La Maison Fontaine Blanche Absinthe (700ml)

With over two centuries of Absinthe heritage, Pontarlier has been described as the Absinthe Capital of the world. It has been home to more than 20 commercial distilleries, the largest of them the very successful Pernod Fils. On top of that, more than 200 families in the area used to distill their own Absinthe, foraging the local herbs from the foothills of the Jura mountains.

A present day success story is La Maison Fontaine who also lay claim to operating the world’s oldest absinthe stills. Regarded as an exceptional expression by those “in the know”, their blanche is also reportedly the world’s most awarded, including IWSC Gold & Best in Class. Made using 15 herbs, most notably, the world-renowned Pontarlier-grown Grande Absinthe, which together with green anise and fennel forms the basis of many traditional absinthes, the judges summed it up as “Setting the standard … delightful and invigorating”. Clearly, a must for any enthusiast and one of the top blanches you're ever likely to experience. 56% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews… Awarded the Grand Gold Medal at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in 2016

....The absinthe is clear with no sediment or haze. Barest tinge of straw, only detectable against white computer paper. The aroma is wormwood-heavy, with anise beneath. Fruity, round. The louche is a bit on the thin side, but very nice. Pearly with shades of blue. With water the anise comes forward and balances well with the minty wormwood. Some spice. The flavour is sweet, wormwoody. Soft. Nice anise. Earthy with citrus notes. A tad powdery in texture, but not in taste. There's a hint of a medicinal flavour that is well matched with the rest of the package. The finish is fruity and lasting, fading to slight bitterness with fennel peaking through. Leaves a creamy coating on the tongue. This is a fantastic blanche. Nothing really stands out as unique about it but it's immaculately crafted. As a sheer matter of taste I'd like to bring that great wormwood forward even more, but that's just me. Awesome. - wormwoodsociety.org

4.5 Stars - diffordsguide.com