A look at Kubler Absinthe
Kubler, originates back to 1875 and J. Fritz Kubler who started producing the absinthe that took his namesake, at Blackmint Distillery located in Neuchate, Switzerland From the beginning of production until it ceased in 1910, it won several awards throughout Europe.
Flash-forward to present day, and Kubler is back in all its former glory. The ingredient makeup of Kubler can be summed up in one word: classic. Using Swiss wheat-based neutral spirit as a base, Kubler then adds hyssop, lemon balm, coriander, star anise fennel, roman wormwood and mint along with grand wormwood to create an exquisite example of Swiss absinthe.
Upon opening the bottle of Kubler, I was hit with fragrant notes of sweet anise. At this point, I was intrigued before I had even tasted it.
Unlike most specimens of absinthe we’ve thus far reviewed, Kubler is of the blanche variety, meaning it is clear in color as opposed to the traditional verte(or green) variety of absinthe most people are familiar with.
Kubler, before being louched. The picture demonstrates how its clear as a blanche absinthe should be.
When I took my first sip, I wasn’t let down. The first sip presented itself with notes of anise and fennel; so far, so good. I decided to see how sugar affected this taste. After adding sugar, the expected additional sweetness showed itself. However, additional notes of anise made the flavor even more balanced.
Kubler as it louches.
I wish I had more to write about Kubler, but its back story is nowhere near as interesting as Obsello’s or some other absinthes we’ll be taking a look at later in the week, such as Delaware Phoenix. What Kubler does do, however, is show itself as a great example of what absinthe should be. It plays it safe, but at the same time, it gets the job done..
Final Score 8.5/10
I find it surprising that you’re rating Kubler a 9 out of 10? That doesn’t leave a lot of room for improvement. You also didn’t mention that Kubler is a blanche – most uninitiated to absinthe expect a verte.
I would also be interested to see more breakdown of how you enjoyed it, also the ratio at which you stopped the water with or without sugar, and your general impression of the overall aroma and flavor of the absinthe. Was it lingering? Was it room filling?
Given your criteria I’ll be interested to see how you score Delaware Phoenix’s “Meadow of Love” and “Walton Waters” – both of which I find to be much more pleasing to the nose, the palate and the eye than Kubler which is sort of a “house wine” of absinthes.
Editors Note: After further review of Kubler, the Final score was changed to an 8.5/10 instead of it’s previous 9. While it is a good example of an absinthe, there are more impressive varieties available that will be receiving a 9/10.