I had exactly one Sweet 16 this year, and we just split it between the two of us. It may have been slightly underripe, but not by much. I thought I detected a cherry candy aftertaste, but my wife didn’t pick up on it. A little acid up front that smooths out quickly, nice texture, attractive to look at. I’ll leave a couple of branches for a few years to see how it settles, but right now it’s not my favorite apple.
I suppose what some note as an anise component others experience as a cherry flavor. I had a tree at my last house but had to leave it behind. I never did taste the anise but would note a nice cherry flavor on some. I think ones picked a bit earlier do not develop the anise or cherry flavor. Kids love it.
In my climate, fully-ripe Sweet Sixteens are very flavorful and unusual - when someone bites one, their eyes go wide. Most folks describe the flavor as cherry or anise, and everyone has been enthusiastic about them.