Vanille Exquise
Goutal (2004)

This does for vanilla what Samara did for sandalwood, i.e. puts it front and centre
and tinkers at the edges.

But that one’s a force seven wind, and this one’s a mild vesper.

It starts with plenty of nuances that round it out and move away from ice cream,
and it ends up with a musky-woody vanilla pudding.

There's a very nice almond/vanilla musk in here somewhere, but the wood notes smell like they have been dissolved in alcohol and it permeates the whole creation with a scream of sharpness. One of the few Goutals I really disliked.

I find this vanilla to be quite different to many vanilla perfumes, which is why I like it. It is not fluffy or cakey or super sweet, it's woody, powdery, smokey, a little earthy and a bit bitter, likely due to the angelica and guaiac wood notes along with the musk. The almond note is quite noticeable too, and it's more of a bitter almond than a marzipan which is nice.

It definitely gets much softer after about the first hour and wears very close to the skin, and it rounds out a lot and becomes a nice soft non-foody vanilla that is still cozy and office safe, since it becomes a rather personal scent. I get good longevity even though it's fairly soft, about 7-8 hours. It's nice for spring and fall days, and doesn't get too big and cloying in warm weather. I think because it's a rather different vanilla perfume, it seems to be a love it or hate it type scent. Many vanilla lovers may not like it as much because it's not a very typical vanilla, but I find it to be well done and unique.

Yes, the name of the game is vanilla galore, but neither too heavy, top sweet nor cloying. Almond hints and a distinctly nutty undertone give it a mice twist, and a wood base, mainly gaïac, and a white musk note round it off. Not sensational, this is an elegant vanilla scent; the name is very appropriate.

I get decent sillage and projection, with a less than expected longevity of four hours. 3.25/5

Warm, cosy and unchallenging. A good spritz for office wear. Almond and gourmand, yes, I get the play-doh note others mention but it's not a problem unless I'm looking for it. Nothing difficult about this frag. Easy to wear and often complimented. A good everyday addition to my wardrobe - although I'm pleased I purchased on eBay and didn't pay full price...

I think that Vanille Exquise is very well named: It is an beautiful rendition of vanilla – a slightly burnt version of a rich, mostly dry vanilla. “Sweetness” is not the keyword for this fragrance… “delicacy” would be the better description. It is certainly not a solo vanilla… it is quite well adorned with other light, delicate notes: I can clearly identify the almond; I willingly accept that there is benzoin partnering with the vanilla; there's a believably probable white musk / sandalwood accord in the mixture; and, although I can't specifically pick them out of the accord, I can believe that there is a touch angelica and gaïac providing even more lightness, airiness, and delicacy to the non-powdery vanilla accord.

Vanille Exquise is a sophisticated fragrance… full, complex, and delicate. On my skin it has appropriately limited projection; and it has excellent longevity, especially as an exquisite skin scent.