Color
Unlouched, light medium peridot. Crystal clarity in the dose, the bottles have the slightest "silty" sediment on the bottom.

The color was an absolutely beautiful light medium green on arrival, but I made the mistake of leaving these out on my kitchen counter for one week. Even though they were not in direct sunlight, that room gets a lot of ambient light, just enough to push the DPs to a much more amber or gold coloration. They were both very organic greens when they arrived. So be careful with these. I am going to buy another pair and bag them immediately when they arrive.

Louched, lighter golden-yellow green with bluish white at the edges and meniscus. A slight glow of orange/rose at the bottom. Though light, very good vibrancy to the colors.

Louche
Nice thick rolling cascades, rather than trails, with great refractions. Cloudiness quickly begins to build in a very pretty way and takes over the drink at about 1.2/1. While it's building, there's a lovely orange/rose glow to it. Nice! At 1.2/1, there is a thick green line left, and louche really thickens up. The line gradually diminishes and disappears at 2/1, and then it takes a dilution of about 4/1 to regain some translucence.

Aroma
An initial savory, herbal, floral character driven by all the "green" and "tan" tones, as opposed to its sibling, Walton Waters, which is much more anise/fennel driven. Definitely more perceivable hyssop, and boy, does that turn me on! The anise/fennel duo is present, of course, but this time singing backup. Nothing "off" in the aroma, at all. As it warms, it's all wormwood, pontica, hyssop, flowers up front. Really clean, fresh, immediate. Just lovely.

Flavor
First and foremost, let's talk mouthfeel. Absolutely one of the most interesting I have experienced. There is definitely a nice roundness and creaminess from the anise/fennel and the fruity wormwood, but it is juxtaposed against a spice, florality, and powderiness that collectively seem to pull in the opposite direction. Not subtle, but also not ham handed, it is obvious, and combined with the myriad flavor details, comes as close to a pleasure/pain kind of sensation I have ever experienced in an absinthe. It's hot! Complex and detailed, as with its sibling W.W., ingredients all seem to be of the highest quality.

Finish
Starts with a really measured fade of all the above. There's a fine, tingly, subtle burst of spice, and that "baby powder" thing again in a refined, non-drying way. Softly bitter wormwood takes over to bring this all home. This finish makes me want to drink the whole bottle.

Overall
Wow! As with the W.W., very fresh, very high quality ingredients. Very balanced, very precise, very impressive. This really blows me away! Hip, contemporary, creative, respectful of tradition, well-executed, and very artistic. How did she get there so fast? Another thing that astounds me is how well these drink, knowing that they are practically being made one day and driven to the retailer the next. Aged "in the car"! I wonder what we're in for when these can get sufficient rest? And you guys who are currently duking it out over a definition... be careful. I'm guessing this is just the beginning of the creative output of this distillery, and I wouldn't want to quash that kind of spirit.

Done with a 1 ounce dose, diluted 3.5/1, 4/1, and 4.2/1 and no sugar.

Meadow Of Love 5/13/09, 5/16/09, 5/17/09.
All evaluations had consistent notes.