By Dane
Incense is a beautiful and magical ingredient in perfumery, and who better to capture its perfection than a company located at the source of some of the best frankincense in the world. Amouage has a long history of producing rich, heavy, and expensive scents. I was excited to hear that Bertrand Duchaufour had been chosen to capture and reinterpret their essence for the 25th anniversary men's release. Duchaufour had already created haunting fragrances for the likes of Comme des Garcons and L'Artisan Parfumeur, and brought men's fragrances to a new level of genius and innovation. Jubilation XXV might be his best work yet.
For me, the best and worse part of incense is the sticky, sappy quality that both draws you in, and quickly overbears your senses. Jubilation balances this resinous quality with sweet notes of honey, fruit, and amber. The words "sweet" and "honey" aren't something that would normally make me run out and try something, but Duchaufour somehow manages to bring only the best out of every ingredient. The heart of the scent reveals powdery floral notes and dry, moss and wood elements. The medicinal qualities of oud and myrrhe maintain the resinous aura, while musk and cedar keep the scent mysterious and dark. Luckily, I get no traces of immortelle, which is yet another ingredient that could deter me from sampling something.
There are several brilliant incense scents on the market today. Comme des Garcons opened up the idea with their series based on the ingredient, and it's great to see the progress made with scents like Jubilation XXV. Worth every penny (all 24,500 of them).
Year: 2008
Perfumer: Bertrand Duchaufour
Notes: Labdanum, Ciste, Coriander, Orange, Davana, Omani Frankincense, Blackberry, Honey, Bay, Cinnamon, Rose, Orchid, Clove, Celery Seeds, Gaiac Wood, Patchouli, Opoponax, Moss, Musk, Myrrhe, Cedarwood, Ambergris, Oud Wood, Immortelle
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