1 | Spirits | Switzerland, $20 to $50, 1 L

"Rich black licorice, white pepper, spice, and meringue aromas follow through on a soft, supple entry to a dryish medium-to-full body with a lots of dried hay, wet stone, and crushed anise layers. Finishes with a long, hot, anise and drying wormwood tea-like fade. A pure, dry and precise absinthe. Tasted louched as an absinthe cocktail: Milky white pearl color with a blue cast. Nutty and herbal wormwood notes mesh on the nose with the anise. The palate smoothes out and becomes more even and integrated. Finishes with a touch of mint and metal ore in addition to anise and wormwood. A rich, balanced, and sophisticated cocktail."