Esprit d'Amouage
Amouage (2004)

Esprit de Amouage

Spicy-fresh. In spirit, it reminds me a bit of Gieffeffe with the airy freshness combined with an overload of spices. The bay leaf provides a nice herbaceous counterpoint to the apricot that I identify merely as stone fruit. Eventually the cardamom gives us the slightly cumin-like funk it is known for, and I really enjoy the juxtaposition of the fresh/airy notes (likely hedione) with the sour fruit and slightly stinky cardamom. I think that loud airiness and slight bit of funk could really work well on a very hot day, without having to delve into citrus or vetiver. Great stuff! Unique, high quality, and wearable. Too bad it's so rare.

A redcurrant note is prominent in the opening, with bay leaves, apricot and a whiff of pears mixed in. This fruit bowl is nice, and the cardamom that adds a pleasantly gentle undertone of spice counterbalance the fruitiness nicely.

The heart notes are floral galore, with a nice freesia combined with a green jasmine. Magnolia and a somewhat underwhelming rose appear a bit later, but remain in the background.

The transition to the base is quite sudden, with benzoin being the sentinel of the change, followed on soon by an ambery vanilla that is light and not exuding really any of the sweetness one usually associated with most vanillas. A cistus with a light raisin character is present towards the end.

I get moderate sillage, adequate projection and five hours of longevity on my skin.

Whilst the opening notes are quite nice and crafted well, the later stages of this spring scent are characterised by a certain anemic quality of the ingredients and a lack of intensity that is also a bit too generic at times. Combines with a performance that is not very impressive either, it is evident that this is not one of Amouage's most titillating creations. 2.75/5.