I typically don't drink bitter liqueurs neat, but I do love them in cocktails so I tend to have a decent number lying around. Salers apparently comes in a few different proofs but from what I can tell in the US I can only get the 32 proof. On the nose the herbal notes are at the forefront. After a sip or two, despite the low proof it definitely is not sweet, in fact it's pretty dry, and the gentian root is the first thing you taste. The bitterness follows right after and doesnt let go. The finish is pretty smooth and gradually allows the bitterness to slip away. At only $20 it's a pretty useful bitter liqueur for cocktails. I'm sure most people wont drink this neat often but if so, they probably will appreciate its straight forward gentian root forward taste. As a cocktail ingredient I would go with a 4. Neat or over ice I would lean towards a 3/3.25.