To continue on with the spirits reviews today I am reviewing the Delaware Phoenix Distillery Meadows of Love Absinthe. This bottle dates back to probably 2014-15 when I was living in New York and is hand-noted as “Batch 15-1”. At the time, I was only vaguely familiar of Delaware Phoenix Distillery, but had heard positive things. Delaware Phoenix Distillery is a small operation and they only make a few whiskeys and absinthes that (in my opinion) are some of the best out there. Even more relevant today, it is a one-woman operation. Proprietor Cheryl Lins makes these from start to finish.
I won’t get into a history lesson on absinthe, but the drink originated back in the 1800’s in France/Switzerland. While the uninformed often believe it causes hallucinations or “green fairies” it is indeed just a normal spirit. I find the best are not neon green like some of the cheaper alternatives (which are artificially coloured).
The Meadows of Love Absinthe is made with a variety of herbs (many sourced from the New York area) including:
Grand Wormwood (NY)
Anise (Turkey)
Fennel (Italy)
Roman Wormwood (NY)
Hyssop (NY)
Lemon Balm (NY)
Violet (NY)
Thoughts
Similar to what the distillery says, my bottle has faded from green to more amber. Remember that most of those green absinthes you find in somewhere like Amsterdam use artificial colouring. This is one of my treasured bottles. I’ve had this bottle for over 5-6 years and I only break it out for special occasions. I typically just enjoy this straight from the bottle with just a splash of water. I find that it doesn’t require any sugar like other absinthes. In addition to the anise flavour there is plenty of floral/herbaceous notes complemented by the strength of the spirit. Honestly a complete pleasure to drink and I don’t want to finish my bottle till I have a chance to go to NY and purchase more.
I purchased this bottle of Delaware Phoenix Distillery Meadows of Love Absinthe at Astor Wines in New York. It currently retails for $74.99.
Rating
5/5 (strongly recommend)