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Burning spice ship

post #1 of 36
2/21/13 at 10:43am
Thread Starter 
My first post on basenotes and I'm going to jump in at the deep end...

I'm looking for a fragrance I can construct in my mind but have yet to find in a bottle. The image:

A three-masted sailing ship with a hold full of spices has caught fire, been abandoned and burned down to the waterline. She is adrift, smouldering, off the coast of an island from which blows the scents of night-scented flowers, earth and wild beasts...

It has to be extremely dry. No powder, honey, chocolate or sweetness of any kind. Smoke. Mystery. Indoles a plus.

This is a new fascination for me. I used to dabble and owned Hammam Bouquet, Blenheim Bouquet, Premier Figuier and various sandalwoods (Trumpers and C & E, I think). So far I've tried samples of Fumerie Turque, Rose 31, Vetiver Extraordinaire. None of them are 'it,' perhaps not surprisingly, though I had hopes of FT.

Any ideas?
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post #2 of 36
2/21/13 at 10:52am
Not sure what scent can match it, but I like your description and would be interested in something that smells like that! Sounds like something Black Beard would wear, I could get on board with that
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post #3 of 36
2/21/13 at 10:58am
The first thing that came to mind was Encre Noire.
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post #4 of 36
2/21/13 at 11:10am
Welcome!

Tauer Lonestar memories smells exactly like a campfire fire plus spices. Not flowers though, except perhaps some carnation. Beware, though, the opening is extremely potent, you'll be in the middle of the fire. Tauer Air du Desert Marocain also has spices plus dry plus some smoke, but it adds sweet ambers, so there is some, limited sweetness.

Another smokey scent is Patchouli 24 by Le Labo. Not spicy, though, just pure chemical factory explosion. Dior Leather oud smells like burnt oud chips - but, again, not many spices.

cacio
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post #5 of 36
2/21/13 at 11:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sjg3839 View Post

The first thing that came to mind was Encre Noire.

That's what I was thinking when I was reading the OP (well, Sycomore, but same basic thing).
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post #6 of 36
2/21/13 at 12:30pm
Welcome!
I'd try Eau des Iles by MPG.
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post #7 of 36
2/21/13 at 12:49pm
In a strange way, I always associated Escada pour Homme and, to a lesser extent, even JPG Le Male (maybe it's taht spicy and, at the same time, burnt sugar-like note).
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post #8 of 36
2/21/13 at 12:53pm
Black Tourmaline
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post #9 of 36
2/21/13 at 12:59pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the suggestions. The Tauers are on my radar. I really wanted to like Fumerie Turque but I was expecting something much more austere than the banoffi pie flambeed in Pernod that it becomes on my skin - it's a nice scent, all right, but too soft. Would Serge Noire be worth a try? Can you have smoke and jasmine at the same time?
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post #10 of 36
2/21/13 at 1:06pm
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The only thing that comes to my mind is that it's getting harder and harder to give advice...

In your quest for spices I suggest Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan and Sattelite Padparadascha.
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post #11 of 36
2/21/13 at 1:10pm
Caravelle Epicee - actually means spice ship.

Not as dry a you mention but very spicy.
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post #12 of 36
2/21/13 at 1:26pm
Regarding your question on Serge Lutens, they all have some sweet orientalizing bent, as you've seen in FT. There is always some sweet note, so they don't correspond to your requirement. I agree with STL that Ambre Sultan is the driest and spiciest, but that too has a fairly sweet amber base.

cacio
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post #13 of 36
2/21/13 at 1:59pm
Thread Starter 
Cacio, thanks for the info on Lutens.

Many recommends for Encre Noire but I'm not sure a vetiver is right for this. Maybe something more like birch tar. I used to have a wallet made from Russian reindeer hide salvaged from an 18th century shipwreck. Huge, volatile, very crisp scent, lots of creosote: the smell of burning birch bark. That, with a panful of toasting spices for a south Indian garam masala (with mace and star anise) and some disturbing floral note is what I'm after.

I've got a sample of Dzongkha coming - seems promising. Maybe I'll try some Black Afgano as well.
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post #14 of 36
2/21/13 at 2:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hedonist222 View Post

Caravelle Epicee - actually means spice ship.

Not as dry a you mention but very spicy.

That's the one that first came to my mind.
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post #15 of 36
2/21/13 at 2:45pm
Lonestar Memories was a guess for me as well. Also: Sombre Negra, by Yosh.
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post #16 of 36
2/21/13 at 2:48pm
Sounds like the opening of Tauer's L'Air du Desert Marocain. You said you want something dry and indolic, so I also recommend Amouage Gold for women (massive indole, frankincense, and amber).
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post #17 of 36
2/21/13 at 2:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cologne connoisseur View Post

That's the one that first came to my mind.

Exactly! Set that Caravelle afire!
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post #18 of 36
2/21/13 at 3:02pm
Neil Morris - Burnt Amber... Smells like fire - like the flames themselves!!

