After The Flood
Apoteker Tepe (2015)

One of the most compelling scent openings I've smelled in some time. Given the notes, this should smell somewhat disgusting, or at least fashionably unwearable – but that's not the case; its gorgeous. It's mushroom, vetiver, and orris (according to my nose). It somehow manages to build a warm coziness into a dank, swampy feel, splitting the difference between Slumberhouse's difficult Mare and Amouage's Memoir Man. It's not nearly as rancid as Mare, nor is it as mardy as Memoir Man, yet it has the same appeal as both – earthy, grounded, and atypical. The mushroom is vivid, yet folded into the blend perfectly (think crisp, white, freshly rinsed raw mushrooms). The soil accord sidesteps the predictability of geosmin, and smells more like the soil effect in Serge's De Profundis than the petrichor that belabors many of CBIHP's releases. The whole thing is spun the color of illuminated obsidian; rich without being too dense while smelling alive and present. The tragedy is that none of this lasts, and the scent winds its way down to a respectable yet far less interesting rooty accord which is where it stays for the rest of the wear. I'm almost inclined to forgive the performance (a concentration issue, I'm guessing) because the opening was so brilliantly rendered. However, I already own bottles of the much-coveted Mare and Memoir Man, so that goopy, swampy aspect of my collection is already filled. Despite the opening's collapse, I'd still recommend that fragrance aficionados get their nose on this just for the nose-catching, standout opening. Hopefully the brand will tweak a few things in the future to make their ideas a tad more durable, but they've secured my attention with this release.