Awake
Akro (2018)

Akro is a brand founded by Olivier Cresp and his daughter Anais. It is, under my profane nose and for my limited experience with its perfumes, a deeply Londoner little house appointed under the experience and wisdom of the notorious star-nose Oliver Cresp. Awake was launched in 2018. It is a particular aromatic "toasted" fragrance by several people defined as a spicy aromatic gourmand but which smells anything but gourmand under my vulgar nostrils. The addiction inspiring Awake is in this case the one of coffee (toasted, roasted, perfumed, aromatic). I've spent an happy though short period of my life in the amazing and indescribable (in short words) city of London. This beautiful little (but temperamental) perfume seems to silently catch something inherent in the London's deep cosmopolitan soul yet in its exotic but at same time profoundly british side. Awake smells something like the mix of aromas you could catch in a London's little refined luxury hotel at morning (a winter grey morning). A fluidy and peppery smell of spices is always lingering everywhere in the London's air (in this ideal case along the hotel-lobbies) and it is in here combined with a roasted beautiful coffee-aroma exhaling from the breakfast lounge and with something green, aromatic and exotic jumping in part from the assertively green old-school eau de cologne you have dabbed on you cheek yet and furthermore from the lobbies/rooms-perfume refresher waving all around. Outside London is there, in the financial district of Bank with its commanding architecture, busy and full of business men running fast in their impeccably tailored british suits. On the aromatic path all is played on this juxtaposition between roasted/toasted coffee (a la Teatro Olfattivo di Parma Bell'Antonio minus tobacco plus spicy/exotic vetiver) and the green rootiness from a quality vetiver. Lemon provides the classic restrained (little aromatic neo-fougére) hesperidic aura mixed with the fluidy aromatic peppery income from cardamom (hints of lavender as well?) while the fragrance's development settles down a bed of finally silkier vetiver (dreamy and exotic, kind of teleporting somewhere in a british colonial atmosphere) and roasted dry coffee catering angular toasted darkly (kind of licoricey and vaguely anisic) restraint. There is something steamy smoky in the air, something smelling like the coffee-vapor mixed with an aromatic cologne's exhalation while finally something smoother (probably by hints of well balanced tonka beans) slightly soothens the elements taming down the angular zesty-green initial angularity. All the elements are impeccably appointed as the most precious british business dress code. This fragrance is cozy and intimate. There is something silent in it as an early winter rainy morning (outside a gloomy wet gray-dark green forest-enviroment) while you are watching outside from your room's windows with a cozy little lamp in the meanwhile lighting up the room. Akro Awake projects well (in the average) and lasts more than 7/8 hours on my "sucking" skin. More then recommended if you are a romantic and saturnine introverted fellow with a struggling past. Simply a sublime masterwork of balance and measure.

Surprise: Awake smells like coffee. Although spiced with cardamom and vetiver, the net result reminds me of coffee brewed with chicory. It's nice, but overly literal for my tastes—and my regular morning coffee smells better. Fine if you're looking for a coffee soliflore, but not especially interesting as a perfume. Might be good for layering.

To me, when sprayed with minimalist technique, Akro Awake smells more like roasted cardamom than roasted coffee, with a strong contrasting and partly complementary note of Haitian vetiver. It reminds me of cooking with roasted spices in Indian cuisine--the dry, dusty, slightly bitter quality of seeds and leaves and pods in the pan. Quite a bit of parchment, also. Unlike other coffee scents, such as Montale Ristretto, or Xerjoff Coffee Break Golden Dallah, I find that the chocolaty coffee smell comes into focus with the drydown, rather than being present upfront and then receding. I truly love coffee, everything about it, so that is a plus for me--but I'm not enamored of the dusty quality. When sprayed more lavishly, there is a wonderful fusion of lemon and coffee, which symbolizes an awake state both through freshness and through coffee. Overall, a win, above all for its subtlety and specificity--it doesn't mow you down with its sweetness like a lot of coffee scents.

I've been working a small decant on this one for a couple of weeks. It grows on me more every time.

A coffee note, lemon and cardamom, low key vetiver. The coffee note is noticeable, but not so pronounced as to be silly and overwhelm the scent. I love the smell of coffee, but honestly think smelling like a freshly ground bag of beans would not really be so great.

A tad sweet but not sugary sweet. Strikes a nice balance. Would be good casual office wear. Not at all sensual or serious in my view.

Warm, friendly and pleasant. I've got plenty of scents in that category but it's pretty clear I'm about to have one more. It's a strong but relaxing scent to me.

This is my third sample of this fragrance from the lovely and affordable Discovery set. Each time I'm surprised by how happy it makes me. It's not just a coffee fragrance although the coffee is a star note. The spicy cardamom and lemon notes add immediate interest. Dry down matures the dark coffee with a creamy sweet slightly vanilla note. Sillage is mild but evident, project is medium, and longevity on my skin is 6-8 hours. I can see a full bottle in my future.

Mmm. Cardamom coffee served with lemon pastry overtop pleasantly mild vetiver.

I don't typically go for gourmand frgrances, but I could happily wear this often.