Mazzolari Patchouly
by Mazzolari

oooh how i cradled and treasured my sample of mazzolari patchouli!
It is one the few scents that i HAD to buy because it had that holy grail aura about it.
The bottle and packaging are top notch, very sophisticated in line with the fragrance itself, a real treasure. My bottle came in a velvety book case which opens to reveal the bottle. Very nicely done.

Often on the basenotes forum, when the patchouli discussion erupts a few names are mentioned:
Montale's patchouli leaves,
Farmacia's indonesian patchouli
Chanel's Coromandel
and this mazzolari

to give you an idea of how the four compare.
montale exchanges mazzolari's emphasis on amber with a fresher note. (dont ask me what it is my nose isnt that well developed) The montale is earthier and somewhat fresher than mazzolari's but miles away from farmacia's pungent raw earthiness. I love Montale's creation every bit as much as Mazzolari's and the one doesnt exclude the other. They are different takes on the patchouli theme. The Montale might be more adventurous and perhaps even interesting, but Mazzolari definately has more class. Farmacia comes closest to pure patchouli oil in my view and is therefore not so interesting seeing the cheaper alternative of going to your local hippy store and getting some raw oil. Compared to Farmacia's offering, Mazzolari is on the other end of the spectrum and offers an amber heavy , almost gourmandish patchouli scent which oooooozes warmth, sophistication and elegance. This is an easy patchouli to wear and will get you plenty of compliments (if you care about that)

Out of these three i would vote for mazzolari as the high end patchouli. But all of them are outclassed by the brilliant and incomparable Coromandel which is simply a masterpiece of artistry. Coromandel is too my nose nowhere near as heavy patchouli oriented as the other three and has a refinement which is in a class of its own. Should you have the money to spare i would advise to get Coromandel, Mazzolari however,is a safer masculine scent and perhaps easier to wear than Coromandel. FBW? most definately!!! If you love patchouli you cant live without this one.

14th March, 2010.

This is the good stuff: woody, earthy, sexy, and way too well composed to smell like a dirty hippie. Mazzolari Patchouly is no less bold than Mazzolari Lui, but it’s a bit simpler. It lacks its brother’s barbershop lavender, the woody drydown reveals much less powder, and any leather component is so deeply buried beneath the smooth patchouli as to be insignificant. What Mazzolari Patchouly wears instead is a golden robe of honeyed, post-coital amber and labdanum, rich enough to be seductive, but never so sweet as to suggest dessert. As do most of the Mazzolari scents I’ve tried, this one has room-filling projection and sillage that hangs in the air through the next week. Don’t put it on if you’re not up for 12 hours of patchouli either, because you’ll have to flay yourself to get it off.

One of the best patchoulis on the market, but not for the faint of heart!

10th December, 2009.

As a note, patchouli isn’t one of my favorites. So I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Mazzolari’s rendition of patchouli. I enjoy how it is blended with amber and honey, giving it a rich, sensual feeling. The balance between the amber and patchouli is key to making this work for me. On application, Patchouli projects with an intensity that I haven’t seen matched to date; no need to smell my wrist, I smell it everywhere around me. The patchouli cloud settles, but it lasts 15+ hours on my skin. I think this would work for both men and ladies.

14th May, 2009.

I had almost written this one off. I must have been sleepy when I first tried it out. It went on as a patchouli: OK, it was a very good, deep rich, patchouli… the kind I’ve met in several niche houses… not as smooth and creamy as Patchouli Leaves, but certainly as rich... an excellent patchouli! yawn. Well, I fell asleep for maybe a half or a whole hour. When I woke up the first thing I thought was “where is that wonderful smell coming from?” This would be a terrible story if it wasn’t coming from the Mazzolari Patchouly, and it was… the smell, I mean, was coming from the Mazolari Patchouly. That dry down is beautiful… a modicum of spices, the deep, rich patchouli, and some amber and honey. What a aesthetic accord – not lutensesque, but refined, rich, and subtle. Trebor is right with his description of this fragrance, but I love the fact that this exhibits subtlety and transparency. I’ve found another patchouli fragrance that I can love.

21st November, 2008.

This is the first Mazzolari I've ever tried, so I didn't know what to expect. Being tipped off that a little goes a long way, I went with a small application on my neck and just a dot on my arm so I could analyze. A strong patchouli note isn't immediately evident, but clearly it is part of the depth and structure of the fragrance. The accords mix and meld from amber to incense and woods, with sweet and resinous notes in balance. About 2 hours after application a very clean patchouli note became clear, but amber balances the patchouli to keep it from becoming piercing or overbearing as it does in Montale's Patchouli Leaves.

I've been on big patchouli kick lately, and for me this ranks up there with Borneo 1834 - which is near the top but not nearly as nice as Chanel Coromandel, which is way beyond its nearest competitor.

15th October, 2008.

First sniff... reminds me of the same quality as an Ayala Moriel fragrance. Thick and creamy like Ayala Moriel's Democracy but basenotes of Film Noir. A very good non herbal smelling patchouli. Warm and delightful.

28th June, 2008.