Our tastings the other evening included a blanche and a verte, both from the Jade Liqueurs line. We have had the two (Blanchette and the Nouvelle-Orleans) before, and were anxious to try them again. In fact, the Blanchette is now nearly finished, which would make it the first bottle to be poured to the last drop.

First up was the Blanchette. A clear, Suisse-style, absinthe, it has a very strong nose, typical of the style. Some have seen a yellowish tinge to the liquor, but ours is a perfectly clear, lovely color. The anise fragrance becomes even stronger as you add water. As has become usual for us when drinking a blanche, we did not add sugar, rather just gently let the water drip into the glass, where it louched up very nicely. The swirling, oily mix gradually became cloudier, leaving us with a very nice milky white glassful. The taste proves to be equally large, almost too much really. We find the Ptite to be a more compelling blanche in the end, but the Blanchette is still a very nice absinthe.

We followed it up with a true king among absinthes, Nouvelle-Orleans. It was the first absinthe we had ever tried and it still remains a true favorite. The color is a wonderfully muted green, looking natural and inviting. The casual drip of water through the sugar cube makes for a glorious louche, as it slowly builds up and the aroma wafts about you. Tasting it reminds us of warm spring days in the French mountains, full of interesting herbs and spices, yet not overpowering or unfocused. Each sip brings another fresh taste of something new, with a nice sparkle on the tongue. A truly remarkable absinthe.

So our original impressions remain intact. The Blanchette is a bit crass, yet its unique formula bring a welcome change to the table. But the NO, as it is called, puts its own special imperial stamp on psyche, remaining a true favorite.