Mabon
BPAL description: Blackberry wine and apple cider with hops, apple blossom, English ivy, hazel, sage, oak bark and myrrh.
Sniffed: Rich golden oil. Tart, juicy-ripe fruit with hints of greenery, spice, wood and incense. I can pick out nearly every single note, except maybe the hazel which I'm not familiar with. Very complex and evocatively autumnal.
Wet: Similar, with perhaps more of a baked/jammy fruit note as opposed to fresh fruit. Like spiced blackberry-apple sauce simmering on the stove. I get a definite smoky edge, and a little astringency from the sage, and presumably the hazel. Some bitter hops and spicy green ivy. Not that sweet - this is unisex. Only very faint apple blossom.
Dry: A bit of a soapy edge - possibly this is a weirdness of the sage and/or hazel as well as a result of the apple blossom. I LOVE the oak note in this - it's round and rich without being too dry or strong. I'm sad to have lost the juiciness, though I do like the booziness that I get now instead.
Later: More spices, woods, myrrh and dark herbal notes emerging - an overall affect of darkening. It's actually gotten a bit tarter, fruit-wise, almost to the point of juiciness - the blackberry and baked apple notes are holding beautifully, and I think the tart-bitterness of the hops really accentuates them.
Summary: Slightly dusty-dry oak and amped spices (clove and allspice), slightly harsh sage and the edge of smoky-bitter myrrh make this unwearable, but I really love the rounder aspects of the booze/oak (reminds me of Montresor), blackberry, and baked apple notes. Very evocative and well-crafted. Lower throw but lasts.
Huh...the sweet musky boozy, oaky (almost vanillic, again like Montresor) fruity drydown is pretty nice - I keep sniffing myself. Most of the dusty and sharp notes have worn off - it's not something I'd ever normally like, but the spices are light enough that I might actually like this, To retest. The fruity/booze/vanilla-oak drydown is addictive!
Sniffed: Rich golden oil. Tart, juicy-ripe fruit with hints of greenery, spice, wood and incense. I can pick out nearly every single note, except maybe the hazel which I'm not familiar with. Very complex and evocatively autumnal.
Wet: Similar, with perhaps more of a baked/jammy fruit note as opposed to fresh fruit. Like spiced blackberry-apple sauce simmering on the stove. I get a definite smoky edge, and a little astringency from the sage, and presumably the hazel. Some bitter hops and spicy green ivy. Not that sweet - this is unisex. Only very faint apple blossom.
Dry: A bit of a soapy edge - possibly this is a weirdness of the sage and/or hazel as well as a result of the apple blossom. I LOVE the oak note in this - it's round and rich without being too dry or strong. I'm sad to have lost the juiciness, though I do like the booziness that I get now instead.
Later: More spices, woods, myrrh and dark herbal notes emerging - an overall affect of darkening. It's actually gotten a bit tarter, fruit-wise, almost to the point of juiciness - the blackberry and baked apple notes are holding beautifully, and I think the tart-bitterness of the hops really accentuates them.
Summary: Slightly dusty-dry oak and amped spices (clove and allspice), slightly harsh sage and the edge of smoky-bitter myrrh make this unwearable, but I really love the rounder aspects of the booze/oak (reminds me of Montresor), blackberry, and baked apple notes. Very evocative and well-crafted. Lower throw but lasts.
Huh...the sweet musky boozy, oaky (almost vanillic, again like Montresor) fruity drydown is pretty nice - I keep sniffing myself. Most of the dusty and sharp notes have worn off - it's not something I'd ever normally like, but the spices are light enough that I might actually like this, To retest. The fruity/booze/vanilla-oak drydown is addictive!