I don't know how it compares to Sage, but it has a VERY strong smell.
Be aware that some of the powdered asafoetida isn't pure at all, but mixed with flour and other fillers... In fact, I just realized mine from Starwest is only 40% of the real deal! I sourced some pure resin off of ebay and will powder it when it gets here.
I went ahead and mixed what I had with broth to make it palatable, and it wasn't too bad. I'll be sure to post results.