al02
by Biehl Parfumkunstwerke

This is absolutely amazing. A very complex scent, magistrally crafted, addicting, totally evocating and exciting. The opening it's actually not so suprising as the fruits note are really dominant but within a few seconds all the ingredients start to react chemically and create a supreme and very sofisticated allure that's litterally intoxicating (in a very good way). Sometimes pungent, sometimes sweet, sometimes dry it continuely changes and evolves depending on the note that momentarely shows up. Vetiver and vanilla, incense and tonka bean, mandarine and labdanum, oppsites fighting for you pleasure. This one could be a masterpiece if it only had a longer lasting power and better sillage, but a favourite anyway.

Similar to AL2 is Versilia Platinum by Profumi Del Forte (a quite hard to find and quite expensive perfume) where Arturetto Landi reached his perfection giving the scent an incredible lasting power and a super projection...check it out, you won't be disappointed.

5th March, 2011. (Last Edited: 4th April, 2011.)

This haunted me for a good month as I deliberated. I absolutely loved it from first sniff. It's stimulating on the top open in a luxurious hypnotizing citrus spice rush, fruity in an aged fine wine-like sense, soothingly spicy, and is solidly held in a warm complex vanilla/amber base. The woods in this are very subtle and I don't consider it woody at all. The dry down stays consistent with the opening and mid experience, which I am incredibly thankful for. It would be a crime to have it dry down to a numb vanilla, and it doesn't. It stays true and swirls amidst it's entire pyramid to my nose. The longevity is top notch and will last all day and can still echo it's magic after a night of sleep - all this without ever getting annoying. Beware, it takes commitment to wear this because sillage is significant for the first hour or so.

The hard part was justifying a full bottle purchase when I have a decant of Sushi Imperiale by Bois 1920. These two are closely related, but Sushi is lighter, cooler, and doesn't have the same consistency of longevity.

al02 - while not having any magnificent name, bottle, or packaging - is a high end enigmatic gem of an oriental that is more exotic to me than many others.

4th March, 2010.

A very persistent rosy incense. Fruity on top and that's it for the fruitiness. All the way down it's incense incense incense.

24th January, 2010.

I'm generally either indifferent or critical of many fragrances in the "fruity" genre, but AL02 is head and shoulders above any fruity fragrance I've tried before. There is none of those neon-lit candy fruits that dominate the genre, rather a rich yet subtle aroma of spiced and stewed fruits; apple, pear, and especially fig striking my nose, with a touch of dried-apricot and prune in the mixture. Cardamon and cinnamon lend a spicy touch, a smooth creaminess is lent by vanilla, and there is a distinct vibe of incense through the heart and base. Perhaps surprisingly, AL02 is not especially sweet and certainly not floral to my nose, smelling like real fruit rather than some fruit-flavoring approximation for the nose. The drydown shares some characteristics with the classic Feminite du Bois, but without the woody, vinegary tang that makes that unwearable on me.

The longevity and sillage are only moderate, but if you like the idea of a subtle, complex fruit fragrance for adults, give this one a try!

9th September, 2009.