Appearance (neat): Brilliant yellow quartz/zircon with a green tinge, transparent and gleaming. The louche begins almost immediately with the bright yellow tone preserved but turning cloudy, like yellow jade. As the dilution increases the liquid turns pale, eventually settling into a cloudy lemon colour that is similar in appearance to cloudy limoncello. Aroma: Herbal, minty, citrus (lemon). Anise and fennel are apparent but restrained in comparison to most pastis and there is a petit wormwood aroma. The louched aroma is like a cool morning breeze, lightly scented with anise and citrus. Flavour and Texture: In a 1:4 dilution this is deliciously refreshing, with mild hints of anise, fennel and petit wormwood (but no grand wormwood). There are fruity, citrus notes and a relaxed herbal sweetness. The texture is full-bodied and satisfying. It is very clean and cooling and there is a touch of liquorice in the aftertaste. In comparison to its stable-mate aperitifs Ricard and Pastis 51, and also to many other pastis, Pernod has a lower star-anise content, a prominent sweet citrus character and greater overall complexity but it is not the most complex pastis by any means. There is just enough anise/liquorice character to make the drink interesting, but not enough to become one-note or overpowering and I much prefer it to Ricard. Actually, it’s debatable whether Pernod is a “genuine” pastis. It shares many characteristics with such spirits but there are things that set it apart and it’s more accurate to call it an “anise liqueur” (as it states on the label) that is positioned half way between absinthe and pastis. It tastes just a little more like an absinthe than a pastis, but it has pre-added sugar and a much lower alcohol content than any absinthe, which makes it more approachable and easier to prepare. I enjoy it a great deal and I think it is only challenged by the very finest of the true pastis, such as Henri Bardouin and Lemercier 1811. “Very Good” : 87/100 (4.25 stars)