Review: Absinthe Jade Edouard 72

Absinthe Jade Edouard 72%
Reviewed 15 May 2009

Jade Edouard, in its relatively short life, has become quiet a phenomenon. This absinthe was created by Ted Breaux at Jade Liqueurs as an answer to Edouard Pernod, the pre-ban classic absinthe. Though not all absintheurs have had the opportunity to judge for themselves, anyone who has tasted the Jade Edouard will tell you the modern version is one hell of a fine absinthe.

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Straight out of the bottle, Jade Edouard is a beautiful, full, lush peridot green. The colour of the raw absinthe is so striking that I hesitated in adding water as it is the best raw colour I have seen in a French style absinthe in a while. The undiluted product has a high herbal bouquet, with clear sweet Alpine notes which quickly fill a small space.

Upon adding water, the louche of the Edouard is thick and oily, appearing in beautiful ribbons through the absinthe before filling the glass from the bottom-up. The fully bloomed louche is thick enough to obscure half a spoon suspended in the glass, and a beautiful thin oily sheen of essential oils remains on the top of the drink. The nose changes somewhat upon dilution, and a more pronounced earthy, wormwood note becomes apparent. All in all, it’s lush, pungent, almost carnal… ahem. Where was I?

On first tasting, the anise and fennel are at the centre of the palette, as one would expect, and the balance is beautifully mediated by the distillers, the fennel offering the unsweetened absinthe a substantial sweet note of its own. There is a peppery mineral note to the Edouard which one also finds in the LeMercier 72, and something which both your reviewers find very pleasing to the tongue. The umami character of this absinthe is fairly pronounced thanks to the wormwood content, and as such it would make a perfect pre-dinner aperitif if the starter or first course is red meat or game. The mouthfeel of the Edouard is just beautiful – it is full and creamy and coats the mouth, yet finishes crisply leaving little behind. This, I feel, is the mark of a well-produced French absinthe; strikingly full, luscious and experiential when in the mouth, leaving only the most spectral traces behind to leave you wanting another glass.

It would be hard to claim that this product is the equivalent of a pre-ban classic. Realistically, it would be impossible to claim such a thing as the court is still out as to what effect time and ageing have on the flavour profile of pre-ban absinthes. However, Jade have produced a modern classic in it’s own right, and there is a reason this absinthe is spoken of highly amongst absintheurs globally. While it may not be the finest and most character-filled absinthe on the market today, even a cynic such as I has a hard time finding anything bad to say about it. For anyone interested in developing a reliable reference palette for French absinthe – the Edouard is a good training partner indeed.

Photographs courtesy of Matthew Davis. Jade Edouard was provided for review by Absinthesalon