The version I have had was sans sucre, so in a sense the closest to what should be understood under the term of "anis".



At a moderate strength, pleasant scent, very anisy and when compared with anisettes or ouzo, it stands fast as a very good and reliable product. However, I would be far from calling it an absinthe substitute.



The colour is almost, almost clear, although I perceive very small yellowish tinge. The louche is subtle, unlike in pastis or other anis, it slowly forms and never reaches full opacity, nice to look at. In terms of aroma it is diffult to score high something that contains anise and smells of anise, too one-dimensional.



The taste is very inviting, though the ratio 1:3 is the best to catch all the nuances created by the mixture of anise, alcohol and water. It is crisp, refreshing.



Much as I wasn't so fond of Francois Guy, I am very pleased with the simplicity yet decisiveness of Pontarlier Anis.