Corsair Red Absinthe

Absinthe is an... acquired taste. Yes, even more so than heavily-peated Islay scotch. If you love the flavor of Anisette, you'll enjoy this.

I had the pleasure of visiting their tasting room at the Marathon Building in Nashville and trying a bit of this - my first venture into the world that is absinthe. It intrigued me enough to buy a bottle, as well as purchase two other brands for comparison, but it's not something I drink often.

I do share it with friends and most of them enjoyed it as well, so it's a good conversation starter about various spirits and all the rituals involved in drinking said spirits.

Absinthe is usually around 112 to 120 proof, so it is something you mix gradually with 3 to 5 parts chilled water and a sugar cube( as a part of the 'ritual' where you watch it change from the red to a cloudy white). I prefer the demerara sugar cubes (if you can find them) because they add more flavor and depth than the refined white.

According to what I've read, Absinthe became the 'drink of choice' in France after their vineyards were devastated by a blight and they had to turn to the California vineyards for plants to replace their centuries-old ones.

This caused a wine shortage and a huge hike in prices, so the poorer folk - like the young artist, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec - had to drink Absinthe instead. The minute amount of wormwood is used for flavoring and there isn't enough to 'cause hallucinations' as is rumored. More likely it was because the drink was stronger than cheap wines that the masses drank in excess rather than any psychedelic properties. It is also said that this rumor was started by the French Wine Industry in order to win back it's market share.

The trouble with absinthe is that the anise flavor remains on my palate and taste buds for days afterwards (or so it seems), and I have to turn to my heavily-peated scotch to wipe it out! I know... you feel sooooo sorry for me! LOL

Again, not an 'every day drink' but good for gatherings of close friends that want to expand their spirit horizons and try something they normally wouldn't buy. I've made a half-dozen converts to this spirit over the past year.

I'm an Absinthe novice only having tried a few, but I really enjoyed this one. It had less bite than I expected compared to others that I've drank. If you are new to Absinthe definitely give this one a try.

This is a very tasty classic absinthe even though it is red in color. It's not too herbal and is great over ice or mixed.

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