Drinking with the devil...

[whiskey]

I read a Rolling Stone article about absinthe as a teenager. It was very alluring to a kid; only legal in two countries, 140 proof, supposedly(sp?) causes hallucinations, the muse of famous artists and musicians, etc. This is what Van Gogh was drinking when he cut his ear off. DAMN! I wanted some!

Fast forward to three weeks ago. While doing light demolition and clean-up at a rental property, I came across the previous tenant's liquor cabinet. I saw a bottle of no-shit absinthe. I knew it was authentic because there was other high priced hooch in the cabinet. So....

My brother and I take it home. The wife is in disbelief that we're gonna drink a bottle of booze we "found". "You're gonna die! Blahblahblah". "I'm insured. Shut up!" The preparation ritual makes you feel dirty. LinkIt's very heroine-esque, you even use a spoon. From what I've read, you should drink two or three glasses quickly to get the full effect.
So we had four each . this shit is nice! Tastes like a hybrid of Sambuca and Jagermeister with the kick of a pissed-off mule. Needless to say, we were extremely intoxicated -and quickly.. In the end, I guess you could get grain alcohol that's stronger, but it's not half as sexy. At least now I can check "drink Absinthe" off the list of things I want to do. At $200+s/h I won't be drinking it again anytime soon. Cheers to Van Gogh and the King of Spirits Gold.
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[PascalFleischman]

They sell some stuff in the states now that's along the lines of 101 proof.....I wasn't a fan. Maybe my tune will change if I drink the "real" stuff. Seems to me that there's little else to it except the "mystique"

 

[whiskey]

It is a unique "buzz" for sure. Different from other alcohol I've drank. Like I said, it's really good but, I'm not in the habit of spending $200 on a bottle of booze. I'd rather buy more guns and ammo. = ) <-----no smilies?

 

[festus]

You can always use it to clean carbon

It is a unique "buzz" for sure. Different from other alcohol I've drank. Like I said, it's really good but, I'm not in the habit of spending $200 on a bottle of booze. I'd rather buy more guns and ammo. = ) <-----no smilies?

That stuff will cut carbon out of a gun like no tomorrow...just don't use it on a polymer frame, it might eat it!

 

[Stiofan]

If that is a pic of the stuff you drank, it's not really a true absinthe. I'd read up on it here before getting too excited about the experience. Not to say it wasn't a different experience, I'm sure drinking paint thinner is one too.

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King of Spirits (KOS) and King of Spirits Gold (KOSG)

These “absinthes” deserve a special entry, because they’re very aggressively marketed online as “the ultimate”, "the original as drunk by Toulouse Lautrec and Hemingway”, the “only authentic absinthes”. They’re none of these things – on the contrary, they are, in the near unanimous opinion of the hundreds of regular posters both here and in the other independent online absinthe forums, precisely two of the most notorious ersatz products in the entire industry.

To put this in plain language: these absinthes, amongst the most expensive on the market, and certainly the most heavily promoted online, are in reality almost undrinkable, and bear little if any relation to the taste of real absinthe.

KOS and KOSG give the appearance of being widely recommended - dozens of websites and countless blogs mention them, and even supply links to purchase them, giving the impression of a broad consensus as to their quality. It’s not usually clear to the casual viewer that these references are almost always linked to the affiliate programs run by the vendors of KOS and KOSG.

Neither at this, nor at any other well-known, independent absinthe discussion-and-review website are you likely to find even one positive review for these products (this includes sites in France, Sweden and Germany). There are arguments for and against many different brands, and people who strongly favor brands that are otherwise unpopular. But there are no positive reviews for KOS or KOSG on any of these sites. There are no stubborn fans who defend them there, yet many tasters of all stripes who revile them. Why is the consensus here at Fee Verte, and at the other leading absinthe forums that KOS and especially KOSG are to be avoided?


cont......

Not trying to rain on the parade, but thought you'd appreciate knowing about this stuff. You may have to put absinthe back on your list now.

 

[whiskey]

Damn!

Now I'm really glad I didn't buy it.

 

[toreskha]

Now I'm really glad I didn't buy it.

Yeah, except for now you just drank God-only-knows-what, and you've still got to find the absinthe.

The consensus I've heard from people who have actually drank it is that it's weird and gets you drunk in a hurry, but the hallucinations and whatnot are mostly just BS. Obviously if you get really plastered, you might see a few things that aren't there anyway.

Did you take the other good stuff with you though? Hope so.