To kick off this five-part-lolly-lickin'-love-fest in style I thought we'd begin with Lollyphiles! first crazy confectionary creation, The Absinthe Lollipop.
So. Absinthe. Let's get some facts up front. Absinthe is no longer the taboo liqueur that has been banned in countries around the world for its insane psycho-active effects that fueled the Bohemian life style of many a midget Frenchman. The main reason for this is absinthe doesn't actually have insane psycho-active effects. Like, none. Outside of getting you, you know, wasted. But these lollipops won't even do that: no alcohol here, all been burned off in the cooking process.
So now that I've crushed the whole romantic side of the equation, let's get to the real deal: the CANDY.
The Look: The lolly is a deep green colour and carries a sweet scent of anise. The packaging is a bit rough round the edges, the wrapper looking a little frayed and the logo scuffed. But that's a fact that seems to have carried across to all the sweets.
It should also be noted: these are some big lollipops. I'm not talking like huge fair-ground discs made exclusively to be consumed by Victorian children (it's the law) , but these suckers are easily the size of a large ping-pong ball. While this means they last a hell of a long time (well over an hour for me, they're freaking hard to crunch) they're also not very comfortable to leave in your mouth for longer periods of time. So expect to be holding them like a ciga-lolly.
But in the end what we all really care about is:
The Flavour: First reaction finds a pleasingly subtle and sweet natural liquorice flavour from the absinthes anise. It's more akin to fennel than the synthetic black liquorice candy flavouring found in treats like jelly beans or twizzlers. The sweetness is balanced by a slightly bitter trace of the alcohol that I personally found pleasant, but I could see putting off some people.
Should you buy it?: Well... Maybe. I'm not going to pretend I didn't enjoy this lollypop. A large part of your own enjoyment hinges on whether or not you like the anise (read liquorice) flavour. If you do, then yes, you will like this sweet. However it should be noted that, while it's a nice liquorice flavour, it's probably not the first time you've had a sweet that tastes like it. Yes the bitter edge of the absinthe makes it a bit more unusual, but these are relatively expensive sweets we're talking about (ten bucks for four), and if the experience isn't all that unique some might feel a bit gouged by it.
All that being said, the real allure of trying these sweets is that they are made with absinthe, a vilified and romantic liqueur. They rank as being the kind of experience it's fun just to be able to say you've tried. I don't know that I'd rush to do it again, but I wouldn't say no.
Considering that they come in both of the variety packs Lollyphile! offers, you are extremely likely to wind up trying one anyway. They're fun and definitely tasty. Just don't expect anything mind blowing. Think less 'The Green Fairy' and more 'The Green Vaguely Nice Person You Met Who You'd Probably Enjoy Seeing Again But You Don't Have Their Number And Won't Go Out Of Your Way To Get It Because You Know How It Is.'
Tomorrow: Lollyphile! -or- How I Sucked On Bits Of A Pig
-Dashiell 'Your Midget Frenchman' Asher
Image courtesy of Lollyphile.com
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