Absinthe H.R. Giger Wolfsmilch
This is the first of several absinthes connected to Hans Rudolf Giger, a Swiss painter, absintheur and known satanist. He’s illustrations was the basis for the Ailien- and Species-movies, movie I really like. I’m a big fan of his work and many of his paintings are fantastic! Giger himself helps develop this absinthe, together with his wife, it was suposed to be released at the same time as his new book. I don't know if he lived long enough to se these through, but they (the book and absinthe) were the last projects he worked on befor his death 2014.
On the website where I ordered it, it said that it was a limited edition, so I wrote tho the distillery and asked how many bottles they made. They answered that it was a limited edition at first, but it became so popular that they decided to continue the production. Good for me since I then could get a bottle, but a bit sad for those who bought the first batch and thought it was going to be a limited edition. The same goes for Wolfsmilch´s twin: Absinthe H.R. Giger Zeitgeist.
The name ”Wolfsmilch” is German for ”Wolfs Milk”, but it’s also German for the genus of flowers in the Euphorbior genus. The sap from this flowers are white and very poisonous. Might think twice befor drinking this absinthe ( O.o) One of this flowers is called ”Ulvmjölk” in Swedish, which in English translates to ”Wolfs Milk”.
The bottle is very simple but very nice, a tall bottle of dark glass, rounded shoulders and a real cork for a stopper. The label is, of course, one of Gigers own paintings, I’m pretty sure it’s called "Hommage to S. Breckett II".
Aged: Nej
Distillery: Philippe Martin
ABV: 69%
Category: Verte
Real/Fake: Real
Origin: Switzerland
Color and Louche: A natural colored verte with a tad weaker color than most. The louch is pretty good and doesn’t need more than a little more than one part water to reach its full potential. Very nice.
Aroma: From the open bottle comes a mild scent of anise, fennel and alcohol, itts quite sweet. The glass amplifies the alcohol and drowns out the rest, but when I add water it takes a step back again. Now the fennel and anise is back, but most of all I feel the wormwood. A rather common but nice absinthe aroma.
Taste: The taste is somewhat complex, but not very exiting. The wormwood is prominent and the anise and fennel takes a step back, just like withe the aroma. I also notice the sugar, a little too much. The absinthe has a natural sweetness to it so perhaps a little less sugar next time. The alcohol is sadly still quite prominent and gives a rather rough mouthfeel, I’d prefer it a little smoother.
Final thoughts: To summerise: it has a nice color, thick louche, a pleasant smell and taste, although not very interesting. All in all it´s a good absinthe, with a beautiful bottle, but nothing that stands out from the masses. I’ll give it 3 out of 5 fairys.
