Review: St. George Absinthe
The first (and, perhaps, only) American absinthe on the market, St. George Absinthe is arguably the best absinthe going today. If you can find it (and afford it), you’ll want to snap it up.
First off, it’s greener than Lucid and far more powerful in flavor. While the nose is equally anise and room-filling, on the tongue it pops with a variety of herbal and some fruit flavors. Lemon peel is apparent as is pepper. Lots of green and grassy herbs — maybe rosemary? it’s hard to tell — which work well with the fruit and spice and, of course, the anise. The flavors work well together, and the spirit is very balanced on the whole. St. George is easy to drink without being simplistic and watery.
At 120 proof, St. George immediately hits the head, and if you’re going to see the green fairy after any absinthe out there, I suspect it will be with this one. It’s hard to find, but I’m sure true absinthaholics will appreciate the results of their chase.
120 proof.
A- / $78 / stgeorgespirits.com [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS] [BUY IT NOW FROM THE WHISKY EXCHANGE]
St. George Absinthe
$78
I’m very much a Absinthe newbie. Being an American, the only Absinthe brands that have been available to me are Lucid, Kubler and St. George.
Of those 3 brands, Lucid is by far my favorite. I find its flavor to be quite a bit brighter and straight forward than St. George.
Thats not to say St. George isn’t a quality brand, I’m enjoying St. George as I type. I just find that Lucid absinthe suits my tastes.
– Pahbi
I was lucky enough to have a test version of this brand a couple years before it was on the market and it is, most certainly, a stellar work. I’ve had a couple different absinthes in my time and this is, to my palette, the best.
Have to say, I have never tried Absinthe, but it looks very intriguing. I saw an interview of one of the guys from St. George and he was very animated.
http://www.chow.com/stories/10977
St. George is much more than tolerable. I don’t want to sound snooty but I drink a bit of absinthe. Mostly French and Swiss. I find St. G to be very refreshing as a midday pick-me-up. Of the legal absinthes,</a it is one of the better vertes. I don’t care much for the blanche so I cannot comment on them.
RealLife — you missed the rest of that sentence: “tolerable straight.” That is, sans sugar/water. Several absinthes are OK straight, and this is one of them. Most others you’d be crazy to try without some doctoring.
Lucid sucks….flat out….it is the WORST absinthe I’ve ever had, and I’ve had many. Eduoard 72 is the closest thing to a REAL absinthe I have ever had….Saying these other absinthes are good, is like comparing Budweiser beer to Bud Light….none of these are even close to the real thing in how they make you “feel”…Get some good stuff, and you’ll see the difference….but to get the good ones….it’s extremely expensive…double what you paid for this Lucid crap….I LOVE absinthe, and I doubt if I’ll be able to finish the bottle of Lucid I have….I’m sorry but I’m spoiled after having the REAL thing….at least as real as you’re going to get in this day and age….sorry to spoil the excitement of everyone being able to buy it in this country…but you’re buying a cheap imitation and paying a lot of money for nothing…There is nothing “real” about the ones you can buy here….they taste similar…but the effects are not even “there”….if you want to taste absinthe…drink Sambuca…if you want to “feel” Absinthe, get something made by Nouvelle Orleans…
Mata Hari from Austria is RUN to not walk away from. The hands down worst crap I’ve ever tried. It’s fake green lollipop color, and strong alcohol smell is repugnant. And it can strip paint off the wall. Not drinkable unless you are a small engine.
St Georges (conveniently located about 10 minutes from me) is lovely. Have a bottle of 1st edition still sealed from waiting 4 hours day of release. Went yesterday to the tasting room to take a friend from out of town. First time I’d had it with ICE used for the louche. It was really nice, creamy and rich.
I am currently waiting for my very first bottle of St. George absinthe to arrive, and I am dying to finally try it. A friend, who is something of an absinthe connoiseur, has reccommended this to me as the finest absinthe he has ever had the pleasure of tasting. No sugar necessary, just a bit of ice water to complete the louche. I’ve heard nothing but good things from all manner of absinthe fiends, and have spoken to experts at The Old Absinthe House in New Orleans, and they state that it is most likely the finest American absinthe ever put into production.
Went to the Tales of the Cocktail event in New Orleans last month (July 2009), and tasted a lot of Absinthe. Nouvelle Orleans is excellent! Obsello is very good. Believe it or not I was pleasantly surprised that Mansinthe is not bad. Clandestine is fine, and I like it on occasion when I want something unique. La Muse Verte and Kubler are both good middle of the road style Absinthes, but I have to admit that this St George that is in my glass as I am writing this is the creamiest, finest Absinthe I’ve had. The mouthfeel is excellent. The flavors are balanced with mint lingering in the finish. It’s giving me a very nice head. I tasted the St. George neat and it is tolerable, but why would anyone want to drink Absinthe neat? The louche is the appeal.
What “Xpert” is trying to say is, that modern absinthe sold in the United States (as regulated by the U.S. state system) doesn’t make you hallucinate. Of course, no absinthe ever made people hallucinate, it’s just alcohol.
Notice that he uses words typed in all caps to emphasize his fallacious, un-supported statements, he wouldn’t need to if he had supported his claims with evidence.
I have no idea what he was trying to accomplish, but he certainly proved to me that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
St. George as a flaccid finish but a lovely flatulant lingering nose. i prefer scope mouthwash but in a pinch this will do. it also comes in handy for removing tar from your cars grill.
so which should i drink for the first time lucid or st george?…. im leaning towards st george
i have had several absinthe’s from France, Sweden, the U.S. and even the Czech Republic (Yuck!) and i have to say that St. Georges is by FAR the best i have tasted. With a little ice water it is very drinkable, ok, i will even go so far as to say it tastes downright good! It does not need sugar and does not have a chemical/alcohol burn. The taste is complex without being overwhelming and smooth without being oily.
wow, these reviews are horrible, and what i mean by horrible are that no one is reviewing anything, just talking shit about lucid which isnt even what this discussion/review is for… wow…
stick with St. George………make yourself a typical absinthe drink with sugar and water and enjoy the evening
May I simply say nice to read a comfort to find somebody who actually realizes just what they’re discussing on the web. You actually discover how to take a problem to light and allow it to important. More people should study it and know it aspect of the story. I cant believe you’re not very popular because you certainly have the gift.
I almost forgot, but I have two unopened bottles, and one 2/3 bottle ( had to try it!) from the very first red stamped run of 1000 bottles.
Good for me.
I’m glad I finally tried this. Was able to find a 200ml Bottle and love it with Sazeracs and even straight. I also enjoy it with Elderflower Gin and tonics to give more complexity. Good stuff!