Incense Extrême (2008)
by Tauer

Here's what the creator, Andy Tauer says about this fragrance:
"I wanted to create an incense that is intense and clear.
A minimalist, cubist interpretation of incense, a touch of spices, powdery orris, dry cedar wood and ambergris supporting the frankincense that is rich, crisp, red and intense."

He did it. Though I swear that when I spritzed, the first note that hit me was a really true and pure lavender. (I do love that classic lavender/incense combo. It just works somehow.) Anyway, that disappeared after ten minutes and now it's wearing in, the pure, clear incense is the whole thing. Beautiful.

I'm quite picky about my incense and this is superb. There's no rasp to it (my beef with Black Cashmere) and it's not too dry and ashy. But equally, there's no sweetness to it and no flowers. This is completely unisex. I like the comparison with CDG Avignon, though I haven't worn it in a while.

It's obviously related to L'Air du Desert Marocain, but it is slightly different. As if the melody was played with a key change. This is a little bit quieter, I think. (I also haven't worn L'Air for a while.) It is certainly beautiful and very mellow and I think enormously wearable. I may need a bottle.

This starts with a large whack of top quality frankincense; effervescent, menthol-like, penetrating, rich and sparkling. This is follwed by a very natural smelling cedarwood. The little iris then provides a link to blend seamlessly into the base of ambroxin which is a little sweet and a perfect balance to the fire-dry incense.

An exceptionally well made fragrance from very good ingredients, totally free from irritating synthy woody-amber accords. Simple and effective - just how I like them. Diffusiveness is perfect, longevity satisfactory with a good application. Highly recommended.

This has similarities to CdG’s Avignon but smells 'cleaner' with an almost cold metallic accord running through it. There's also a very pleasant menthol note, in the top notes, which gradually fades in the drydown – I very much like this stage. Unfortunately, for a Tauer, its longevity and sillage are disappointingly below average.

Maybe this one needs the summer heat to really blossom (like Serge Lutens’ Gris Clair) but, if this is the case, I’m at a loss as to why it was released in January. Also, even though it uses a very high percentage of natural frankincense essential oil, the use of the word 'Extreme' is still somewhat misleading because this is not a loud fragrance in the slightest.

In a nutshell, I'm largely disappointed because I was expecting something stronger (and possibly more sensual) than anything from the CdG Incense line. Although the longevity of incense is not necessarily the most tenacious of fragrance notes, I was still expecting Andy to turn the concept on its head.

Incense Extrême is just too timid for my liking.

[Original submission date: 11 July 2008]

I'm surprised by the overall negative reviews on this one. I've had more compliments on this perfume than any other (Maybe except L'Air).
Smokey dry incense/tauer-ade accord, which is fairly linear. It lasts all day on me.
Like many of Andy's perfume, this blossoms in summer.
Big thumbs up!!

I get a sort of campfire accord in the opening, but there’s a spicy ambiance that takes the fragrance out of the realm of forest habitation. I enjoy the incense note, and I enjoy the whole opening accord, but I am left wondering why it is so forgettable. The incense of the accord is not one that comes across as particularly ethereal or even churchy, and, while I can admire its discretion, I wonder at its lack of both intrigue and energy. The extremely dry incense that is used might be admirable in an experimental sense, but it just doesn’t seem to work – at least not on my skin.

The cedar comes in later but it also doesn’t accomplish anything on my skin; in fact, both the opening and the heart accords seem to begin deteriorating immediately after they appear. I can’t find the orris in the mixture nor does the ambergris take a substantial role, and in the end, the drydown turns stale and smells a bit of oily residue. Incense Extrême doesn’t respond well on my skin.

I've only recently started exploring incense fragrances and find them to be very hit or miss for me, probably a consequence of what variety of incense the perfumer is attempting to capture. What I have found is a 'vein' of incense style that I really enjoy, and I find that style present in Incense Extreme.

IE starts with a frankincense note that is clear and precise but not overwhelming. Balancing the incense is a touch of sweet-but-not-too-sweet - which I assume to be the ambergris. The incense is well balanced with the ambergris, which I suppose may not appeal to those who want a stronger incense note and smokier body. As the fragrance develops woody notes appear along with the incense, and the composition as a whole is lightly powdery.

What I really like is the transparency and delicacy of Incense Extreme. While the CdG incense series is very good, I find them a touch difficult to wear, especially to work. IE is imminently wearable, and as a wearer I can focus on the incense, the ambergris, the woody notes, or I can take a step back and just enjoy the composition as a whole. It reminds of me of Vetiver Dance in the way the notes seem to fade in and out subtly. Multiple wearings reveal different facets of the fragrance each time, and a single wearing just simply isn't sufficient to get a handle on what's going on here

IE reminds me of a slightly toned down version of Memoire Liquide Hommage and a very, very toned down version of Guerlain Bois d'Armenie. I assume thiee is the variety of frankincense that Longevity is good like the other Tauers I've tried. This clearly wasn't intended as a sillage monster but as a more discrete fragrance, thus the sillage is what it is supposed to be. I don't own any Tauers right now, but if I were to buy some this would be my second choice behind Lonestar Memories. Very enjoyable.

From Luckyscent:
Incense, touch of spices, powdery orris, cedarwood, ambergris, frankincense