-day-experts” talking about absinthe (joseph, xpert). Please, take a little time to educate yourself on the subject. Otherwise your just making yourself look stupid.
Just getting into Absinthe, I must say this brand is the most pleasing I have had so far. If I offend you, well I cant say it bothers me. I am on 3 glasses so far and am loving my evening. Best to all who try all the brands and even more love to those who try Kubler. Its a real treat.
With havin so much content and articles do you ever run into any issues of plagorism or copyright infringement? My website has a lot of exclusive content I’ve either created myself or outsourced but it appears a lot of it is popping it up all over the web without my agreement. Do you know any solutions to help protect against content from being stolen? I’d genuinely appreciate it.
gianmarco – Yes, plagiarism is always a problem. You can ask the guy who stole your content to take it down. If that doesn’t work you have to file a DMCA report with the web host. There are numerous sites online that can show you how to do that.
I am just getting into the Absinthe world. I have tried several different bands. Pernod is the band I measures others by. That said I was slightly hesitant to pickup a bottle of Kubler.. But I have made a promise to try as may brands of Absinthe as possible.. So I bought a bottle of Kubler.. Upon opening the bottle I noticed, Kubler smells slightly harsher than Pernod, and the few other brands I have tried. But upon tasting it, I was surprised that it had a slightly sweet taste. As a matter of fact, I think this might be the brand of absinthe I had in New Orleans.. Like I say, I am by far an Absinthe expert.. But I would recommend people give Kubler a try. Its not too pricy and it tastes nice.