Hapsburg Absinthe XC Black Fruits Italy 50 cl 89,9%

The forest bites through even at 89.9%. Hapsburg's XC Black Fruits takes the same extreme strength as Extra Strong and layers dark berries over wormwood and anise, giving a deeper colour and a sweet counterpoint to the bitter herbal core.

Expert's Description

Hapsburg Absinthe XC Black Fruits Italien Absint 50 cl 89,9% is an Italian Absinthe distilled on wormwood and bottled at 89.9%.

Black Fruits is one of the fruit-flavoured expressions in Hapsburg's X.C. series, where the same extreme 89.9% base found in Extra Strong is flavoured with dark forest berries – blackberry, blueberry and raspberry. That gives a sweetness that works directly against the wormwood's bitterness rather than being softened by it.

The colour shifts from the classic green to a deep, almost dark-purple hue, and the louche becomes correspondingly denser than in the milder expressions once ice water is added. At this strength, neither the flavour nor the colour is easy to mistake.

Like the rest of the X.C. series, Black Fruits is built to be diluted or dosed sparingly into cocktails, where the berry sweetness can give a drink a completely different character than the classic anise-dominated absinthe.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark berries arrive first – blackberry and blackcurrant – with wormwood and anise sitting heavy behind them. The alcohol is clear in the aroma.

Palate

Sweet and powerful at once. The berry sweetness meets a marked herbal bitterness, and the anise ties the two together. Even diluted, the flavour stays intense.

Finish

Long and warming, with a lasting berry sweetness that slowly gives way to the wormwood's bitterness.

Specifications

Name: Hapsburg Absinthe XC Black Fruits Italien Absint 50 cl 89,9%
Producer: Hapsburg Absinthe
Region/Country: Italy
Type: Italian Absinthe
ABV: 89.9%
Size: 50 CL
Botanicals: Wormwood, anise and dark forest berries
EAN no.: 5016978102207
Serving suggestion: A few drops diluted with plenty of ice water, or dosed into cocktails

Flavour Profile

Berry · Sweet · Herbal · Powerful · Dark

Did You Know?

The colour in Black Fruits comes from the added dark berries and stands out sharply from the green standard colour found across the rest of Hapsburg's range.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Hapsburg Absinthe XC Black Fruits Italien Absint 50 cl 89,9%

What does Hapsburg Absinthe XC Black Fruits taste like?

Dark forest berries such as blackberry and blackcurrant meet a marked wormwood and anise bitterness. The berry sweetness gives a different character than the plain XC Extra Strong, but the 89.9% strength is the same.

Why is the colour darker than other absinthes?

The colour comes from the added dark berries, which sit on top of the classic green wormwood base and give the bottle a deep, almost dark-purple hue.

Can it be drunk neat?

Not recommended at this strength. Black Fruits, like the rest of the X.C. series, is built to be diluted with plenty of ice water or dosed drop by drop into cocktails.

Does it work in fruit or berry cocktails?

Yes, the berry sweetness makes it a natural flavouring in drinks that already contain fruit or berries, where it adds both sweetness and the signature anise-herbal bitterness.

What's the difference between Black Fruits and Hapsburg's other X.C. editions?

The base and the 89.9% strength are identical. The difference lies in the flavouring – Black Fruits has dark forest berries added, while Extra Strong is the plain, unmodified expression of the same base.

Is the louche effect stronger than with milder absinthes?

Yes. At 89.9% there's room for more essential oils in solution, so the cloud that forms when you add ice water becomes denser and more pronounced than at lower strengths.