My best Absinthe so far...

[Nigel]

So who's makin absinthe????? I am startin a new batch after I brew me some beer for my birthday!!! Its going to be awesome!

5 gallons of Guiness clone stout, and

3 gallons of absinthe!!! hell yes!

[Samogon]

I'll be making some absinthe shortly - and I think I'll try out the OP's recipe. I've made a few infusion only batches in the past; this will be my first distilled batch. If I could get a few clarifications:

*Are all of the herb quantities in the recipe (except, obviously, seeds) for fresh (not dried)?
*Which are seeds? I'd guess the coriander and fennel are, but the angelica or the green anise I'm not so sure of. I have some regular anise seeds - is 'green' just to differentiate from 'star'? Star anise must be the seeds (I've always used the whole pod). I believe I used dried angelica root in the past, but I'm not sure.
*If they are all fresh, how do you 'grind to their finest'? Maybe just chopped?
*Is the wormwood in the form of flowers? (I've always used the leaves from my large bush in the past)
*Is the cardamom green, white or black cardamom? I've used both green and black pods in the past. (The black just has another husk around the green)

Thanks - looking forward to actually making this. Absinthe is why I made a still in the first place.

[Marionette]

*Are all of the herb quantities in the recipe (except, obviously, seeds) for fresh (not dried)?

All dried.

*Which are seeds? I'd guess the coriander and fennel are, but the angelica or the green anise I'm not so sure of. I have some regular anise seeds - is 'green' just to differentiate from 'star'? Star anise must be the seeds (I've always used the whole pod). I believe I used dried angelica root in the past, but I'm not sure.

Coriander, fennel, anise: all 'seeds'. The 'green' anise is pimpinella anisum. Star anise (the pods, the seeds inside) is not what you want, unless the recipe specifically states star anise or badiane. The form of angelica depends on the recipe.

*If they are all fresh, how do you 'grind to their finest'? Maybe just chopped?

All dried or seeds. Use a food processor (Magimix type thing) or pestle and mortar.

*Is the wormwood in the form of flowers? (I've always used the leaves from my large bush in the past)

This is the leaves and stalks dried, and then the leaves stripped off for use (no stalks).

*Is the cardamom green, white or black cardamom? I've used both green and black pods in the past. (The black just has another husk around the green)

No idea.

[muckanic]

*Is the wormwood in the form of flowers? (I've always used the leaves from my large bush in the past)

This is the leaves and stalks dried, and then the leaves stripped off for use (no stalks).

Although fresh wormwood reputedly enhances "the experience" (presumably through higher oil content), and I would not be at all surprised if the flowers and/or seeds offered something different from the leaves.

[Marionette]

[KatoFong]

If by "experience," you mean "flavor," you're wrong. Good dried herbs don't have any significant loss in the oils, and in fact, pack a greater punch than fresh. If they're dried right, it's the water content that leaves them, not the oils.

Flower, however, are preferred to leaves. There's a higher concentration of oils, but less of the substances that cause the famous wormwood bitterness.

[muckanic]

If by "experience," you mean "flavor," you're wrong.

I was referring to wallop, as verified by some of the more adventurous.

Flower, however, are preferred to leaves. There's a higher concentration of oils, but less of the substances that cause the famous wormwood bitterness.

Depends whether we're talking distilling herbs or steeping herbs. I assumed the former, as that is where the wormwood usually comes in.

[Nigel]

Im distilling right now and im so so so so so so damn bored.


At the end I will have 3 gallons of absinthe to enjoy for the next little while.

Also my beer turned out cruddy. Its more like a russian imperial stout rather than a guinness stout. but whatever. Beer is alot easier to make than absinthe, so ill definatley give it another shot.

[KatoFong]

Depends whether we're talking distilling herbs or steeping herbs. I assumed the former, as that is where the wormwood usually comes in.

As there's no such thing as an absinthe made by steeping herbs, and as A. abs is never used in the coloration step of making absinthe, I had assumed so, as well. If you read any of the old protocols on making absinthe, they refer specifically to using the flowering tops. Although bitterness is drastically cut down by distilling, it isn't entirely lost, and I can tell you from experience that there are parts of the plant that you can use (i.e. flowers and tops) that provide much more of the desired wormwood flavor. Leaves are fine, but flowers really do leave you with a much better absinthe.

[FAROM]

Indeed the summits of the plants are used, and for summit he intends sheets and flowers, ciao a tutti.

[fahdoul]

Oh hey, Kato, I found an easy way to separate out the nasty twigs from cheap health food store AA.

Just dump the wormwood in the alcohol you will be macerating it in before any of the other herbs herbs are added, and let it sit 20 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally as necessary. The leafy stuff all saturates and sinks to the bottom, while the twigs stay floating where they can be skimmed off with a strainer.

[KatoFong]

That would work, but I powder all my herbs before adding them to the macerate, so it's not foolproof.

