A Taste of Heaven (2007)
by By Kilian

New Haarlem is all about coffee -- when deconstructed this is all about lavender and seems to be the main player here. It's a nice viscous one though, but the note isn't my favourite, however it is presented -- I prefer it buried.

Notes of .......calabria bergamot oil, geranium bourbon oil, orange flower absolute, Turkish rose absolute, green absinthe oil, lavender barreme oil, lavandin abrialis oil, lavandin green absolute, lavandin green concrete, Indonesian patchouli oil, oak moss extract, costus oil, ambrarome absolute, vanilla bean absolute, tonka beans



I am so impressed by the By Kilian perfume range . I have loved all I have tested so far. This is no exception . This is just lavender ,lavender and more lavender - wonderfully blended . There's no sharpness just fresh lavender ,a bit green , when you first apply , then it deepens to a sweeter lavender and it smooths out gradually ,gets a little sweeter still, the lavender gets less prominent with the help of the oakmoss, patchouli ,vanilla and musk . I guess this is a lavender soliflore really but a gorgeous modern take. Both for men and women . I adore this. The color of the liquid is light green .

I agree smells like new harlem minus coffee note.

The opening reminds me of Nemo; this one is smoother and more refined, but I am definitely reminded. I find A Taste of Heaven a bit abstract and the heavenly taste comes through in a very delicious way – it gives off a credible sillage and is addictively sniffable. The “abstractness” of the opening is of bergamot, absinthe, geranium, lavender, and florals as far as I can identify. The accords are so smoothly blended that I wouldn’t have been able to identify anything but the lavender and absinthe without the note pyramid. The accords are exceptionally balanced and refined and the ingredients are of obviously superior quality. This unique, complex, soft, and unisex lavender fragrance is quite linear: It really doesn’t change much (I wouldn’t wish it to) except for gradually losing potency. It lasts over twenty-four hours as a close-to-the-skin scent… I can still detect a trace of it after showering. I admire and enjoy A Taste of Heaven very much.

I put this on yesterday and I can still smell it pretty strongly. The initial citrusy note died quickly and what is left today is what it smelled like yesterday after the top notes died down. Cloying lavender. There was no absinthe like advertised, just a weird cloying lavender. The silage is still pretty strong too. The initial notes were great, but I don't think this is something I want to smell like.

I cannot tell any substantial difference between A Taste of Heaven and Bond No. 9's New Haarlem. With that in mind, New Haarlem is probably one of the best fragrances from that house, and improving on it is a cause for celebration. A Taste of Heaven lacks the coffee note of NH, and instead replaces it with a stronger vanilla presence. This sounds rather boring in theory but in fact works out very well in practice. By Kilian's is among the priciest niche houses around, but I wouldn't accuse anyone of over-paying for this if they wanted a different take on an excellent fall/winter gourmand like New Haarlem.