Review by card board
I've never smelled actual absinthe, but there is a note in the opening that I would believe, based on a literary understanding of the drink. Which is to say there is a detectible note of anise, or something similar. Pepper, clove, nutmeg, ginger, and pine present themselves within about a minute of application. One can easily parse the constituent notes, not because they are poorly blended, but because they are believable, the pine in particular, which quickly dominates in the way of pine needles and sap, sap covered pine cones, pine trees oozing sap. Amazingly, this coniferous blend with added spices is not suggestive of Christmas, beyond cutting down your own Christmas tree, perhaps sweating a bit while you do so. There is also something a little boozy about this. The whole is exceptional and highly enjoyable, although short lived. For about 2-3 hours this has average strength and projection, but it tapers off pretty quickly at around 3 hours, at which time I once again get the absinthe note, faint though it may be, which hangs around skin-close four several hours.
