Does absinthe age, and will aging improve the flavour?
Yes, the best, distilled absinthes age very well…we have tasted several that are almost 100 years old and are outstanding. We are still researching what exactly happens to the plant distillates as they age in the alcohol solution. The aging process, though important for high-proof spirits directly after distillation, is not something normally taken into consideration once they have been bottled. It is commonly believed that almost all spirits stop aging once they are placed into glass bottles, but this is not the case with distilled absinthe and a close cousin, Chartreuse. The changes will be rather subtle over a short period of a few months – this time typically improves absinthe by mellowing the alcohol bite, eliminating the ‘still-shock’ which can hamper the aromas and flavours and allows the herbal components to integrate even more. The color will usually become a lighter green, in some cases, more yellow-green and very old absinthes can take on an amber tint with green reflectio
