It's a rare treat to be able to find this to taste. I'm glad to have the chance!

Appearance: Straw yellow with hints of green. Not bad for something approx. 50 years old.

Louche: Well formed and attractive. Very quick to louche. Quite a bit of star anise.

Aroma: Flowery and refreshing. Quite a bit of honey on the nose with nice wormwood mintyness.

Flavor: Crisp and clean with a good amount of natural sweetness. A bit too heavy on the star anise and licorice, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Finish: Quite a bit of numbing from the star anise. Otherwise pleasurable.

Overall: I wish there was slightly less sweetness and numbing, but still an enjoyable drink with tons of history. Glad I was able to try it! The Japanese market had something very good during a time when the West had much of nothing.