L'Etincelle
Brasserie Hollbeer et Magasin

Another French “absinth beer”. This one has a really ugly label. The head was fine and creamy on its top, but was made of big irregular bubbles on the side of the glass. It faded quickly, leaving the body alone with its ruby/mahogany color. The smell presented some notes of strawberry, some citrus with hints of fresh straw, and malty caramel character. The taste was quite surprising after the impression I got from the smell, but it was extremely enjoyable. The strawberry fruitiness is combined with a dark chocolate flavor and a great and harmonious liquorice and anise aspect that becomes noticeable a second later. The maltiness gets a bit forgotten with the attention being focused on the absinth aspect at first (anise and liquorice), but it is there. The spicy notes of the beer add a significant complexity to the brew, which remains quite aired (?), as if it was blowing a fresh wind in your mouth. I like this beer a lot.