The ship of Captain Alexandre J, the " Zafeer " has been anchored for many months. The last voyage had been very hard on her, after all she has already travelled almost all the oceans of the world. Impressive, majestic and proud, she swings thoughtfully in front of the port city. The numerous carpenters, painters and other craftsmen, who either stand, lie or hang on her to do the repairs, seem like busy ants compared to the mighty construction of the merchant ship.
Alexander J has just returned from his last voyage, which he had undertaken with a much smaller ship. He's not a man who will stay ashore for long.
As a small boy awaits his returning father, the king eagerly awaits the arrival of his world sailor. Too exciting are the stories and goods that Captain Alexandre J usually brings to him. At least this time he didn't have to be so patient, because the last journey was much shorter than he is used to.
Today the men will be among themselves as they look at the goods they have brought with them and revel in stories about the here and now or about old times. Alexandre J himself had asked the monarch shortly before his departure for this meeting without the usual invited guests.
Even though he always enjoyed the attention and even admiration of the men and women of the nobility and all the children, he has become calmer.
The strains of the many journeys, illnesses on board, strange food and an emptiness in his heart that cannot be filled for ever greater treasures and the search for true love have made the sailor age.
Nevertheless, he will probably go to sea until a breeze carries his last breath over the waves and away.
The time at court and with the king that evening is now well advanced.
Alexandre J presented new fruits, fabrics, oils, skins and furs, as well as wines and spices to an attentive listening regent with his usual elaborate words. Again and again in between, people laugh, marvel and drink.
When the last goods are put aside, the king bends over to Alexandre J to see if he is hiding something behind his back.
When he finds nothing, he moves closer to him and whispers, "Did you not find what I sent you for?
Before the sailor answers, both make sure that the queen has not entered the throne room unnoticed in the meantime.
Then they put their heads back together. With a sweeping gesture of his hand Alexandre J transports a box covered with dark red velvet and embroidered gems from an inner pocket of his cloak in front of the eyes of the monarch, which immediately causes a great stir.
Before his departure, he had asked the captain to bring him a unique treasure to give to his wife as a token of his affection.
Since she loves flowers, scented oils and perfumed water more than anything else, it should be something very special
Impatiently, the king pushes the small bar-like closing particle on the box aside, which then makes the lid pop open a small gap. But this is quite enough to give both men a pleasant smell of it already now.
He curiously lifts the lid and in front of him, wrapped in gold, lies a small red carafe with a richly decorated stopper. When he pulls out this stopper, the contents instantly exude their magic.
The scent of roses, seasoned with pepper tickles the king's nose hairs as he absorbs the escaping vapours and is completely taken in. From the glass tube attached to the stopper, an oily substance drips onto his hand, which offers the fragrance even more to unfold with its radiating warmth.
"Rose. Pepper. There must still be wood," the king nods affirmatively as he now dives his whole face into the floating vapours. "Lots of wood," he adds as he takes a deep breath of it "and, as if the fragrance were trapped in wood, it carries their common notes into the air." In fact, the fragrant veil is increasingly drawn into the atmosphere of the room, engaging, hypnotic and intoxicating.
Satisfied and confident of victory in holding the right present for his wife, the king exuberantly thanks Alexandre J, who knows like no other how to bring all kinds of delights to him in carafes, jugs or boxes.
Later in his bedchamber in the palace, Alexandre J digs out another almost identical box from another inside pocket of his cloak. He was so taken with the scent from the merchant that he purchased a copy for himself. This in case he would succumb to a love other than seafaring after all. A woman who is able to conquer his heart must be as special as the scent in the small red carafe
He pulls the plug out and awaits the aromas to flow out. Leaning back in the pillow of his bed, he enjoys once again the rose and the tickling pepper and all the wood that the king had noticed. But his nose perceives even more. A fruity hint lies in the vapours of the oil. He is sure that it is either a ripe but not overripe peach or a plum, perhaps both.
Drunk with the foggy vapours spreading in the walls of the room, he closes the bottle before he surrenders to the fragrance and his dreams that night
From today's perspective, "Rose Alba" is certainly a fragrance that can be described as unisex. Depending on the radiance of your own body scent, it can become woody, floral or fruity. Nevertheless, the pepper note will contribute its sparkling spicy note and carry and guide the fragrance. I do not perceive vanilla in its otherwise well-known way here. It seems to act on the edge or in the middle of the fruit, but where it is very reserved and certainly not noticeable through sweetness. Simply a rounding accessory that adds a balancing warmth to this composition without affecting the other components in their actions
For me, "Rose Alba" is a harmonious and balanced creation with, I think, something and really only very little "Amouage Epic Woman" vibes in it. Indeed, in the pyramids of the two pepper, rose, sandalwood and other woods, vanilla and musk are listed.
This results in this edition of "The Collector", a kind of dimmed version of the green scented jewel from Amouage.
So if you find it too strong, or if the caraway beats your stomach or picks your nose, but otherwise finds the scent appealing, you could try this red and gold scent. The whole thing is less strong and the scents are smoother in the transitions. Epic Woman shows more splitting of the individual aromas and clearer, individual projections
Meanwhile, Captain Alexandre J has long since arrived in his dreams.
Firm in his hand... the little red carafe
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