Skooma Review

"Khajiit Have the Good Stuff"

The Absinthe

May 7, 2022 at 10:37pm
By Jason Stettner

No longer will you have to venture to seedier places in Tamriel to seek a thrill, the magic that is Skooma can now be easily acquired for your real life enjoyment. That’s right, the magical folks at Jim and Tonic have put together a real life counterpart absinthe that can be enjoyed.

It’s more of a collector’s item some might say, but the delightful taste will have some likely questing out for more. This review has been a long in the works production. That might sound odd, but upon initially seeing that this was real I sought out for it. It was only very recently that in working with Jim and Tonic that we were able to make this available for trying out in the magical lands of Canada.

We got around the typical bordering issues by being sent an empty bottle and a small sample size vial to enjoy. That was all we needed as were indulged with a small but excitable taste of just what this concoction has to offer. So going onto the drink, it’s prepared in a traditional absinthe way. At least, that’s how we made this. Using our trusty sugar cubes and some cold water to drip over that substance.

We’re not advanced absinthe makers, that’s for sure, and you can watch this all unfold within the video below as it really dives deep into the entire process alongside some in-game lore about what this has to offer. It was very nice that our Elder Scrolls expert Joelle Rondeau was able to stop by to assist with this venture.

Design and Taste

The design here really aims to emulate the proper feeling of being from Tamriel. You get a ceramic jar that features a deep purple that would make a lovely display item. It’s a 70cl bottle which essentially is 700ml volume wise. It’s 69% so it’s very much a heavy hitting option and instead of the typical green and or emerald type styling this is colored as a rouge absinthe.

It’s the first time a spirit of this style have been produced, using unique ingredients to provide this coloring to better match the drink favored by the Khajiit. The back of the bottle notes: “No liquid has such a dark and rebellious history as does Absinthe. It’s the only legal liquid close to Tamriel’s narcotic drink Skooma. Unlike the fabled green version, we wanted to explore the history and the little-known Rouge Absinthe. This 18th-century recipe once enjoyed by royalty disappeared until now.”

The drink itself carries a bit of a black licorice type of smell, but that in itself is deceiving as the taste is most certainly of a light fruit style. It goes in easy with a burning sensation that follows which really helps make this feel as though it’s part of that dark trek across the lands of Skyrim. I actually did quite enjoy it as it doesn’t carry a hard “drink” like taste and is instead relatively smooth aside from that burn, but again that’s part of the magic for this one.

It was certainly enjoyable for drinking steadily, at least for what we could get out of the 50ml we had available for sample. It was aesthetically pleasing and again, tasty. To match the overall set of this package you also get this The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim 10th Anniversary case that folds out into a mystical backdrop that is reminiscent of the latest cover for the game. Overall, it’s a very nice presentation with the bottle being a clear collector’s item to have that is ultimately quite official.

The Conclusion

Skooma is a magical experience, this bottle captures the spirit of the drink from the world of The Elder Scrolls and beautifully transfers it into real life. It was a whole experience in getting this made available to try and I was glad that the ending was ultimately rather enjoyable.

I really had no idea what to expect and it was fun to try this particular delight. With that, being perhaps one of the only two people have been able to enjoy the drink in Canada. That feels special. For those that can get your hands on it, I would heavily suggest doing so.

The bottle makes a beautiful display item if you’re a hardcore fan of The Elder Scrolls and the taste is spectacular. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did and my only disappointment is being limited in how much I had.

It would have been such an adventure to steadily enjoy that while playing a long go at Skyrim or The Elder Scrolls Online. Such a grand offering, and one that I think most won’t want to miss out on. Who knows how limited this release will be, and if it will ever be available in the long term. An enchanting time, they did not miss on this one. A must have and honestly a solid pricing for it too.

Read our ESO: Blackwood Review
View our Elder Scrolls

Skooma Review
Review Product Provided by Jim and Tonic

Rating Overall: 10