Top Notes 
Heart Notes 
Base Notes 
12/17/2019
MrHonest
110 Reviews
MrHonest
2
Holey Mackarel
So there I was, browsing the new arrivals section of a popular online discounter, when my eyes suddenly fell upon the name of a fragrance I had never heard of, from a brand that I didn’t even know existed. At such an unusually low price, my first thought was that it was probably just another cheap clone brand trying to market yet another watered down version of this month’s designer top 40.
But after a spot of detective work, I was able to surmise that Korloff is actually an independent French jeweller, similar in many ways to the Swiss brand Charriol, with a storefront boutique in no less than Paris France. And despite being initially intrigued by some of the less popular notes, what ultimately sold me was the exorbitant discounter price differential which led me to immediately purchase several bottles without any trepidation. After all, how often do you get to purchase a pair of fragrances for less than 13% retail?
With literally no information available online apart from the official notes and a vague description on their site mentioning capturing the spirit of Africa and Brazil, this was as close to a blind buy as I have ever gotten. So you can imagine my relief when the bottle finally arrived, and I was greeted with a handsome box, sturdy bottle, tight cap and excellent atomizer. Solid presentation. The scent....was another matter.
Right from the first spray, it’s a maniacal blast of elemi, cypress, pepper and violet. The underlying apple note is done remarkably well and adds a perfect touch of sweetness that regrettably doesn’t linger. Instead, the elemi and pepper dominate the composition for a couple of minutes before the dusty leather and woods come in to add a nice billowing pillow of aromaticity.
Unfortunately, and as strange as it sounds, the overall effect gives me the impression of the boney cartilage of a smoked mackerel - strangely fishy, yet not entirely unpleasant. I guarantee it’s the combo of elemi, leather, violet and possibly even the amber(gris?) that gives it that vibe; and it remains firmly in place for a good couple of hours.
But after that, there is a marked transition in the drydown when the peppery violet, leather and cinnamon from the tolu balm take over to give the fragrance more of a dark concrete feel. Whoever designed the bottle and advert nailed the aesthetic. It’s dry, spicy and leathery to the point of quasi-ashiness, and sometimes even reminds me of an old potato buried under dry dirt. If I dig my nose in real good, I can even pick up on a faint rooty edge to the woods, presumably coming from the vetiver - and personally, it’s my favourite part of the fragrance.
But by the time the notes have settled into something nice and dark, the flame has long since died out. Longevity and projection are merely average; but I suppose that’s to be expected from a modern release? Overall, I'd say that it's a reasonably unique fragrance; but at times, it also feels somewhat unbalanced and entirely robbed of post-production EQ - like there are spicy holes here and there that require a modest amount of temperament - and, you know, if you can overlook the whole 'fishy' thing...
So despite being initially impressed with the presentation (especially for the price I paid), I still wouldn’t recommend it as a blind buy. Instead, go for Silver Wood or Royal Oud Intense - two far better options from the brand IMO. As for Pour Homme, I'll be throwing this baby back.
But after a spot of detective work, I was able to surmise that Korloff is actually an independent French jeweller, similar in many ways to the Swiss brand Charriol, with a storefront boutique in no less than Paris France. And despite being initially intrigued by some of the less popular notes, what ultimately sold me was the exorbitant discounter price differential which led me to immediately purchase several bottles without any trepidation. After all, how often do you get to purchase a pair of fragrances for less than 13% retail?
With literally no information available online apart from the official notes and a vague description on their site mentioning capturing the spirit of Africa and Brazil, this was as close to a blind buy as I have ever gotten. So you can imagine my relief when the bottle finally arrived, and I was greeted with a handsome box, sturdy bottle, tight cap and excellent atomizer. Solid presentation. The scent....was another matter.
Right from the first spray, it’s a maniacal blast of elemi, cypress, pepper and violet. The underlying apple note is done remarkably well and adds a perfect touch of sweetness that regrettably doesn’t linger. Instead, the elemi and pepper dominate the composition for a couple of minutes before the dusty leather and woods come in to add a nice billowing pillow of aromaticity.
Unfortunately, and as strange as it sounds, the overall effect gives me the impression of the boney cartilage of a smoked mackerel - strangely fishy, yet not entirely unpleasant. I guarantee it’s the combo of elemi, leather, violet and possibly even the amber(gris?) that gives it that vibe; and it remains firmly in place for a good couple of hours.
But after that, there is a marked transition in the drydown when the peppery violet, leather and cinnamon from the tolu balm take over to give the fragrance more of a dark concrete feel. Whoever designed the bottle and advert nailed the aesthetic. It’s dry, spicy and leathery to the point of quasi-ashiness, and sometimes even reminds me of an old potato buried under dry dirt. If I dig my nose in real good, I can even pick up on a faint rooty edge to the woods, presumably coming from the vetiver - and personally, it’s my favourite part of the fragrance.
But by the time the notes have settled into something nice and dark, the flame has long since died out. Longevity and projection are merely average; but I suppose that’s to be expected from a modern release? Overall, I'd say that it's a reasonably unique fragrance; but at times, it also feels somewhat unbalanced and entirely robbed of post-production EQ - like there are spicy holes here and there that require a modest amount of temperament - and, you know, if you can overlook the whole 'fishy' thing...
So despite being initially impressed with the presentation (especially for the price I paid), I still wouldn’t recommend it as a blind buy. Instead, go for Silver Wood or Royal Oud Intense - two far better options from the brand IMO. As for Pour Homme, I'll be throwing this baby back.
