Absinthe Reviews
Welcome to probably my most pretentious interest. Absinthe really does feel like one of those quarter-life crisis things to get into, but I don't (tend to) regret it. As someone who has an interest in the occult, esoteric, historical alchemy and the gothic, this is a historical drink that intimately fits these associations.
Since Norway has a strict law on prohibiting any imported alcohol containing more than 60% ABV, it unfortunately leaves out a good deal of variety since traditional absinthes typically score a high alcohol percentage. The list below is therefore mainly absinthes that are legally available through Vinmonopolet, Norway's state regulated alcohol retailer.
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Faux
Absinthes
- Père Kermann's Absinthe - Rating: 1/10
- Absente 55 - Rating: 6/10
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Traditional
Absinthes
- Bareksten Illsint Absint - Rating: 6.8/10
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Pastis
- No pastis reviewed yet
Père Kermann's Absinthe
| Appearance | Artificial neon blue/green |
|---|---|
| Aroma | Mint |
| Taste | Alcoholic mouthwash. Pure mint without any other flavour profile to speak of. |
| Louche | N/A |
| Ingredients | Alcohol, Water, Aroma, Wormwood Infusion, sugar, colourings (E133, E102) |
| Rating | 1/10 ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ |
Feels kinda wrong for this to be the first entry of the list, but it might serve as a perfect example of what an absinthe isn't. Because there isn't any legal definition of absinthe (except for in Switzerland), producers are free to label it as such. This coupled with the rich and esoteric history behind the spirit, makes it a pretty easy thing to market as a weird mysterious drink - this being one such example.
Pére Kermann's Absinthe is labeled as having "wormwood infusions", which seems intentionally vague for a reason. As per my understanding, you could essentially use any strain of the artemisia family in there and call it absinthe, but traditional absinthe requires grand wormwood (artemisia absinthium).
At least it's got a neat 'lil illustration of like a medieval alchemist on it, so that's cool. Tastes like pure mouthwash, does not louche, has a weird artificial colour. Not even faux absinthe, just a weird mint spirit
Absente 55
| Appearance | Verte; Clear-ish greenish olive |
|---|---|
| Aroma | Aniseed, fresh herbs |
| Taste | Sweet and bitter liquorice |
| Louche | Louches well. About the same opalescent effect you'd get from a traditional absinthe. |
| Rating | 6/10 ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ |
Bareksten Illsint Absint
| Date of review | 27.03.2026 |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Blanche, completely clear. Like water with a bit of viscousity. |
| Aroma | Very fresh, reminiscent of a coniferous petrichor-like aroma. |
| Taste | Intense initial hit. Very vibrant on first impression. Has a bit of a boxy finish, like a room that's been overtaken by moss. Overall very forest-y associations. |
| Louche | Louches well, starts off very particle-y, but achieves opalescence when the oils are mixed completely. |
| Rating |
Initially when I saw this bottle around, I instinctively assumed that it must've been a mass-produced low quality, locally produced absinthe. The branding of the bottle is part of a collection of spirits with the exact same design, so I naturally kinda steered away from this for the longest time. After a bit of research though there doesn't seem to be anything to suggest that this is a faux absinthe. From the little information I could find online, it seemed like a traditionally distilled absinthe with added "herbs reminiscent of norwegian forests", which is intriguing.
After trying it with my girlfriend (who doesn't really like the taste of absinthe to begin with), we concluded that it's probably the smoothest absinthe we've had so far. The aroma is very distinctly different from the french absinthes we've had - as other reviewers have mentioned, it somehow DOES have herbs that remind me of norwegian forests. Coniferous, pine, moss-y, flower-y - very nice scents to just have around as you're louching the drink.
Overall not a very bitter absinthe, presumably because of the added herbs to tone down the wormwood. Surprisingly, the liqorice association that comes with anise didn't come to mind at first, which is also a first. Good stuff - just wish the bottle design was a bit more inviting (though I guess traditional absinthes don't need to advertise themselves as such).
Update note, 20.04.2026 Having tried this a few more times, I think I might have to deduct a few points due to the louche being a bit inconsistent. Sometimes it louches really well, and other times it just kinda turns cloudy and grainy without achieving the opalescent espected from a good absinthe.