Collection Homme Fruit de Bois (2005)
by Jean-Charles Brosseau

This is the best of the three in the collection by a country mile. Fruity, boozy, sweet and woody all in one, yet sophisticated with it, somehow. I think the juniper is inspired and works really well throughout, enhancing the other notes. Definitely worth seeking out.

Starts out fresh and fruity, and bearing a resemblance, at least in my mind to Yang. But that quickly changes to a pleasant sweet woody scent with just a hint of the fruit that was present before. Unfortunately this scent plays it pretty close for a few hours and disappears all to quickly. I will give this one a tentative thumbs up since I like the fragrance but the longevity is less than even most creeds.

The notes (from Osmoz):

Top note :
Bergamot, Grapefruit, Gentian
Middle note :
Clary Sage, Geranium, Nutmeg, Juniper
Base note :
Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Amber

Fruit de Bois is subtle and elegant, and somewhat unusual: a fresh woody scent. The first thing to hit is a very clear accord based on gentian, a kind of herbal-floral note. It shares that with lavender, but gentian is herbal in a dryer, less sharp way, with overtones of new-mown hay.

Next, the clary sage comes through with its unmistakable note of elegance. It contributes the slightly fruited note that appears in the scent's name. In combination with the juniper, it echoes the herbal note from the top accord. The geranium is subtly floral, and the nutmeg is a barely recognizable spicy aura in the background.

Finally, the base is a little drier than the list of ingredients might suggest. The cedarwood brings a hint of bitterness, relieved by the mild sweetness of the amber, the soft richness of sandalwood, and the green rootiness of vetiver.

Overall, a very distinctive bouquet. It says elegance in a modern mode; and it's not too old-school, in spite of the traditional nature of the notes list. The combination of gentian, clary sage, geranium, and juniper is unique. I would say this one breathes quiet and a hauntingly tender feeling.

Fruit de Bois is the softest and sweetest of the Homme Collection. This superb composition is not entirely unique: it shares many of the characteristics of Brosseau's Ombre Bleue. The fruits and woods and spices are very carefully mixed and none dominates. I can see many women finding this to be an ideal scent for the office or for casual moments. Another winner for M.Brosseau! While I doubt that the Collection Homme will be a commercial success, aesthetically it is spot-on.