It really is uncanny how Absinthe in Prague tastes like Nyquil and Bile. Yes, Nyquil and Bile. Wrap your head around that (or not if you have a delicate stomach).
I've had the new legal Absinthe in the states, and it tastes pretty good even straight. They are all very high in alcohol, so all absinthes I've tried are sipping drinks (unless you do the sensible thing and dilute it), but I've found that the absinthe available in the states is a **pale** imitation of that in the Czech republic.
Before I picked up this tiny bottle I had on average a slight more than one Pilsner Urquell an hour for awhile. I weigh (goddamnit) about 250lbs, so a beer an hour really doesn't impair me at all. What can I say, I am not a cheap date. However, after a little more than a quarter of a shot, perhaps a 1/3 of an ounce of this brand of absinthe, I felt funny. One of my colleagues who has had European absinthe before described it as not really swallowing a beverage, but more that the initial burn made it feel it was just absorbed into the mouth. Now, I didn't feel exactly that, but I can certainly understand why someone would describe it that way.
Very sweet, veeeery bitter, and a burn I haven't felt from an alcoholic drink before. That's why I bring up Bile, it felt like stomach acid going down. I had two small sips, and in an unusual move for me, had to throw the bottle in the garbage.
I am sure with the correct glass, perforated spoon, drip, and water, it would be fantastic. However, the stuff I purchased was more akin to softdrink syrup than it was a beverage itself--i.e. it is an ingredient, not drinkable alone.
After that small amount--likely the amount in a a glass of diluted absinthe--I absolutely felt a little dazed and empty headed. This was not the alcohol talking, I know those feelings, this was something else.
All I know is the reasons for banning absinthe originally were propaganda and politics. However, do not take it lightly, as it is **very** strong stuff.
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