Ouzo 12

Nose: Anise. That’s all, with an overtone of licorice. Palate: Sweet anise - it tastes just like a humbug (a traditional English hard sugar sweet that is flavoured with aniseed). After a few sips it becomes mildly anaesthetic on the tongue. Finish: Curious. No length of palate but the anise flavour stays around for a long time. Ouzo is a hard liquor to rate, as it has just one central aroma and flavour component. So to an extent if you have tasted one ouzo you’ve tasted them all, however some are definitely better than others. This one I’d describe as adequate, but that's all. When diluted with water (preferably ice-cold) all ouzos louche. This one develops an opaque whiteness that gives it an appearance similar to coconut water. Oddly, I actually preferred this ouzo neat as water develops a metallic hardness. Once made by a small family company this brand is now owned by the drinks giant Campari. It is widely available and popular - in the whisky world the closest comparison would be Johnnie Walker Red Label. It’s OK but there are better ouzos available. Oh, and like the “7” in Jack Daniel’s the “12” here is essentially meaningless. Any relationship to Barrel no. 12 etc ceased to be real a long time ago. “Adequate” : 73/100 (2.25 stars)