Every absintheur will eventually come across this Absinthe sooner or later in their lives. Absinthe Butterfly is inspired by an American absinthe of the same name produced in the early 1900’s. A passionate absintheur from Boston, precisely where this absinthe was born, approached the talented distiller Claude-Alain Bugnon to make it reborn from its ashes. Absinthe Butterfly is quite atypical from what is usually produced by Claude-Alain, so let’s see what Marc Thuillier thinks about it…

Color: peridot green with yellow glints.

Aroma before water: a bouquet of herbs with fragrances of wormwood, citrus fruits, spices and fennel.

Louche: progressive at the beginning and then quickly opaque without becoming too milky however.

Aroma after water: lots of freshness is breaking out of the glass, with a mix of herbs almost inseparables, ones hustling the others. Only anise and wormwood are standing out from the crowd, surrounded by notes which are sometimes minty, sometimes citrusy and sometimes spicy.

Taste: a fruity and spicy explosion, anis is really upfront and it takes a little while for the palate to start perceiving the other herbs and especially the grand wormwood. The rest of the flavors are primarily fruity, and even sugary, or “liquoricy”, whereas no sugar has been added in the Butterfly or in my glass.

After-taste: the palate is numbed by the anise, but a welcoming bitterness comes out quickly to counterbalance the strength of the anise.

Conclusion: a little gourmet delight and a big change from what is usually produced in the Val-de-Travers, exactly where this Butterfly is distilled by Master Bugnon. A powerful absinthe not to be drunk before a classic Bleue or a light Verte, its length in mouth being phenomenal.

Buy Absinthe Butterfly online

$80

How to drink Absinthe Butterfly

Feel free taste Absinthe Butterfly both with or without sugar. It’s richness and complexity will change.