Askett Essential
Askett & English

Essential is by some distance the better of the two Askett fragrances. I found it to be consistent in its quality, and there were a number of high quality phases to revel in.

The opening was as simple and as classically composed as I hoped it would be, the biting top notes are polished and very satisfying. The middle notes are restrained, but reveal a number of subtle shifts of tone, I detected herbs, a hint of tea, and a dusting of florals. The base is has a particularly enjoyable oakmoss presence and gives a gourmand finish to an impressive fragrance.

Essential is a promising start from Askett & English.

I was in a while impressed by the olfactory philosophy behind this specialized and authentic artisanal niche british brand with its location placed in a dreamy landscape full of windy and green hills. First of all the Askett & English's message and the  packaging itself are classic and so essential as the spirit of its traditional and natural fragrances. Essential is one of the two brand's fragrances at moment. Its smell is  bracing and natural, delicate and discreet, sunny and evocative, we just have to wait the full development and to appreciate the quality of the ingredients. In the same vein as the classic Eau Sauvage or for instance the classic-contemporary Imprinting by Il Profvmo, this "cologny" scent sidesteps the trends and starts slightly misleading (really conservative and old-style-cologny in this phase) with a stout and durable lemon-bergamot uncomprimising introduction. Bergamot is the starring note till the end and it comes as an high quality raw material. The presence of lavender and aromatic herbs (I think thyme, sage and verbena) is soon notable in the tart and almost fizzy lemony air, performing whiffs of aromatic breeze and coolness but is the floral note of jasmine (on the side of orange-mandarin patterns) that exalts the deep and pungent complexity of bergamot, adding a touch of floral subtle sophistication that you perceive at distance (space-time) and as subtle-sophisticated undertone. The note of cedar in the base sends back in the time the moment when the sour lemony pungency starts finally fading. That element imparts further substance although that's my unique concern cause we need more than a couple of hours to fully appreciate the pleasant mossy-floral base whose the vetiver and the powdery smokiness from tonka are "surgically" modulated in order to set down a touch of astringent virility. The dry down is simply  comforting, manly, slightly exotic and subtle ( though always present in the air around the wearer). This final part is majestic in its softly lemony, woodsy and slightly smoky-dusty delicacy, so unexpected after the daring initial lemony barehanded  fist. I prize the minimalistic essentiality of the juice ( perfect for classic in style and reassuring fashinating men) and the high quality of all the ingredients. Longevity is in the average on my skin. Really a good work by Askett & English.

The citrus notes start in a nice lemony way. The scent develops a soapy character, at times it seems round and at other times a bit muddled. It took me a few wearings to recognize the herbal notes but now that I do, I appreciate them. The dry-down is a very light mossy sort. I don't get any particular wood or vetiver notes.

This and its companion (Absolute) are good scents. There is nothing problematic in them, other than a slight metallic note at times in each, which lurks as a very minor echo in the background. They are not sweet or heavy, so they are something a man could wear. The elements are pleasant and I don't find any loud or tiresome synthetic notes. I can wear each with appreciation. Longevity is short, but that is to be expected with citrus-centered scents. My slight reservation -- and this is an issue of my personal taste -- is that these scents don't offer anything particularly distinctive. They are nice and enjoyable, and I assume that is the goal. I urge people to sample them. They are subtle and low-key and worth trying.