Nasomatto Hindu Grass
by Nasomatto

A lovely patchouli scent but, as there are plenty of cheaper niche alternatives currently on the market (and of a similar high quality), there’s very little edge that Hindu Grass can provide. Yes, it does comes in parfum extrait (quite a rare thing for a unisex patchouli scent) but its longevity doesn’t live up to expectations.

There are many patchouli scents, especially in EDP concentration, which satisfy far more than this Nasomatto offering.

[Original submission date: 06 July 2008]

Very earthy… Hindu Grass’s primary persona revolves around patchouli with the herb and grass notes strongly shadowing in the background. Immediately upon application the dry, dark, natural patchouli grabs hold and dominates the fragrance. It is a lush, broad-spectrumed patchouli that is super smooth and glossy and the accord incorporates the additionally enriching elements of tobacco and coffee into its seamless, rippleless mixture. Counterpointed into that primary accord are absolutes of grasses and herbs. The patchouli accord is beautiful in its notes and structure, and compelling in its naturalness, and the natural grassy / hay sharpness in the mixture moves the patchouli to levels of the ethereal. After an hour or two, the patchouli picks up a discreet element of sweetness. I’m thinking amber, but I wouldn’t swear to it. It stays this way – patchouli and grass / herbs and the slight sweetener – and all too quickly loses its sillage making power. It lasts as an excellent skin scent for a couple hours longer. I would prefer a bit stronger sillage and more longevity, but it is a beautiful fragrance.

Nasomatto Hindu Grass

There are some Houses out there who have delusions of grandeur and try to cloak the art of perfumery in as much smoke and mystery as possible. Nasomatto is probably the biggest practitioner of this approach. Nasomatto does not release note lists, the perfumer, or some sense of what the scent is supposed to smell like. For example the only description available for Hindu Grass is that it "aims to breathe the belief in universal peace and love". That's a tall order for a world leader and I have no idea how to correlate that to a scent. You could get a clue from the name, Hindu Grass which led me to think and hope for incense with a green and herbal component. I didn't get any incense at the top I get a blast of sweet which seems to have a camphor/menthol-like component. This is an interesting yin and yang to start that is pleasant but then the heart is overwhelmed by a nuclear strike of patchouli that obliterates almost everything for a good 20-40 minutes. It was so off-putting that it was only after the fallout from the heart had dispersed that the combination of green and amber came through and was really nice. I like the top and base of this one but the incredible lack of balance present in the heart completely puts me off this one. For something that wants to uncover the greater mysteries I guess the answer is Patchouli.

A rich patchouli that (yes, it's true) could easily pass for Red Vetyver's patchouli loving sibling. It's almost as though Red Vetyver had a love child with Fresh's Patchouli Pure. (Don't believe me? Layer them and see what I mean.) I pick up just a hint of rose, too, although Nasomatto won't tell us jacksh-t about the contents.

Awfully expensive stuff, though. As much as I admire both its complexity and its richness and its outstanding longevity, well, I won't likely be buying a bottle of Hindu Grass anytime soon.

A high-octane grassy-woody scent, fired by a minty-herbal concoction and a big hit of patchouli. One component is similar to the diffusive, green, woody aroma of Timbuktu. Possibly some nice anise-like aroma is floating around in there, maybe some marijuana, too. Although I cannot call it classically beautiful, Hindu Grass is pleasing, and I find myself drawn to it. Oddly attractive and satisfying.

When I tried this I was pleasantly surprised. It's a really lovely super dry patchouli with dusty earth and grasses as a backdrop. It's extremely sensual without using the usual suspects of a vanilla or sandalwood cloak. It leans more to the masculine side than feminine for patchoulis, but it's by no means an overpowering scent. It remains a light aura of a scent on my skin as opposed to a powerhouse patchouli scent. I sampled a number of scents of its type and decided to get this one. I'm certainly glad I did. The bottle is really nice as well... the raw wooden cap is a really nice touch. The bottle/cap size was much bigger than I'd expected (to my pleasant surprise).

It's a parfum extrait, but either I get olfactory fatigue very quickly (which rarely happens to me) with this, or it has poor longevity. Either way, I really enjoy it! Thumbs up from me.