KingPin

Starts with a short blast of citrus - lemon, petitgrain and some bergamot. Not a classic sweet citrus, rather a sour true lemon scent. Then it takes a wierd detour via smelling like a combination of sour green notes combined with a real old lady’s soap, then we turn back to citrus with some woody notes which are rather pleasant. This is a strange aromachem perfume.

Starts off with classic lemon/bergamot and some very faint pepper, quite zesty but a bit synthetic. After that a strong, sharp, harsh and synthetic cardemom, geranium and spice concoction gradually takes over. The spicy notes reminds me of Voyage d’Hermes, a perfume I find ruined by the overindulged grabs from the spice rack. However, this one has a more synthetic base, which makes it worse. After several hours we are left with som standard but nice balsam/sandal notes. This is not a Ferrari, they have simply slapped the badge on a Dacia Logan hoping that it should work. It doesn’t.

My first impression was a very pleasant and fresh summer scent. However, my wife tried it later that evening, and immediately says “Herbal medicine”. Then I get an instant inner image of soft echinacea chew tablets used in Sweden to prevent getting colds. The taste is not awful, but special and herb:y. I hadn’t made that connection before that, but now I can’t kick the impression. From great summer scent to chewy cold remedy in one second flat. I’m a bit angry with her. Changing rating from 8.5 to 6.0 :-(

The idea that a car maker should make perfume is so kitschy and ridiculous that I really like it! They just slap on their logo on something they have absolutely no competitive advantage in, and they don’t manufacture anything in it on their own. It’s in the league of Louis Vuitton making an affordable dishwasher, which I would immediately buy (if the quality was on par with the rest of the crop) just to annoy people.

This being stated I must say that the people that made this for Ferrari did a good and satisfactory job. The beginning is a bit weaker than the end, with quite solitary citrus leaning towards bergamot that has a slightly synthetic aura. After the bergamot it’s a very pleasant neroli. I’d say it’s somewhat more like the neroli in 4711 than in Tom Fords Portofino, but not by much. Longevity is in between those two.

Given the price I’d say it’s a solid buy if you’re looking for neroli.

Starts off with a two minute lemon explosion, dry and refreshing. After that it turns to the EXACT combination of Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino Acqua and Clean for Men (the original one, not the abomination called “Classic”). Powdery neroli and citrus. This is not at all a bad scent, it is fresh and summery, perfect for a walk down the Croisette in Cannes. A tad flowery and feminine for other locations and times of year. Imaginative and groundbreaking it is not, many similar options are out there.