Cognac
Aftelier (2007)

This is really complicated and interesting. It kicks off with a shot of vodka smell, over maple-syrup immortelle and something kind of doughy. There's a background that's a mix of olive and grape, though they combine in a way that doesn't really smell like either one, but instead like a sort of fresh green smell with a sweet, jammy undertone. In addition, there's a curry leaf smell, and some sharp lemony verbena for lift, and there's a boozy wood element in there as well.

The mix of dough, immortelle, and jam makes for an interesting simulation of pancakes with syrup and grape jelly, but this is no gourmand. The curry and leaves and greens and woods keep it from smelling like breakfast.

Honestly, I want to like this more than I do. It's clever and unique and uses notes I've never smelled elsewhere. But in practical terms, it's a bit much, with so many themes running against each other at times. I'll vote neutral and leave it at that.

This is more of an olive scent than a cognac scent. Cognac is one of the most original fragrances Mandy Aftel, who is infamous for her use of hard to find, cutting edge natural essence. Cognac uses green olive fruit absolute along with a base of the fruity green cognac absolute (from residues of grapes in the wine-making process) and refreshing citrus top notes, to create a perfume that evokes the exquisite simplicity of life along the Mediterranean.When wearing Cognac, I am instantly reminded of the "Mesique" (AKA olive fruit harvest), the breezy autumn days, chilly in the mornings but warmer around noon, when me and my little brothers would not go to school in order to help our parents harvest the olives before the first rains spoils them. After hours of olive picking, our fingers will diffusive of green fragrant fresh olive juice. When it was time for the ten o'clock break, we'd peel the first tangerines of the season, still mostly green on the outside but already sweet in the inside... But our olive-juice-anointed fingers will turn them as bitter as bittrex!he texture of this fragrance, by the way, is quite oily - even though it is in an alcohol base. This must be again because of the olive fruit absolute.