Vieux Carré Absinthe is produced by Philadelphia Distilling, but it takes its name from the New Orleans French Quarter. The first bottle of Vieux Carré Absinthe was released in December 2008, making it the first legal absinthe to be distilled, bottled and sold on the east coast in nearly 100 years.
Vieux Carré is batch-distilled in a custom copper pot still from ingredients like grand and petite wormwood, star anise, melissa, fennel and spearmint. The spirit is greenish-yellow and very aromatic, with aromas of fennel/anise, mint and citrus.
Absinthe is rarely consumed straight, but downing the 120 proof Vieux Carré neat douses your palate with sweet licorice notes and lots of heat. While drinkable, a proper dilution is preferable. Dissolving a sugar cube with cold water – about four parts water to one part absinthe – produces a murky, opaque louche. The flavors blend together in a nicely-balanced mix of sweet and herbal. Anise leads the way with some mint following, and the sweetness fades to dry on the finish.
All in all, Vieux Carré Absinthe is pretty good. Price wise, it’s a solid value for its category, and the decorative bottle makes a gorgeous addition to any liquor display.
Stats:
– 60% Alcohol by Volume
– $58
Every time I read an absinthe review they only talk about the flavour. Thats fine, I can apreciate that. But what about the inebriation part? I drink absinthe because of the way it makes me feel, not the flavour, which I can’t stand anyway because I hate licorice….Show me a review that rates the absinthe feeling. just sayin…
LOL, it gets you drunk. Chemically there’s nothing in Absinthe, historically or now, that would make you much of anything else.
Sure it can be a different drunk, just as drinking a bunch of Tequila, Wine, or Beer are different kinds of inebriation but it’s nothing more pronounced than that.
Reviews should stick with flavor, because that’s why I and other absintheurs drink it. Oh, and Vieux Carre is a unique and awesome tasting absinthe, with plenty of mint and coriander to balance out the anise. Cheers to CE!
The psychoactive effects of absinthe are very real and well documented throughout history, the problem is that the vast majority of absinthe made today isn’t distilled in the same way as it was over a century ago… There is much more to absinthe than just the wormwood/thujone content which is responsible for these effects. The “absinthe” (and I use the term absinthe VERY loosely) made in the US (and many other places) today uses wormwood oil extracts and various other herbs along with various other distillation methods which shouldn’t even be included in the recipe and/or distillation process, so they can hardly be called absinthe, especially not at $60 a bottle…
READ THIS! The real deal is that certain absinthes or wormwood spirits can elevate your mind more than just the alcohol.
I am an artist and have tried many herbs and natural things to expand my creativity. Thujone in wormwood plants is in fact a canabanoid, and stimulates the same receptors in the brain as Marijuana. The bad thing is if you consume alot of thujone everyday it can be neurotoxic to the body.
I enjoy making wormwood tea when money is tight.
I even like chewing on Kava Kava root for a plesent happy vibe in my head.
The best thing is those things are not super intense and wont kill you.
I have tried 25 different absinthe type products and the ones that taste like shit are the ones that have an extra head high. The ones that are delicious have only traces of thujone. The root of the plant has the highest potency, but is way to bitter to use in the better tasting brands.
Alot of cheap knock offs or “fakesinthes” if you will are just tinctues in a large bottle with blue and yellow #5 color.
Honestly you can make most of that crap at home with herbs from a local herb shop. I have made 5 different bottles over the past 3 years and they are no worse tasting than the junk from online vendors.
Just be careful! and for god sake, talk to your local natural path pharmacist before making any home made goodies.
The reason they don’t post that is because spirits are supposed to be enjoyed responsibly.