Vieux Carré Absinthe Superieure

Around the time when I finished my bottle of St. George a new absinthe became available.  This new one was called Vieux Carré Absinthe Superieure.  It’s made in Philladelphia, of all places!  It’s named after the French Quarter in New Orleans and was designed as a tribute to New Orleans and the Belle Epoch.  The first batch of Vieux Carré was released on December 31, 2008.  This was just a couple days after our return from our New Orleans trip!

This new absinthe was getting very nice reviews, and is made in the traditional way for quality absinthe.   Their website states “Vieux Carré is batch distilled using a “double maceration” process featuring the mysterious Grande Wormwood and Petite Wormwood. Green and Star Anise, Fennel Doux Provence, Melissa, Genepi, Hyssop and Spearmint complete the complex flavor profile.”  This is another absinthe with slightly different, and interesting, ingredietns.  I decided to give it a try.

My poor little camera does not capture the color very well

Here you can see the louche beginning to form

Fully louched

If St. George is a grassy park in San Francisco, Vieux Carré is a mountain meadow.  The aroma is grassy, crisp, and fresh.  It’s slightly floral, but floral like flowering grass rather then garden flowers.  Vieux Carré smells like what I think of when I listen to Sting’s song “Fields of Gold.”

This is the first absinthe I’ve had where I did not like it with sugar.  It has its own sweetness.  It is much lighter and smoother then either Lucid or St. George.

Here is what the Wormwood Society says about Vieux Carré:  http://www.wormwoodsociety.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=489

The Vieux Carré website posts some magnificant cocktail recipes.  I just found this site tonight and have not had a chance to try any of them yet.  That may be tomorrow’s project.  http://www.vieuxcarreabsinthe.com/absinthe-cocktails.html