Appearance: Clear. Aroma: Resinous, fragrantly herbal incense. The usual gum mastic aroma that is a subtle amalgum of pine, cedar, incense, mint, anise, bark, etc. There is something almost metallic in the background that becomes intrusive over time. Flavour & Texture: Sweet with a crisp and clean presence of floral pine. A minty touch and very faint lemon. There is a curious medicinal note to this mastiha - not medicinal like Islay whisky iodine aromas but medicinal like hospital grade ethanol swabs. It's an industrial tinge. Mastic is a primary reference scent, like sandalwood, frankincense, lemon and rose. It’s one of those aromatic substances that possesses a personality all its own and so cannot adequately be described by comparison to other aromas. It is a little like incense, a little like pine, a touch like anise, and so on but none of these comparisons properly conveys a sense of its aroma and taste. When steeped in alcohol it produces a liqueur that is simultaneously complex and simple. Mastiha is not produced from secret recipes devised by medieval monks and containing 47 closely guarded ingredients. It is a pure expression of the essence of one substance. Skinos mastiha spirit (“skinos” is the ancient name for mastiha) is a crisp and direct version but I felt that it lacked subtlety. Mrs Cascode thought that 30% abv is too high for this liqueur as the alcohol presence was too easily detected and covered the mastic. Whilst I thought it was enjoyable I have to agree – 24% seems to be the magic point at which there is just enough alcohol to carry the profile but not so much as to be intrusive. A OK mastiha, but not our favourite. “Average” : 78/100 (2.75 stars)