Everything tastes and smells like licorice. My tongue also simultaneously burns and is numb.
This stuff's hard-core compared to absinthe in terms of packing flavor in an ouzo sledgehammer to the face vs an absinthe uppercut.
Edit: yes I drank it straight. And I'm also comparing it to absinthe straight.
This, an also ouzo is more of a sipping drink. The only people I know who do ouzo shots are anglos.
Also, a nice meze to go with your ouzo: watermelon squares with sharp and fatty sheep's milk fetta slabs on top. Something like 4:1 melon to cheese works for me but taste is personal so...