Reviews of Espionage (2002)
by Ayala Moriel

Thick and juicy smoke. A marvelous creation that could stand up to the best niche fragrance of this genre. This is more masculine than feminine. A leather trenchcoat with tobacco smoke smeared all over it. Classy.

A warm round leather scent that reminds me greatly of Knize Ten, only with a more approachable opening notes. The opening has those warm notes that are a green and sweet bergamot rose with leatheriness. The jasmine and orris brings in that earthy leather fragrance and the vanilla softens up the drydown for a sweeter mellow leather. A very masculine scent with a slight green smokiness that reminds me of pinon campfire smoke. The leather is always there. As with all leather scents it is very particular in its attitude - so test it first. But, it's a good one.

I happen to enjoy single malt scotch, and from time to time I've looked for a fragrance that captured the rich, complex bouquet of my favorite spirits.

Found it!

Espionage announces itself with a fanfare of burning peat and sea air iodine. Don't get me wrong - there's nothing "aquatic" about this. Espionage is pure Laphroaig or Lagavulan, an Islay malt with all its smoke and salt, and without any of the sherry notes you would expect from the more urbane Speyside whiskeys.

This smoky opening persists for quite some time on me, with a well-integrated leather emerging slowly over the course of the first hour. Then, like a fine scotch whiskey, it settles down to a slightly sweeter, rounder base, with hints of musk and tobacco.

The olfactory resemblance to an Islay single malt is remarkable if it was intended, and altogether astounding if it wasn't! The only problem for me is now that I've found my scotch whiskey scent, what do I do with it? I haven't yet figured out when I would actually wear something like this.

Note that because this is a parfum, it stays close to the skin, and courtesy of lovely natural ingredients, it disappears on me in four hours or less.
This is trivial, though, in the face of such a remarkable achievement!

Wow...I am floored by a fragrance sample I just got from Ayala! Espionage!

Instantly I was transported to a world of Redcoats and Indians....Picture the main tactical room for General Cornwallis....the smell of Gunpowder...the smell of a very potent Hickory log still smoldering after the morning respite....and plans to overthrow and conquer the treasonous americans...

Imagine after his planning his tactics for the upcoming battle....his has some hot spicy teas mixed with Vanilla and a very potent Cinnamon stick.....The faint stench of men in sweaty uniforms all day long.....but very discreetly and every so elegantly masked and smoothed out...

This thing smells like Musc Ravageur of drydown, but ALOT more potent and spicy on the drydown and HUGELY spicy on the base and middle notes...I love it Ayala! (can I have another sample please? ;-) ...no seriously pretty please :-) I have used one dab of your sample and Im hooked and committed to buy! Just need the Money!)


This Folks is the smell of masculinity and QUALITY that In have not smelled in anything BUT the best in the industry! Musc Ravageur meets boldness, spiciness and Espionage!

When I opened the small sample bottle Ayala sent me, I got a whiff of a classic fresh leather scent. When I put it on my wrist, the first half hour was really awesome: my nose dried up because it was so leathery. The same experience you get with a very tannin-rich red wine, when your mouth dries up.

Now an hour later, I can barely smell its there - is it the perfume or my own skin scent? This is soft and subtle, vanilla and smoke on a fall Sunday.

Oh, how I love the way the orris, cedar, leather, and tobacco meld with my skin on this one. It is a stunner from start to finish. The moment I smelled it, I knew I had to have it, and was lucky enough to receive it as a gift from my DH this year. This scent is a masterwork, and timeless. It smells more like a work from a classic Hrench house in 1940 than something from a small Candadian perfumery in the 21st century! I don't know how she worked this magic, but it is heap good mojo, and I will always have some on hand.

Strong smoke at first. And I do not like smoke. Then, leather, at which point it is a bit masculine. Twenty minutes into its development, it turns into tobacco. Yummy tobacco. I love tobacco. But this needs to be 3 X stronger for me. Then it would be perfect. I would happily wait for the smoke to clear, and then be set to go.

Family: Oriental Ambery, Oriental Woody, Chypre Leathery
I need to qualify my perspective--I don't own any oriental frags. Maybe it's because Mom used no spices in her cooking (I still love boiled cabbage, adorned with nothing more than salt). Of all the Ayala Moriel scents I pre-sniffed from my large array of samples, I knew this was the one I'd care for least and the one for which I'd have the least effective vocabulary (my apologies to the reader). I like sugar with my leather (Dzing!, VIP Room), and this is dry. Espionage comes across as unisex, and the floral aspects are not obvious. It smells expensive, not like cheap musk or vanilla scents. The tobacco is subdued, more reminiscent of leaf than smoke. I'm sorry that I'm so unfamiliar with similar scents that I cannot compare this with others of its class. I can say the fragrance wears close to the skin and smells well balanced.

excellent excellent! a really addictive spicey scent, that grips you as soon as you put it on!


The tobacco and cedarwood really set of the other notes such as bergamot. Reminds me of pirates of the caribbean, the movie i saw while wearing this. I am sure pirates would wear it! A great fragrance and on my wife the musk really comes out!

Leather, supple and suave, captivatingly combined with musk and rose. Espionage possesses the subtle chic of classic perfumery but with the streamlined structure of modernity. Very sexy skin scent.

Espionage ..after purchasing a box of samples from Ayala...of the various scents that she thought i would be interested in after speaking with her..Espionage is the one without a doubt that i choose..to purchase..at first i thought that it didnt have any longevity "on me" ..but i was wrong..it does .. how do i know? my husband asked me the day after i wore it "what is that? its smells great!so sometimes your not always the best judge..i read that it is similar to the opening of shalimar ..and you know i couldnt put my finger on it until i read that but it is in a way..it starts out that way but imagine 10 x's richer deeper & fuller bodied an intense vanilla ,leathery ,musky ,tobacco,rose & jasmine .but thats where it parts ways the fragrance is unique and well thought out & put together..everything blends ..it definitly works for me!