It's not unpleasant at all, but it doesn't come close to the true Anise Seed. I have a very old bottle that, I was nicely surprised, smells as sweet, delicious and strong as it did some 22 years ago. This is bright and vibrant, so it has its qualities, but I was searching for the true scent of anise to replicate the scent I'd created with anise seed, and this is not it. I hope that EB will be able to source Pimpinella Anisum from Europe. (I tried it from another company, that one was sourced in Egypt, and it was even worse: it arrived with zero odor whatsoever!) And that's why I decided to try "star" anise, because no one else seems to carry the original Anise Seed. (Mine was sadly discontinued!) Also, no: this does not smell like the confection licorice in the least, not even close. Licorice is a deep, dark flavor, to which they add anise because the true taste of licorice isn't palatable to children. Therein lies the confusion. Licorice and anise often go hand in hand. (If you've tried non flavored licorice candy, it's not all that great tasting.) At any rate, this EO is a disappointment to me for the strong anise-based project I was trying to recreate, as it doesn't come close to true anise. Star anise isn't even the same plant, and I wish they'd have given this botanical a different name to better differentiate from Pimpinella Anisum, the "real thing", aka Star Anise. However, if you need a bright, cool, "minty-fresh" yet not overpowering scent, this would work just fine. There is no unpleasant residue of anything to this one.

Review by Black Pepper 8/11/2020

This is the best star anise I’ve smelled. Period. I have 8 different versions from 6 different companies, and this one is by FAR superior. Not only does it last longer on my test strip, but it has a depth not commonly found with top notes. At first sniff I smell a ton of anethole, a familiar licorice smell, but this one is darker and deeper. Imagine the blackest of licorices paired with a creamy woody backdrop. The smell of absinthe in a bottle. Perfect for perfumery, but also works great for aromatherapy. The smell is invigorating but not overly stimulating. It would work marvelously as a midday pick-me-up. Definitely a centering sort of oil that doesn’t take much to be effective. I wouldn’t recommend ingesting essential oils (at least not without supervision), but I happened to spill a little and couldn’t resist trying it. It’s delicious! ;) I’m very pleased with this new addition to Eden Botanicals, it is a delight for the senses!

Review by J 12/19/2017