Ok so I brewed this today and it came out almost spot on I hit the gravity , Ibu's , etc. the only thing according to beersmith is my SRM was off Beersmith claims my color was 5.9srm when it should have been 11. The only thing I subbed was the amber malt as I couldn't find any ( barring online ) at my LHBS so I used biscuit and victoery for those 4 ounces. Honestly visually I think it looks much closer to the 11 than 6 srm I think beersmith is off somewhere. Anyway on to the star anise, it is not overpowering in any way shape or form I ended up breaking the points of and adding them to the last 15 minutes of the boil. It is there in the aroma and blended very modestly in the flavor. The hydro sample was great very citrusy, peppery, and licorice in the mix. I'm going to let this go at least a month in primary before considering kegging or a secondary to clear if not.