Meadow of Love – I’m in love.
Published by on July 15th, 2009 12 Comments »
It’s been awhile since I talked about the LeNell’s event, but a few deadlines and life itself slowed my posting here for a bit. Back on track and ready to tell you about Delaware Phoenix: Meadow of Love.
I know the title of this post gives it away, but I gotta gush– Meadow of Love is something special. I consider it the star of the LeNell’s event and am crushed that it isn’t widely available. When I say widely, last I knew Cheryl, Proprietor of Delaware Phoenix Distillery, answered my question with, “No plans yet for distribution outside NY let alone across the pond. My production capacity is so small that I’m not able to get very far on distribution. I believe DrinkUpNY has shipped overseas, don’t know about Astor (my guess is not).” Alas, Delaware Phoenix absinthes seem to be limited to New York shelves only. DrinkUpNY does ship internationally, but a bottle of Meadow of Love from them would cost me $49 to ship to the UK. Ouch. I’m going to have to pass that one up.
To the notes I took at the LeNell’s event:
In the glass, very fumesy [remember, the portions were poured well in advance] but best [of the four samples] straight as a sip
Nice slow complete louche– no oily layering. Lovely! 68abv
Herbal — floral — balanced
powdery [the wormwood presence] complexity
with sugar no marked difference [I was very light on the sugar syrup]
Very nice — not overpowering, still floral with mild pepper on the tongue
The bottle of Meadow of Love was brought to the UK by LeNell and was an absolute charmer. Whimsical name, unconventional label, and a funky website all break what we instinctively picture when we think of absinthe. What a breath of fresh air on the scene and I wish Delaware Phoenix all the success in the world.
Have some if you can– it’s very worth it. It’s one of the best absinthes I’ve ever had.
12 Responses to “Meadow of Love – I’m in love.”
Bravo Jen!:) Truly, this is one of the finest absinthes I have ever sampled as well, and easily the best available in the United States. The somewhat drier character, exceptionally clean complexity is absolutely mouthwatering. I have one glass worth left and I am hanging on to it for a bit with MoL selling out so quickly these days.
Nice headline, by the way, I do concur!
It’s a dreamy elixir, ain’t it!
I’ve never been to NY, but MoL would certainly be on my list of must haves to bring back across the pond.
Anybody can make absinthe, not that difficult. This is HG quality and as Ben says top of the class. No hype, just like the quiet student who does not make any fuss and gets a First.
Funny you mention that HerrFeuer… I was just looking at alambic stills for sale…
You will need to head off to New Zealand then
or they make excellent decorative items 
Yes, HerrFeuer is exactly right, MoL is essentially HG. That is, no huge advertising campaign, no uber sexed-up label, and most importantly NO SHORTCUTS TAKEN.
It is also worth noting that Cheryl is pretty humble for all the overwhelmingly positive feedback she gets. I can’t think of the last time she talked for more than a sentence or two about her products in a given post.
Jen, you will need some quality testers once your stuff gets underway, and I think HerrFeuer and I would be the perfect candidates.
You sir, sound like a man who knows things…
[...] heard me gush about Meadow of Love and not-so-gush about Lucid. Well, the United States is in for another Absinthe Superieure on the [...]
The label is understated and elegant. Cheryl also has a good honest concept based upon her region. Most absinthes thesedays suffer from the “naff” factor: grandiose names, absurd claims about “authenticity” and egos like Idi Amin on steroids. From viewing a recent photo from The Tales, I also belive that at least one absinthe “big wig” now wears a toupee.
I have a bottle of MOL that i’ve been saving for a special occasion. Is there any advantage to letting it age?
Hello Christopher- welcome!
MoL is very new to the market and saying that, I haven’t heard anything to indicate it is improved by aging. Really though, if you’ve got a bottle of Meadow of Love on hand, you should make tonight a special occasion!