Bursch
Acqua di Biella (2005)

Genre: Leather

Bursch is a very quiet leather scent. I needed a heavy application to have it project at all, and even then it was quick to dry down and fade. The very conventional citrus and lavender opening is well-executed, but not all that promising. Some sweet incense works its way up to add complexity to the blend but only just before the scent recedes into the background altogether. Bursch may have piqued my interest more if it had lasted, but there's only so much fragrance I'm willing to put on to get results! Still worth a try, as it might be nice if it lasts on different skin.

The way to speak about rhubarb here is to recall the rhubarb in B-Men: sweet yet a bit burnt-rubber smell, dry fruity but not edible. It is really a dry scent, almost herbal but not really because incense is strong. Not churchy at all, long with cedar, vetiver and spices it finally gives this driftwood impression, soaked rotting wood drying in the sun.
But there's also depth in this. When I first smelled it, the phrase 'red incense' came to mind. Maybe because of this strange fruity quality. Myrrh makes it a bit balmy and rum - a bit sugary but only if you pay attention. I've actually never smelled something like this. I imagine classical opera gone surreal.

mouthwatering saltDidn't immediately remind me of something else: unusual in a men's fragrance. Texturey like salt-rimed beard stubble, sweetening in the drydown. It doesn't move around much in terms of development, but I love the single, steady rasp of the main accord. Bought the sample for a man, may have to keep it for myself. I grew up near the ocean. This scent evokes the memory more precisely than typically "oceanic" fragrances.

Bursch really has not gotten a lot of love here and elsewhere, but I confess I like it a lot... It opens with an extremely brief hint of citrus, but quickly moves to an excellent incense and rhubarb accord with a gentle splash of semi-dry rum that I really like. A very natural cedar note dominates the relatively brief base of the scent. "Brief" is the operative word here, describing the scent in its entirely... It does not last long at all, regrettably. Bursch is subtle; definitely a skin scent. It is excellent smelling while it is here, but after a few hours, poof, its gone. I love it, but it is hard to recommend a buy as it is relatively expensive and you will need to use a lot of it... and frequently at that. While buying Bursch is a hard-sell proposition (albeit one that I personally found worthy enough to take the plunge), sampling it is at least a very easy one. Good stuff and personally recommended. 4 to 4.5 stars out of 5.

Oh rhubarb! I love the smell of rhubarb, vegetable yet fruity. Odd, I don't like it in this. I certainly detect a bit of it. Amongst the other morr fun fruits and herb s in here. Perhaps the plants got a little drunk on the rum?

I already get the rhubarb and rum in the bergamot / lemon opening. It makes for quite an interesting accord – clean, refreshing, daring, and a bit decadent. I like this accord very much; it has potential. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a very strong delivery. When the fragrance reaches the saffron note, it loses substance. I do get beautiful wisps of sweetness, of incense, and of cedar, but they border on intangible. I don't get the pepper or coriander, and the rhubarb and rum have already run their course, so the total nature of the middle accord is static and a bit too stark. For the dry down I get a very nice cedar that is not as strong as I would like it, and there's a mossy / musky background to it, but I have longevity problems with it, which I should expect because it is an cologne. Except for its lack of strength and longevity, the dry down is quite beautiful. I wish Bursch would respond better on my skin than it does – I miss several of the important notes, and some of the notes that I do catch do not come through as well as I believe they should. I'm disappointed in Bursch: I was looking forward to a great rhubarb and rum fragrance, and Bursch has so much promise and potential. I get only partially satisfied, but, even as I'm nursing my disappointment, I have to admit that it is still a very good scent.