Rating 14/23 This is my first ouzo. I haven't had arak, raki, or any other heavily anise spirit before either. What I do know is that this is fairly high proof for an ouzo and that I should expect a mild amount of added sweetness. Expect this to bee a really novice tasting. N: Anise. There's a clearness to the nose like some hearts were the main distillate used. It's more on the black licorice side than the anise side, actually. That's really all I've got. P: Black licorice. There are various flavors of black licorice, but it's all black licorice. And it numbs quickly. There's a faint grainy element here, which is surprising because my assumption was that this was distilled from grapes rather than grain. It's very quickly numbing, but also has a fair amount of sweetness to it. It isn't like drinking candy, but it does remind me a lot of actual black licorice. Adding water in a 1:2::water:ouzo ratio brings out some louche. That's fun, though it's a lot like lightly frosted glass rather than that milky louche I'd expected. Now the flavor is spicier and richer. The complexity is improved too actually. I still get the anise and numbing character, but there's more going on now. Going to a 2:1 ratio, the appearance is the same. I might have misremembered how intense a louche gets. Now, it's a much milder experience. Actually, it tastes a little like watered down mild now. Imagine the 1:2 experience watered down and you'e got this. I'd stick to 1:2. F: Quite numbing. A little bit of minerals. Lingering black licorice, including the sweetness. With water added, I get more of the spices here. Not super exciting, but it's good to know that the flavor does last for a long time. - Conclusion - I don't know what to make of this. If I want a strongly anise spirit, this seems good. If I don't, then I certainly don't want anything like this. If I were offered this, I would take it with some water (or possibly ice). That really ups the profile here and makes it actually kind of enjoyable to drink. It never becomes particularly great, but it does become sippable. Still, it's actually decently drinakable neat, and I wouldn't put too much water in it. Seeing as it's sippable, but not actively exciting, I think that the 13 to 15 range is appropriate. I'll probably land on a 14 here.