Ambre Sultan (Serge Lutens)

Guest review by mikeperez23 of Miami

Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens was one of my first fragrances I had a strong emotional response to; the first time I smelled it.

The name sounded a little silly to me. Ambre Sultan. Camels, sabers and stereotypical Middle Eastern images popped into my head. I’ve never actually traveled to the Middle East…so what did these images smell like?

Luckily, I stumbled upon the entire Serge Lutens line at the Tomas Maier boutique in Miami Beach (I stopped in during my lunch hour). The tall and thin rectangular bottle fit perfectly in my hand. The amber colored juice is the shade of hot chai tea and almost begs to be held up to the light.

The first impression the amber reminded me of was ‘Youth Dew’ by Estee Lauder (a family friend wore it when I was growing up). Whereas YD takes the amber and ‘oriental-izes’ it, this amber accord is more spicy (less sweet), dry and deeply resinous. The top notes of coriander, myrtle and something that registers as rosemary diffuse almost immediately onto skin and into the air and create a small, circular private space of dried aromatics and spices - resting atop a salty amber base. Perhaps it is the herbs (oregano and bay leaf) that lead my nose to perceive a swirling (almost windy) combination of notes. Therein, for a few minutes, the olfactory sensation is one of an open, large area in the outdoors. Suffused with scents.

The middle and base notes of AS merge into one distinct destination: warm and muted patchouli, a coal (or mineral prominent) spice accord and a faint vanilla and amber mixture. All bone-dry. It is the skillfully blended dryness of AS that allows me to wear it easily in warm Summer weather. A slightly higher body temperature (even a light perspiration) wear extremely well with this scent.

The scent’s longevity varies from person to person – on me, it averages about 5 – 6 hours. I’ve found the scent of AS clings to my undershirts well after the scent has left my skin.

Oh yes – that emotional reaction I mentioned above. It was completely unexpected and yet oddly welcoming. Perhaps the feeling could be best described as: unexpected joy. A quick lunch hour shopping trip suddenly evolved into a raw, lonely landscape. There I was. Lost in it. Where was I?

Here, is where I was:

I was walking down a narrow dirty street. I am lost. It is hot outside and I am sweating. I need to find a phone. The street is lined with children, apartment buildings and small shops. The doors of the shops are open and as I walk I tread carefully, afraid someone exiting a doorway will run right into me. I pass by a particular small shop, with a yellow faded door. Inside the door I see baskets of dried spice leaves, incense sticks and resins. The shopkeeper smiles, he is smoking a sweet smelling, hand rolled cigarette. I stop walking. Peeking my head into the dark doorway (my eyes adjusting to the darkness) a tangy, salty and very thick amber scent fills my nose.

Naturally, I walk right in.

Year: 1993
Perfumer: Christopher Sheldrake
Notes: Coriander, Amber, Oregano, Bay leaf, Myrtle, Angelica root, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Benzoin, Vanilla

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A special thank you to mikeperez23 for the vivid and colourful review! Look forward to reading more from Mike in the future.