I bought some Sambuca about a year ago. I am the most moderate of drinkers–about 4 glasses of some kind of alcohol a year–but sambuca has always had a burn or a bite to it upon first sip.
I am drinking some now (on the rocks, as is my preference) and nothing–no burn, no bit, hardly no taste.
Does sambuca lose its flavor over time? (It doesn’t make sense to me, but why else does it taste so funny?)
Any ideas? Thanks.
Was it tightly capped? Alcohol can evaporate quite quickly in a warm environment.
Yes, it was. It does have some flavor, but not that eye wincing bite I know of old.
[sub]I think I was stupid and put too much ice in the drink and since I didn’t start drinking it right away, I now think that it is just dilute sambuca.[/sub]
I will slink away now…
Next time try it straight up with 3 coffee beans floating on top. 
I did forget the coffee beans this time. But I can’t drink any liquor straight up.
Yes, I’m a wimp.
I was going to ask if you had teenagers in the house. When my friends and I first started drinking we would water down our parents alcohol.
When does samubca get good? 
In the same vein, “Does Sambuca go “bad”?” No. It is bad.
My mom insists on 7 coffee beans, because of the 7 hills of Rome or something. Anyways, put the beans, and set it on fire for a short while, does wonders to the coffee flavor (don’t let it burn all the way, or you won’t have any alcohol left)
I say set fire to it, suck it up quickly through a straw and as you get to the end have someone pour cold Bailey’s Irish Cream in the glass. Huzzah!
I’ve never actually had Sambuca with ice in it before: usually people have it as a shot or as a heavy duty cocktail mixer. Dilution never occured to me.
Doesn’t Sambuca go opaque (and unpretty) with water?
In the words of John Pinette, “It didn’t go bad, it never went good!”
**Does Sambuca Go “Bad”? **
Yes,
When he breaks up with Heather Locklear and then hooks up wit that bimbo Denise Rich…
(wait…what?)