Barbayanni Ouzo

Rating 14/23 This is my initial experience with ouzo. I also haven't tried arak, raki, or similar heavily anise-flavored spirits before. I do know that this ouzo has a relatively high proof and should have a mild amount of added sweetness. Expect this tasting to be from a beginner's perspective. Nose: Anise. There's a clarity to the aroma, similar to the hearts cut in distillation, suggesting it's the primary spirit used. It leans more towards black licorice than anise itself. That's about all I can detect. Palate: Black licorice. While there are different varieties of black licorice, this is consistently black licorice. It also causes a numbing sensation quite quickly. There's a faint grainy undertone, which is surprising as I assumed it was grape-based rather than grain-distilled. The numbing effect is rapid, accompanied by a fair amount of sweetness. It's not candy-like, but it strongly resembles actual black licorice. Adding water in a 1:2 ratio (water to ouzo) creates some louche. This is interesting, though it resembles lightly frosted glass more than the milky appearance I anticipated. The flavor becomes spicier and richer, with improved complexity. I still detect the anise and numbing qualities, but there's more depth now. At a 2:1 ratio, the appearance remains similar. I might have misjudged the intensity of a louche previously. This ratio offers a much milder experience. It actually tastes somewhat like diluted mild. Imagine the 1:2 experience watered down, and that's what you get here. I would stick with the 1:2 ratio. Finish: Quite numbing. A slight minerality. Lingering black licorice flavor, including sweetness. With added water, more spice is present. It's not exceptionally exciting, but the flavor does persist for a considerable time. - Conclusion - I'm unsure about my overall impression. If I desire a strong anise spirit, this seems suitable. If not, then I definitely wouldn't want anything like this. If offered, I would drink it with some water (or possibly ice). This significantly enhances the profile, making it somewhat enjoyable. It never reaches greatness, but it does become sippable. However, it's quite drinkable neat, and I wouldn't add too much water. Considering it's sippable but not actively engaging, a rating between 13 and 15 seems appropriate. I'll likely settle on a 14.

A quick taste here. I had not tried ouzo before, so I wanted to sample this, but I did not have much time for reflection. I was taken aback by the sweetness. It’s not excessively sweet, but it certainly seems like it contains sugar syrup. The texture is rather thick and the flavors include anise (definitely more on the spicy, floral side instead of deeply bitter like black licorice), a hint of clove, something somewhat rich, and a lot of old, dusty books. The flavor is quite a challenge, but not entirely unpleasant. The primary issue is a wormwood presence that numbs my palate (flavor-wise, this is fine). It’s not as numbing as absinthe, but it doesn't take much to significantly dull my sense of taste. Between the numbing sensation and the overwhelming sweetness, I don't really enjoy the experience of sipping this. I'm tempted to also complain about the lack of complexity, though I suspect I could discover much more with additional time, but the numbing might hinder that. The dusty book flavor is unusual, but intriguing and I kind of like it. I doubt this is suitable for sipping and I have no clue what to mix it with (any suggestions would be welcome!), but I'm open to reconsidering (primarily for the latter, not so much as a sipper due to its numbing effect). At this moment, it leans towards a negative rating.

Mine is 46% ABV. Very heavy on the licorice. It's too sharp for me without water; I prefer it diluted 1:3, as the sharpness detracts from the flavor. Very salty.