I waited until I was nearly at the end of my first bottle to review it. I believe it to be very balanced, and smoother than when I tried it at the beginning of the bottle. The initial pre-louche aroma still has some hot alcohol to it, but once louched, that vanishes.
I did not add any sugar, and find the balance with the anise and the wormwood to be very good.
Color: I found the color to be very natural and appealing.
Louche: The louche seemed ready and willing, but appropriate at the same time. I louched the review dose to 3.5-4:1, and find that it has a light jade stone look to it. I prepared this dose by pouring from a bottled water bottle with the lid slightly unscrewed, and the louche came out strong.
Aroma: The aroma had some strong alcohol when I initially poured it from the bottle, and during the louche I could smell the aromas as they were released into the air while standing from the glass. The post-louche aroma though, is very light and almost hard to distinguish for me.
Flavor:I like the citrus flavors that come from the lemon balm and the flavors from the violet. I decided to try Meadow of Love before Walton Waters because of the Violet, because the non-traditional aspect intrigued me. I would like to see this brought out some more, but not overdone.
Finish: The finish is good and balanced, not overwhelming, but not terribly weakened. I like the finish. When initially louched the mouth feel was very thick and creamy.
Overall: I like Meadow of Love quite a bit. I'll be trying Walton Waters Next to see how it compares, but It is up there with a select few of the absinthes I will purchase again in the future.