PG12 Hyperessence Matale Parfumerie Generale

Source:madisonperfumery.com

Based on notes alone this shouldn't be my cup of tea as I'm not particularly crazy over fresh scents, but I was introduced to it during a Parfumerie Generale smell-fest and although I don't love it, I do like it and think it's quite special.

Well the drydown is special that is. The opening is rather like living in a bottle of lemon detergent with sharp and shrill citruses in an aerial bombardment. Adding to the (imagined) luminous yellow discord are eye-watering peppery notes such that the start of Hyperessence Matale is not just hyper, it's migraine-inducing. 

In the aftermath there is peace. The limes and lemons have careened off chart taking most of the pepper with them, leaving an enjoyable level of spiciness...and enter the Zen garden, where a soothing cup of hot pu-erh (or insert other favorite black tea here) awaits on a low table in front of a pile of cushions scattered on the floor, facing a manicured green garden bordered by a thick wall of trees to protect its tranquility. Bottle all this and you have the drydown.

After the loud entrance, Hyperessence Matale quietens to a more pleasing and moderate level of projection and has an average longevity. 

Five O'Clock Au Gingembre Serge Lutens

Source: Fragrantica

This takes me back to Sunday afternoons spent in my favorite out of many humid and noisy coffee-houses away from the outside cold, with faded peacock colored wallpaper that has seen legions of university students in its time, the massive palms busy exchanging carbon dioxide for oxygen, days when smoking indoors was not yet considered a crime to fellow humans. 

Masala Chai ingredients.

Us bright young things would exchange the previous night's gossip over endless cups of drinks ranging from actual coffee to a few tipples to help tide the hangover. It was here that I had my first Chai latte which became my pet drink for the longest time. I couldn't get enough of the spices-the pepper, cloves, nutmeg and green cardamom pods, the fiery fresh ginger and the decorative cinnamon stick, that reposes in the the piping hot milky Assam tea with a tinge of real vanilla beans. Unlike the coffee giants, this cafe made it all from scratch and the baristas would internally curse at the order of a Chai latte due to the extra preparation required. It's still the best Chai latte I've ever had.

When I met Five O'Clock Au Gingembre, the scent instantly took me back to that period of pure freedom, when the biggest responsibility was passing exams. Unlike a Chai latte, Five O'Clock Au Gingembre has a sheerness despite the bold and luxurious flavors it contains. The green cardamom is dominant among the spices, the others supplementing with some heat and herbal accords. The amber and patchouli add a dark, resinous texture and the honey instead of vanilla, adds some sweetness to the spiced concoction.

It does last for the better part of the day but due to its gossamer nature, you catch whiffs of it now and then, whiffs of nostalgic feelings and coziness like the laid back company of good friends.

In case this triggered a craving for Chai...

Spicy Chai Latte