Chocolate Amber
AbdesSalaam Attar Profumo

After having bought a precious jar of tonka beans and having experimented their perfect pairing with dark chocolate I have appreciated the tonka- cocoa accord in several variations on the dessert theme. When I came across Chocolate Amber I found the perfume twin of my fondant au chocolat: the blast of coumarin in the opening, with its facets of fresh plastic, hay and tobacco- here reinforced with a boozy, sugary rum like note; the deep, rich dark cocoa, slightly bitter and powdery, though nothing as powdery and granular as the chocolate in Bornéo 1834, for instance- and the woody, slightly oily sweetness of vanilla pods.
I would define this fragrance extra gourmand, but not in a cavity inducing way, rather in a kind of elegant, sophisticated, “grown up” way.
My only negative remarks is on longevity- unlike the other, all natural AbdesSalaam Attar perfumes I have tested, this one has a really poor longevity- one hour, more or less. Too bad, as it proves extraordinarily comforting and enveloping while it lasts.

AbdesSalaam Attar Profumo Chocolate Amber exalts the bitter dark quality of the pure black chocolate with just a minimal addition of rounding final amber-vanilla which remains properly accessorial in order to exalt all the velvety elusiveness of the obscure "raw material". The beginning is tremendously foggy and "declining". The opening introduces for a bunch of seconds a sort of bitter-liquorous blast (such like a cocoa veined cream of whisky) leading straight in to a dark adamant piece of stout "cioccolato nero". Paradoxically the bitter cocoa undertone acquires progressively a central role as supported by dry seasoned tobacco in a marvellously sharp tandem eliciting bizarre evasive manliness and nutty cocoa aftertaste. While in the body of diverse (more classically appointed) chocolatey concoctions around the chocolate enters its presence in to a more orchestrated olfactory valzer becoming luxurious, "dandy", aristocratic and decadent (Chocolate and Chocolate Amere by Il Profvmo) in here is just preserved an un-mannered simplistic concept of sinister forbidding virility, of dark uncompromising almost organic (chocolatey and smokey) dryness. I detect points in common with the great Hilde Soliani Bell'Antonio (another minimalistic veiled example of bitter sharpness) but while the latter pushes the scale over the bitter ash-tray tobacco "ambience" the Dominique Dubrana's one is more oriented on a darkly chocolatey bitter smokiness ungarnished and with no compromises. A touch of dry spices (superbly "hidden") complete the olfactory fatigue. The final trail is anyway surprisingly velvety as a paint of "cocoa flavoured" suede. Yes on its sphere the note of cocoa is in here somewhat atypical. The chocolate is as much realistic as you can catch on your skin for long all the dirtiness of the edible cocoa we use to enjoy joined with a good rum or as after dinner at night. I would not properly define this aroma a gourmand.

Wow! Such a powerful, delicately assertive fragrance! The amber, creamy while dry, is entertwined with dark, not sweet, chocolate. It makes for what my brain interprets as sweet, but my nose does not recognize as a sweet smell. I also get cacao powder, vanilla (the real thing, the gousse, and not the extract) and some silky, honeyed note spread over a earthy base (type of amber). In that sense, it rings of sandalwood I find too, although I doubt there's actually some in it.

It seems to blend and melt into the skin, as opposed to juxtapose itself on it. I am guessing it must interact differently on different skins, making it a very personal, carnal yet innocent and fun perfume. Love the paradoxes in this one.

Chocolate AmberWhich really doesn't sound like my style of perfume - and it isn't; though it almost gets there on quality alone. As usual - well made from excellent materials.It begins with a clear melange of dry cocoa with vanillic amber. Smells like the best quality of dark chocolate without the sugar, could be edible but for the amber which is transparent, resinous and very coherent. After a few minutes I get just a hint of something vegetal underneath. Now..it will surely be linear...these accords will just fade gradually away. No, it develops, dries down to chocolate snow - the pure white vanilla is fluffed up by the tonka and the chocolate melts in infusing the whole affair as a dry powder. Eventually, the chocolate gets more distant and the vanilla light and smooth; tonka with its more earthy inedible quality dominates. There are other things in the base - sandalwood I think, maybe some moss?Its is interesting to me how the natural amber accord starts so true but breaks down and develops, unlike in other perfumes where it is so often stoically linear.Sillage is on the low side. Longevity is very good for the far drydown - and it goes back to smelling a bit more chocolatey. Very nice, a little like the drydown of L'Instant Homme EDP with the santal and cocoa (but more natural of course)

If you're looking for a delicious, edible chocolate perfume, this one is fabulous. Pure chocolate absolute and creamy vanilla combine in a melt-in-your-mouth confectionery that manages to steer clear of too much sweetness. How? By smelling just boozy enough to elicit images of a snifter full of Creme de Cacao. Maybe there's even a touch of Amaretto in there. It's mouthwatering. Characteristic of an all-natural perfume, it is never overpowering but clean and clear in its aroma even though it is rich and decadent.