[Samogon]

OK, thanks, that's little clearer. I have a wormwood (A. abs.) bush, but it isn't going to flower at least until summer starts. As for A. pontica, I haven't tracked any at all down yet, but I'm guessing it'll be leaves if I find it.

Nigel, in your posted recipe, did you use Angelica root? Or some other plant part? And what kind of cardamom? And since the recipe in question does state star anise, do you use the whole pod or just the seeds? (I'm going to powder it before soaking, as hard as that is with star anise).

Is there really a difference between 'green anise' and regular anise? I've read about 'Florence fennel' being superior to regular.

[Marionette]

Green anise is the same as anise, which is not the same as star anise. If you are using any star anise; use the whole pod, seeds, husk et al.

[Nigel]

This batch turned out so amazing! Im really happy about this one. The flavor and louche and color is incredible.

I cut way back on the star anise, only using 1/8 pound, and upped the green anise to 3/4 pound. and I macerated at 130 degrees, and before I added my tails and water I kicked the heat up on hi temp, to the point it was distilling, then collected a litre of distillate, and then added it back into the still, and added the tails and water as well.

The final product is incredible.

the louche is thick as can be and the mouthfeel is lovely.


I use the whole star too.

[Samogon]

OK, I'm going to use Angelica seed -

http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/a/anegl037.html

The seeds especially, which are aromatic and bitterish in taste, are employed also in alcoholic distillates, especially in the preparation of Vermouth and similar preparations, as well as in other liqueurs, notably Chartreuse. From ancient times, Angelica has been one of the chief flavouring ingredients of beverages and liqueurs...

I guess I'll bite the bullet and get the A. pontica from Cascade, everything else is available locally. I sure wish they'd sell less than a pound of the Florence fennel, tho. I can post their current price list, if anyone is interested.

[Nigel]

please do!!

[Samogon]

please do!!

Like everyone says - exactly what you want, but not inexpensive. Here is what they sent me:

Thank you for writing us. We have a very limited selection of what we have available for the general public. Please find below our most current offerings and their respective pricing.
Best regards,
Cascade Herbs, USA

cascadeherbs.com

Prices 01/16/07

All prices in U.S.A dollars.


1. Grand Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) USA, Eaglemont® blend, (premium small lot grown, organic, hand stripped) cut/dried herb. $10.00 per ounce, +$3.00 S/H per ounce, $2.00 per lot on orders over 5 ounces.

2. Roman wormwood (Artemisia pontica) USA, (premium small lot grown, hand-stripped, organic) cut/dried herb, $20.00 per 1.0 ounce lot, +$3.00 S/H per lot 1-4 ounce, $2.00 per lot on orders over 5 ounces.

3. Roman wormwood (Artemisia pontica) Italy, upscale-commercial grade herb, cut & dried/sifted. $10.00 per 1 ounce lot, +$3.00 S/H per lot 1-4 ounce, $2.00 per lot on orders over 5 ounces.

4. Florence fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare/azoricum) premium grade, $50.00 per pound, +$5.00 per pound S/H.

5. Andalusian anise seed (Pimpinella anisum) premium grade, $25.00 per pound, +$5.00 per pound S/H.

6. Angelica seed (Angelica archangelica) organic, wild-crafted premium,$10.00 per ounce, +$3.00 per ounce S/H, $2.00 per lot on orders over 5 ounces.

7. Hyssop herb. (Hyssopus officianalis) Leaf/flowers (no stems), premium hand harvested, organic, cut/dried/sifted. $15.00 per ounce + $3.00 per ounce S/H, $2.00 per lot on orders over 5 ounces.


Please note

Shipping/handling prices are for USA and Canada, other countries please ask. Payment from individuals and non-commercial accounts is only accepted via Paypal (http://www.paypal.com/). Please contact us with what and how much you wish to order and we will send you a Paypal invoice to expedite your order. Do not send any payment prior to us sending you a Paypal invoice.

Fennel and anise seed are sold in units of one pound increments. Wormwood, Angelica seed, USA Premium Roman wormwood, and Italian-sourced Roman wormwood are sold in units of one ounce increments. We ship via the US Postal Service only unless other arrangements are made prior.

[FAROM]

Hi, it is a theft, they are of the authorized thieves, to make you an example, 1 kg of green anise I pay him/it 11 euro (dollars 13?)
1 kg of seeds of fennel 7 euro

good luck

[pintoshine]

So, I understand that wormwood grows in northern mainland Europe quite well.
From an episode of Modern Marvels Distilleries I got that it is almost a weed.

I have nearly the same climate in my location. I should be growing this stuff. I understand that the import of the "absinthe alcohol beverage" is illegal in the USA. I have never read that growing or selling it is illegal. I have a hugh amount of ground. This is food for thought. Maybe I could eventually assemble an Absinthe Kit for the USA.

