Quimbaya Homme
by Jean Pascal

very spicey.spicey pineapple. this wone takes that attitude to do this one

When I first saw the name of Quimbaya, it reminded me of African tribal music. I was kinda close. Quimbaya was a Pre-Columbian civilization known for its goldworking.

That said, this stuff is pure gold. An amazing herbal lime and lemon with lavender notes. Its synthetic spiciness remains throughout the entire drydown and it lasts a great while. Artistically speaking, this is a cheap B-movie about being lost in the jungle complete with bad acting and effects but you can't but watch it several times but you like it so much.

Quimbaya comes on strong with a citrus and herbal opening—the rosemary and thyme come to dominate the lighter citrus with an enveloping dryness. The sharpness of the citrus is summarily replaced by the sharpnesses of the violet and clove. The energy and punch of the violet and clove denote a strong masculinity while the rosemary and thyme continue the impassioned aromatic levels of the fragrance. I find that this is, technically, a fragrance of energy and passion, but only technically. Quimbaya is missing a soul, which certainly surprises me because I think of Latin America as a major home of soul. Quimbaya needs an element of pathos—it has little drama and almost no counterpoint. There’s a need for essence of spirit to back up its technical competency. But Quinbaya still earns a thumb up—it’s very good.

Notes: citrus notes, rosemary, thyme, violet, clove, lavender, musk

Quimbaya is the latest mens fragrance by Colombia based perfumer Jean Pascal. The intent of this creation was to evoke the smells of fresh fruits, plants and flowers that are found in Latin America. I would say that not only has Jean Pascal succeeded, but that this is a generally excellent fragrance.

Quimbaya opens with bright citrus notes with a slight hint of sourness. The fragrance then introduces a slightly spicy tangy note - this mix of citrus and spice is very well done. The blending of the notes is superb. The official notes dont list any spice - maybe its the thyme note. The violet and clove notes are very subdued. This combination of citrus and spice stays till the very end, with very little, if any, lavender coming into play....by the drydown, the spice notes exhibit a bit of earthiness.

Quimbaya does what it sets out to do - and along the way, succeeds as a classy mens fragrance also, with good longevity. I find it to be a bit similar to MPGs Racine in the general smell and note structure (although the vetiver note is more pronounced in Racine). For the price, Quimbaya might be the way to go.

Really enjoyeable spicy fragrance. I detect limes and chilli's and woody drydown. A bit sweater than the other homme fragrance in the range. Really long lasting and very masculine. Nothing really comparable comes to note. Very south american. Sitting under a dry tree in the desert whilst sipping a rum and lime!