Obsello Absenta

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A bottle of Obsello absinthe and a louched glass.

Obsello Verte, or simply "Obsello" is an important brand of absenta or Spanish absinthe.

Obsello is regarded as among the finest if not the finest absentas produced in contemporary Spain^[1]. It is a "Verte" or green absinthe that is manufactured by distillation from 9 herbs including a large portion of the controversial grand wormwood. Obsello is unique among absentas in that it is distilled from un-aged Spanish brandy or "eau de vie" instead of grain alcohol^[2].

1 Production Process
- 1.1 coloring
2 Design
3 Location
4 External links
5 References

[edit] Production Process

Obsello absenta is an artisanal product of Catalona Spain distilled in small single batches. The ingredients include wormwood, Alicante anise, fennel, and six other proprietary herbs, spices, roots, and flowers as well as brandy distilled from the famous Penedes wine stock^[3].

The exact formula is a closely guarded secret, however the sweetness often associated with this particular absinthe is derived by the use of Alicante anise (a distinct breed of the herb) ^[4]. The product contains less than 10mg per kg of thujone in its final bottled state of 50% alcohol. It is therefore legal for sale in the EU despite the amount of wormwood used in its production.

NOTE: As proper absinthe is extremely concentrated, it is diluted with water and sugar using the traditional absinthe ritual.

Obsello absinthe.

[edit] coloring

Obsello is a natural verte absinthe and is thus colored in a secondary maceration process. This not only gives the drink its color but also imparts much of the flavor of the drink. Because of the natural coloring process it is bottled in UV resistant black bottles and must be kept away from prolonged sunlight exposure as with any high quality verte absinthe.

[edit] Design

Set of Obsello absinthe spoons.

Obsello absinthe spoon.

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The brand is also associated with high design, not only in terms of their label and bottle but also through the additional products the brand sells. In 2008 they launched a line of decorative absinthe spoons and posters designed by noteworthy artists.

The majority of the design work for Obsello was done by Pomade Studios, an award winning design firm located in New York.

The posters were designed by Ryan Reininga.

[edit] Location

City of Lleida.

Pyrenees summer stream.

Obsello is located in the northwestern part of Catalonia, in a village called Lleida. It is near the French border and Pyrenees Mountains. The location is important for sourcing materials and for the production of the product. The proximity of the Pyrenees allow for water purity of the highest quality; taken from snow runoffs from the Mountains. It's location allows for resources to be easily accessible. It is situated between Alicante which holds the finest Anise in the world^[5], and Southern France which has an abundance of wormwood.