the appearance is just fine. kind of a yellowed green. very natural looking.
louche- perfect, to my eye. i like the way it looks while it's louching, one of those complex louches if you drip the water at the right speed, with the swirling layers etc. nice milky color afterwards.
aroma- i gave this a 4 because while it smells nice, nothing about the aroma really jumps out at me. its just that kind of vegetal smell that many absinthes have. no fruity scents or anything like that, or any other kind of unusual complex things. it does smell like quality. similar to the jades i've had.
flavor- i think for me i really need lower water to absinthe ratios to get the flavor to really have some bite. maybe 2.5 to 1 to 3 to 1. around there i think it's terrific. really love the lemon balm which you can slightly detect in the aroma but it definitely lends to the flavor profile. just a lot of depth but it perfectly harmonizes and packs a real punch.
finish- perfect. the wormwood just makes my mouth water and makes me want more. incredible stuff.

overall- really recommend you test how low you can go with the water with this one so you can really get smacked in the face with the flavor. in some cases adding more water reveals more, but i feel my best experiences with this absinthe have always been when mixing 'stiffer' drinks.

My appreciation for this closely matches that of another Delaware Phoenix absinthe - Walton Waters. I'm always blown away by how flavorful and balanced MoL is. It's one of those absinthes which I keep to the back of my stash so as to prolong its stay in my cupboard. Everything about it is quite correct; from the louche, to the flavours and aroma. Really quite excellent.

Overall one of my absolute favorites for just how creamy and simply delicious it is!

Appearance: A fairly light green once it's in the glass, but it's a decently old sample. Once I get a new bottle I may adjust for this.

Louche: Pale, pale green with some almost buttery golds and hints of blues. This is just the right thickness.

Aroma: Floral and sweet, while being fresh, cool, and fragrant. VERY inviting.

Flavor: Cool and smooth, with a "petal"-like taste. Also reminiscent of fresh cut herbs; green and spicy.

Finish: There's a lovely mouth-numbing effect and the diminishing flavors are extremely refreshing.

Overall: This is a really excellent, impressive absinthe.

Appearance: A thin peridot green that is slightly on the yellower side. I should note that the sample I am reviewing is 3 years old by now.

Louche: Near perfect opalesque louche. A tad thick but it also display a myriad of beautiful hues much like a good Blanche.

Aroma: This is heavy on the trinity of herbs but also well balanced in the background with a decent citrus note a spice harmony. This really just makes me want to stop smelling and take a drink right away.

Flavor: At first it is wormwood forward and surprisingly floral. This gives way to a nice balance of the herbs and flavors mentioned above all on stage at the same time. The texture is creamy and just slightly sticky. The end result is a masterful play with a wonderful cast of characters and quality execution.

Finish: The finish is strong with the floral notes coming out once again and perfuming the mouth. The flavor otherwise stays the same and not too terribly interesting, but I am glad that the finish is strong instead of a weak lingering.

Overall: A very well structured and balanced absinthe. There is a complexity here reaching a carefully balanced harmony where all the parts work together amazingly well. This is unlike so many other top-tier absinthes that I have tried where the complex flavors all seem to compete instead of work together. The initial presentation and finish are the only points where I could see much a flaw, but those are more than worth it for such a great flavor.

What a treat! Meadow of Love instantly became my favorite absinthe at the first sip! Meadow of Love is an overwhelmingly (in a good way) fragrant and aromatic absinthe, that has a wonderfully blended mix of classic absinthe herbs that will explode in your mouth, leaving you gagging for more! I really can't express how much I love this absinthe. Meadow of Love was docked .5 for appearance because it was delivered to us, still a lovely verte absinthe, but had maybe had too much sun exposure because it was slightly amber. I also gave it a .5 dock on aroma, only because the aroma doesn't do the flavor justice. Fennel overpowers the aroma, but tasting the absinthe there is such an amazing balance of all the herbs and fennel definitely isn't the overpowering flavor. Not only is this absinthe at the top of my list, but it comes from a small distillery in upstate New York, Cheryl Lins distiller, and sipping on this absinthe gives you the feel that you are sipping it with Cheryl herself. Meadow of Love is a MUST try for any absinthe connoisseur.

Updated 27 May 2012 ---

Appearance (5) : Previously a 4.5, I changed this to a 5 after recieving a BEAUTIFUL green glowing bottle of Meadow of Love. Absolutely the most inviting looking bottle out there, but careful the clear glass lets the color fade really quickly.
Louche (5) : Outstanding, beautiful, thick and glowing. Magical.
Aroma (4.5) : This is now the only non 5 star rating I give meadow of love, and only because it just doesn't do the incredible and dynamic flavor justice.
Flavor / Mouthfeel (5) : Flavor is indescribably delicious, and so well balanced. Mouth is delightfully numb, but just enough so that you can still enjoy the complex and complimentary flavors.
Finish (5) : All the best flavors remain on your tongue and you get such a refreshing cool numbing effect for a few minutes after each sip. It is really amazing.
Overall (5) : Still my favorite absinthe. The flavors are incredibly satisfying and there isn't a single quality about great absinthe that is missing, or lacking here. 5 stars!!