[pintoshine]

I already have this plant it is a weed here in Kentucky USA. I will know not to cut it all next summer.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ARAB3
http://biology.burke.washington.edu/her ... absinthium

[Samogon]

Hi, it is a theft, they are of the authorized thieves, to make you an example, 1 kg of green anise I pay him/it 11 euro (dollars 13?)
1 kg of seeds of fennel 7 euro

good luck

Yes, it is. The problem is that there seems to be no use for the A. pontica or large quantities of Florence fennel seeds other than for Absinthe, which is a very small market. One that Cascade is obviously catering to, since that is all they sell retail.

The Florence fennel seed seems to be only sold for planting (to grow fennel bulbs) and thus in very small quantities. Sweet fennel seed can be had at any grocery for around five dollars a pound. Someone stated on this forum that no fennel is preferable to using the regular sweet fennel, anybody have thoughts on this? I'm a little skeptical as fennel, wormwood and anise are the crucial three herbs for Absinthe.

[FAROM]

Yes, it is. The problem is that there seems to be no use for the A. pontica or large quantities of Florence fennel seeds other than for Absinthe, which is a very small market. One that Cascade is obviously catering to, since that is all they sell retail.

The Florence fennel seed seems to be only sold for planting (to grow fennel bulbs) and thus in very small quantities. Sweet fennel seed can be had at any grocery for around five dollars a pound. Someone stated on this forum that no fennel is preferable to using the regular sweet fennel, anybody have thoughts on this? I'm a little skeptical as fennel, wormwood and anise are the crucial three herbs for Absinthe.

You can use very well the FOENICULUM VULGARE, the same is all right, it is very important that as production is fresh, not very dry, ciao.

[KatoFong]

It really depends on where you get your fennel from. I can attest that sweet fennel can definitely cause really bad camphorous flavors in absinthe, though. It's nasty when it happens. I wouldn't recommend using sweet fennel from the grocery store, though. Find yourself a good source and go from there.

Or you can give Cascade a try. It isn't, as Farom has said, a form of theft. They're expensive, but the quality of their wormwood is excellent and they're about the only source for florence fennel in the U.S. Growing your own wormwood isn't a bad way to go if you can do it and know when the time is right to harvest it.

[Nigel]

The last batch of absinthe I just made turned out so great! Great louche, great color great flavor. very smooth and very clean.


This batch I can just add water, and no sugar and its got a very clean smooth enjoyable taste to it and its almost better to not use sugar at all with this.

anybody getting the same results? Ill post pics later

[brewzz]

Ok Guys,I have read,read,read,ALL the posts on this board multiple times,and would like a tried and true recipe from some of the posters that are very satisfied with their results...I have built a 2000ml alembic still and have all the herbs ,I think,that are needed.I want to try a few 1 liter batches until I come up with something to be proud of...some of the posts are quite old and I want something up to date.I really like REAL Absinthe,and am Not looking for any F,ing green fairiesor massive amounts of Thugone.I have tried Lucid and Kubler to date,and some crappy euro copies.So you guys,I'm an experienced distiller(been doing it for 8-9 years) and know the Absinthe process,Just need the herb amounts....Thanks in advance,and all info will be greatly appreciated...Hope to hear from someone soon..
Cheers,Brewzz
Texas,U.S.A.
Wish I could make up my mind...LOL

[brewzz]

Sure would like to hear from Farom and KatoFong on this.I was wondering what the Angelica root adds to the maceration.I think I'm going to start a 1 liter batch this weekend....

[dancatalyst]

="Nigel". Im thinking some sort of flower, but what flower would add flavor, and a slight blue to it. that would be so awesome.

Hydrangeas? Dunno what they taste like, however. Otherwise, roses seem to come in every colour under the sun, and taste OK.

**WARNING ABOUT THE HYDRANGEA**i would not recomend consuming the hydrangea plant or using it for colour.
Horticultural Society Encyclopedia:
It says "All parts of hydrangeas may cause mild stomach upset if ingested; contact with the foliage may aggravate skin allergies".

i know it is a mild allergent, but the upset stomach part worries me. i have a horticulture degree and will look up the best flower to use for its blue colour and post later.i know you can eat pansies and dafadills,but im not sure if they come in blue.ill get back to you later.

[Nigel]

hello, its been a while... I thought I would say hello...

I purchased a bottle of Lucid, and wow is it good! I suggest everyone buy one to get a feel for how your absinthe should turn out, because its really not that hard at all to come very close to. I can pretty much almost re-produce the stuff in my kitchen, which at a whoppin 65 dollars a bottle here in california, that aint cheap. If you didn't know.... Absinthe is LEGAL in california, and im sure the rest of the states will follow. The good thing is it lasts a long time. I still have some left. sadly I ran out of my own personal creation. Its amazing because I can walk to the bars by my house, and they all serve it. so its slowed my absinthe production down a little...

anyone else still into making absinthe around here?

[FAROM]

Hi, I succeed in making a good product, but I continue the same to make experiments to get an absinthe more and more complex , ciao.