By Thomas
Did you know that the statue in front of the Leningrad Conservatory is not Piotr Tchaikovsky, but of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov? The most prestigious music school in Russia, and they don’t honor Tchaikovsky with his own statue. Weird, because, if you’ve heard any classical music at all, even in passing, even in commercials…odds are you’ve heard Tchaikovsky. His works are that wide-spread and that popular. When I picked up a disk of his works, I kept thinking...I’ve heard this before – over and over again.
Guerlain Héritage has no monuments, either. It’s a warm spicy-woody scent that initially presented a strange what-is-that? note to it. Before long, the note reveals itself: candied fruits. All this time I tried to pin it down with oud or anise or something crazy exotic…and there it is, unexpected: candied-fruit-woody-spicy. Finally I thought…Hermes Rocabar.
Rocabar, BTW, was one of the first scents in my most recent olfactory renaissance. It was a comforting scent, and I wore it mostly in the winter and especially during the holidays, until I found other scents I liked better or interested me. I think they call this brief aside foreshadowing, but let’s continue.
Into the heart, the unexpected recedes, leaving spicy woody vanilla and herbs de Provence which reminds me of...well...lots of scents, including Rocabar. It’s kind of…nondescript in an…I’ve heard this tune before…kind of way. Kind of like...Bel Ami (but less spicy), and...Ormonde Man (sans the spectacular hemlock note), just off the top of my head.
Hours later the vanilla/sandalwood rises to the top, as with many Guerlains. There’s still some fruity-spicy-balsamic woods, but they’ve been pushed towards the back, and the vanilla dominates. Nothing to be alarmed over or worry about – safe everywhere for any occasion.
Ultimately, Héritage is a good masculine that won’t upset anyone...or bowl you over. Good quality, well-composed, if you’re just starting out Héritage is probably worth your time. Although…much like Tchaikovsky’s compositions, if you’ve been around a while, then you’ve heard them before, and probably have a few tracks in your cd rack. Bottom line for you: If you’ve got more than 10 bottles on your shelf, you probably already have something just like Héritage. But it’s still nice to have.
Year: 1992
Perfumer: Jean-Paul Guerlain
Notes: Lemon, Lavender, Bergamot, Coriander, Pink Peppercorn, Patchouli, Cedarwood, Tonka Bean, Vanilla
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