What did (does) Pernod taste like ?

Pernod has te be cut with water. Moreover, it always seemed to me that it was a kind of pastis for export. Ricard is far much tasteful and has my favor. The French usually drink Ricard or 51... Concerning the Czech absinth, I have been disappointed a bit. It did not make the effect I was expected from what I had read about it in the old books... I think it could be the same disapointment than Baudelaire's hasch in Paradis Artificiel. All that seemed much more stronger by the time...