Color: The bottle I have is a much darker - more yellow/brown color than the greener colors I've seen in photos of this particular brand. It's very pleasant to look at and lends a more unique character to the absinthe.

Louche: Nice and thick. Good separation of the unlouched portion and the louched content during the process. It's a good, steady climb.

Aroma: Very pleasant. I can't help but compare it a bit to Leopolds Verte. Quite enjoyable and very present during the louche.

Flavor: Balanced and traditional. Really everything a proper absinthe should be. A delicious undertaking.

Mouthfeel: Substantial and creamy. Nothing wimpy about this absinthe whatsoever.

Finish: Nice numbing... lingering flavors which shift a bit as time passes. Entirely lovely.

Overall: Absolutely one of my favorite absinthes. This is one of the rare absinthes I plan to try and keep on hand at all times!

Color: Inviting and clear emerald. No sediment in the pour or bottom of the bottle.

Louche: Attractive louche when completed. Decent opalescence and oil trails when louching.

Aroma: Prominent fennel anise & hyssop. Nicely rounded and fresh smelling. The aroma actually reminds me of Meadow of Love but without the flowery overtones.

Flavor: Bright cheery and crisp that is heavy on the lemon balm. Hyssop and crisp wormwood round out the flavors. I think the lemon was a tad too aggressive for my taste.

Finish: Lemony and crisp finish reminded me of the flavor.

Overall: Another quality offering from Delaware Phoenix. I guess I’m a little spoiled with the Meadow of Love but this is still a well-constructed absinthe; you can taste the quality in every sip.

Note: I noticed that this absinthe is quite ‘durable.’ The herbal complexities are still especially present when louched with 5+ parts water.

This review was conducted with 1 sugar cube, a 4-to-1 ratio, and per the Absinthe Evaluation Instructions.

Color: Like the Meadow of Love, looking through the side of the glass the color was more noticeable. From the top it seemed a bit thin, but more color than MoL.

Louche: Nice louche, started quickly.

Aroma: Nice aroma with dominant anise tones.

Flavor: More zesty than the MoL.

Finish: Definitely fresh and crisp with slight tongue numbing.

Overall: Definitely zesty like Meadow of Love, but more of a crisp finish. The citrus aspects is also more noticeable at first taste.

This is a very nice, well crafted absinthe more than vaguely in the style of a Pontarlier.

The color neat is a medium forest green, and after a very full, cascading, and opaque louche, much of this green is retained, and the drink is a minty/pistachio tone.

The aroma neat is almost akin to Nyquilâ„¢ if there were a handcrafted, all natural version. After louching the aroma blossoms to reveal a fragrant, and rounded bouquet...nothing really stands out, there's just a lovely balance of herbs. It's not as room-filling as Meadow of Love's aroma, but it's quite nice.

The mouth feel is very thick, rich, and creamy, and the flavor is as rounded as the aroma, again balanced, but with just a touch of grassiness at this stage. I imagine that with some resting, this will disappear, as the color drops off a bit, and the drink becomes even smoother.

The finish is lovely, and basically continues the balance theme. It is of good duration, although it could linger a bit longer on the palate, and a touch more wormwood might help achieve this.

Overall, this is a lovely, softer, and fuller companion to Meadow of Love, and shows more of Cheryl's true distilling artistry!

-Color-
Before Water: Vibrant, clear- nearly forest- green. I believe this is due to the young age of this absinthe, and in 3 weeks I have already seen it move just so slightly towards peridot. I'll need to see it around the 6 month mark to really be able to score it properly (I know of some excellent absinthes that were vibrant green right after coloration, but are now closer to pale amber simply because they have been aged).

After Water: Very nice medium lime; natural and attractive. Thicker than some, but has good depth.

-Louche-
Thick, impressive trails that seem to bounce into fluffy knots and then form little jelly layers. Cloud grows at about the perfect rate, is well defined and reaches into the clear top section when disturbed by water drops.

-Aroma-
Before Water: Clean alcohol heat, prominent citrus, and a deep herbal tone that's due especially to the wormwood and fennel.

After Water: Sweet floral and citrus up front. Backing herbaceous notes that are cohesive, but I think I can pick out the grand and petite wormwoods and maybe a little powdery hyssop.

-Flavor-
Sweet anise and fennel are first up, then act as a foundation to let smooth citrus, minty bitter wormwood, finely balanced herb melange and spicy notes come through. I agree with the assessment that one should roll it around a bit more than usual before swallowing to get the most out of the tasty wormwood and other herbs. It wouldn't be surprising if the flavor opens up more as the absinthe matures.

Very nice mouthfeel- smooth and full, with a mild, yet spicy tingle.

-Finish-
The finish is has good staying power, with the grand wormwood coming out even more for a savory bitter send off.

-Overall-
This is a great absinthe that I do not hesitate to recommend. Slightly bolder (I get more grand wormwood, and less petite, comparatively) and creamier than its sibling, Meadow of Love. The soft citrus notes and almost juicy mouthfeel distinguish it, yet it pays tribute to the classic Pontarlier style. Another entry for my top 10.

Notes: Louched 3:1 and 3.5:1, no sugar. Batch 09-3 Bottle 29