Absinthe Noel 2012
Source: Absinth Depot Berlin
Today is Christmas eve! I know some of you out there hav the 25th as the main day for celebration, but here in Sweden we celebrate on the 24th. An what could be more appropriate then to celebrate with one of Matter Spirits' limited edition Christmas absinthes? Oh Matter Spirits, how Ive missed you!
In the late 2016 I tried my first (and their last) Absinthe Noel from Matter Spirits, and I loved it! For those who doesn't remember, between 2005 and 2016 Matter Spirits made an absinthe series called Absinthe Noel which they released just before Christmas (Noel/Noël is french for Christmas), although every year they used a different recipe. So far I’ve tried 2016 and 2015, and now it’s time to try the one from 2012. "How did I get a hold of this one?" you ask? Well, thanks to Hermann at Absinthe Depot Berlin I now have not just a bottle of the 2012, but also the 2013 batch! In fact, it’s my bottle showing on the picture here above, nr. 128 of 488 bottles in total. Hermann has helped me procure more than one limited edition absinthe that probably should have been sold out a long time ago. Thank you again Hermann!
I must say though, it doesn't look very christmasy O.o The braided border of the label, the angel and the font that brings an old bible to mind gives it more of an old greek feeling I think. It doesn't even say "Absinthe Noel" on the label, so if it wasn't that it actually says that it is their Christmas absinthe from 2012 on the back of the bottle, I'd have thought that I got the wrong bottle.
But now, it's time to uncork my present!
Aged: No
Distillery: Matter-Luginbühl
ABV: 68%
Category: Verte
Real/Fake: Real
Origin: Switzerland
Color and Louche: What I have in my glass is as yellow as apple juice, but I can see very distinct green pigments on the cork, so this absinthe was definitely a verte from the beginning, but it's 11 years old by now so maybe we can be a bit forgiving, wouldn't you say? The louche is unfortunately quite thin, and it reaches it's climax at about 3 parts water.
Aroma: When I open up the bottle and sniff, I find a very sweet aroma of caramel and vanilla O.o This was unexpected. Matter Spirits have added Christmas spices to the distillate, and although they don't specify what that is, I wouldn't expect vanilla. Could it come from the cork maybe? I pour a portion in my glass and take another good sniff, and although there is still a little bit of caramel left, mostly I can feel a lot of green herbs and a weak but distinct bitterness. I add a few parts water and now the character is more fruity than herbal. What the heck?
Taste: The taste is quite anonymous, very shy. Have I added too much water? It's nothing very special, I expected a real explosion of citrus, cloves, cinnamon and the like, but there is mostly just the regular absinthe herbs, and bearly that. The texture is oily, and the bitterness is prominent. Is it... salty? Yes, it is, like tasting tears. What the heck is this?
Final thoughts: This was... not what I expected. Not at all. Matter Spirits absinthes is usually an explosion of tastes and aromas, but this was so tame. I would really like to know what spices they added to this one, I really can't tell. The shift in aroma threw me a bit of balance, how can it go from sweet candy, to bitter herbs and then to fresh fruits? And what's up withe the saltiness, I've never felt that in an absinthe before. The whole experience screams "What the fuck?". Usually Matter Spirits' absinthes get a high rating from me, but today they get no more than a mere 2, and a big "WTF"-stamp. To save the day I'll go and pour myself a glass of the 2016 Noel, I still have some left.
