Bénédictine

Diverse aromas of pine, menthol, dried orange, saffron, honey, almond, sage, and nutmeg. Thick and syrupy on the palate, with a healthy dose of sweetness tempered somewhat by the more bitter, spicy, and herbal notes. Specifically, saffron, nutmeg, honey, orange, pine, sage, and menthol reappear – joined by angelica and jasmine. Finish is medium-length. 3.75/5.00 – Very Good (neat)

Smells like an essential oil diffuser - eucalyptus, driftwood, musk, cedar. Palate is cough syrup thick and sweet - anise covers up most everything, but there is a full pantry of baking spices on hand if you take the time to parse them out Lemonwood, green tea, cardamom, ginger, clove, and many more all blend together to meet the 'herbal' definition. I consider this akin to Jägermeister for adults. Makes a nice after-dinner drink and fantastic cocktails.

I think Benedictine is an underutilized cocktail ingredient that seems to elevate any cocktail it goes into. It is also one of the few liqueurs that you can drink neat. The nose is heavy on the baking spices and a faint hint of lemon peel. The palate mainly features honey, with a touch of sweetness, but not overwhelmingly so. It is thick, but not too syrupy. The finish has no burn, with some nice herbal and pine notes. I don't tend to grade liqueurs on their usefulness neat, but this one holds up pretty well. I would still only buy this as a cocktail ingredient, but it's a worthy one to have around, especially if you want to explore creating new cocktails (and of course the many classic cocktails that this one is in).