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post #19 of 36
2/21/13 at 3:13pm
Trussardi Uomo. Maybe Comme des Garcons Jaisalmer.
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post #20 of 36
2/21/13 at 3:59pm
Pure Oud by Kilian has an oily burned wood smell to it almost like creosote. I don't know what spices you are looking for but it does have myrrh and amber. Check it out!
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post #21 of 36
2/21/13 at 4:06pm
Serge Noire. Nothing smells more like burnt spices than that.
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post #22 of 36
2/21/13 at 7:16pm
Odillon:

your latest post suggests that leather territory could also work. Unfortunately, leathers usually have added sweet ambers to make them palatable. They do often add flowers, but almost never smoke (again, to avoid excessive darkness). The reference butch leather is Bandit. Its leather drydown does also have a smoky character. However, it has no spice, but rather, green flowers up top. Other dry, nonsweet leathers are Etat Libre d'Orange Rien (very animalic), and Vero Kern Onda, but neither is particularly smoky or spicy. Knize Ten does have an automotive vibe, including smoke, and plenty of flowers, but, as said above, also plenty of fruits (cherry, strawberry) to soften it.

cacio
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post #23 of 36
2/22/13 at 1:51am
Thread Starter 
Thank you to everyone who replied. I think I'll explore Serge Noire (judging by reviews it seems to polarise opinion, which seems promising) and that Caravelle for starters.

Funnily enough it was Creed Royal Oud that triggered the whole thing, which is nothing like what I'm looking for but still very appealing.
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post #24 of 36
2/22/13 at 6:07am
Maybe CdG 2 Man.
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post #25 of 36
2/22/13 at 6:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marais View Post

Welcome!
I'd try Eau des Iles by MPG.

+1. Beautiful. Very dry. Not too smoky but definately worth a try for you.

Also, Perfumerie Generale Coze "Spicy and vibrant: a woody oriental comprising essence of hemp, coffee, patchouli, pimento and pepper above a long-lasting base of sandalwood, ebony, oakmoss and tobacco. Deep, dark and profoundly emotional". (From Les Senteurs).

And a wild card, Etat Libre D'Orange Eloge du Traitre a fougere actually but bone dry with a good woody smoky vibe.
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post #26 of 36
2/22/13 at 7:55am
I second MPG Eau des Iles, especially vintage version. CdG2 man fits the bill too, but is in my view inferior fragrance. Many leathers and vetivers are smoky, but often lack the spicy aspect.
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post #27 of 36
2/22/13 at 11:00am
L'Artisan Parfumeur's L'Eau du Navigateur was created with the OP's imagery in mind. Well, maybe not a burning ship with crew on board
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post #28 of 36
2/23/13 at 7:00am
Thread Starter 
Dzongkha is very close. Smoke, spice, some kind of floral trying to get out. Extremely dry so far. I don't get the Bhutanese incense connection at all, but that doesn't matter.
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post #29 of 36
2/23/13 at 7:11am
I love Serge Noire but I am not sure it's what you're looking for. Please come back here & repost your thoughts after you've tested it.

I second the recommendation above for (Series 3: Incense) Jaisalmer by Comme des Garcons.

And to answer one of your questions above, there is a smoky jasmine, but it's nothing like your OP description (Jasmin et Cigarette by Etat Libre d'Orange)
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post #30 of 36
2/23/13 at 7:40am
You might like this, I have it on my hand and the note list is quite accurate except I get a lot of the medicinal spices and birch tar but not so much oud and patchouli, give it a try:

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post #31 of 36
2/23/13 at 8:36am
Noir Epices by Frederic Malle comes to mind. Doesn't have the burning, smokey aspect, but definitely fits the bill for the spices. Breath of God by Lush is the smokiest fragrance I have ever encountered. Maybe layer those two?
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post #32 of 36
2/23/13 at 9:46am
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I think you will find Jaisalmer to be too sweet.
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post #33 of 36
2/23/13 at 11:12am
What comes to mind for me is Crabtree & Evelyn Sienna -- cinnamon and birch tar. No tropical flowers though.
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post #34 of 36
2/23/13 at 11:23am
Ha...you are looking for this then my friend...
http://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/N...ese-16582.html
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post #35 of 36
2/24/13 at 8:00am
Thread Starter 
I like the sound of Bois d'Ascese and Eau des Iles. Trying to track down a sample of Serge Noir.

Dzongkha ended up being very close to what I'm after. Maybe a little too dry, but plenty of smoke and spice. It opens very cold ('wet stone floors,' said the missus) but warms up, luckily.

I also gave CdG Avignon a try. Very, very nice in its simplicity. A single-minded scent if there ever was one. Not a burning spice ship, unless the ship happened to be crewed by medieval bishops, but austere in just the right way.

This is fun! On with the search...
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post #36 of 36
2/24/13 at 8:18am
All these have some combination of burning woods and spices:


+1 Olivier Durbano Black Tourmaline
Odin Tanoke
Morabito Or Black
Profumum Arso
TDC Oud Shamash
Amouage Memoir Man
Leonard Pour Homme
Diptyque Essence of John Galliano
Diptyque Eau Lente (the spice ship part)
Aftelier Parfum de Maroc
CDG Original Eau de Parfum
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