Blue Agava and Cacao (2006)
by Jo Malone

I LOVE Blue Agava and Cacao. I like it best on its own, and it is nice for layering. Blue Agava and Cacao is a vibrant, energetic green fragrance that is sophisticated and sultry. The topnotes are citrus-floral and sweet. The sweetness calls to mind the Blue Agave Nectar I've tried in Baja California. Blue Agave (aka Tequila Agave) is a succulent (not a cactus) that's related to lily. Its "nectar" is extremely sweet, and tastes something like honey. My range of tequila expertise begins and ends with Jose Cuervo, which, to me, tastes like oily asphalt, so I can't personally say I get a tequila note in Blue Agava and Cacao. However, I can say I sense Blue Agave Nectar. If the incredibly beautiful, delicate cacao flower could have a scent, Blue Agava and Cacao would suit it perfectly. Blue Agava and Cacao is slightly sweet, with the acerbic, coffee-like note of cacao seeds. It's spicy, too, like Aztec cacao (sweetened with Blue Agave Nectar.) Its base is of green woods and musk, enhanced with cinnamon and dry vanilla. I've never smelled anything that comes close to this scent; it is unique and bewitching. Lasting power is excellent.

It sounds interesting in theory, but I found the cocoa note dominated and overpowered an otherwise unremarkable blend

Ok, I understand the criticism of this fragrance used by itself – but give it a second chance by combining it with something deeper and you may like it. I like it with Jo Malone’s 154.

I am truly mystified why someone thought it would be good to create a scent such as Blue Agava and Cacao, much less why anyone would willingly spend money to purchase it. Blue Agava and Cacao has a sickly sweet top note reminiscent of bubblegum and is overall, an intensely fruity mess. It became more tolerable as time wore on and it wore down. Some spice notes eventually appeared (but no cacao as far as I could tell) but overall, I did not find it pleasant or wearable. Afficionados of Satellite's Ipanema or Armani Privé's Rose Alexandrie would enjoy this.

Here are the notes, courtesy of The Perfumed Court: lime oil, grapefruit, birgaradia, cardamom, red berry, agava flower, sea salt, orchid, geranium, white lily, cocoa, vetiver, cinnamon, musk and vanilla beans.

This is great if you want to walk around smelling like a hershey candy bar.....I'm not feeling this one.

I like it. It's very smooth and velvety. If anyone has seen the movie Chocolat, this is what I imagine that thick, beautiful hot chocolate that tempts everyone in the town to sin smells like.

This is not a one note chocolate scent though. I definitely detect the green agave cactus note that gives the scent part of its name. A funky, unique, and totally unexpected note that brings back memories my childhood in Texas, where my Hispanic friend's mom would would fry up whole pieces fresh picked agave for lunch, or mince it in with eggs for breakfast. The cinnamon is the icing on the cake, and perfectly rounds out the base of this treasure.

This might be bottle worthy for me because of these associations and because this is the first chocolate scent I've really liked.