1872 Twist Geranium (2018)
by Clive Christian

Twist Geranium is probably my favorite of Clive Christian's 2018 flood of flankers. At it's core, it's a powerhouse chypre, including a burnt leather and oily patchouli undertone straight from the 1980's, as well as a dank green herbal mix that reminds me of Aramis. Grafted onto this is a minty geranium fougere along the lines of Malle's Geranium Pour Monsieur. This is a match made in heaven, as the dankness of the powerhouse notes keeps the mint in check, while the leafy green of the geranium mixes with the chypre's herbs and resins to create an exaggerated classic green feel.

But then there's the flowers, a mix of rose and jasmine that amplifies the floral quality of the geranium and forms a counterpoint to the over-the-top masculinity. It's like Aramis, Duc de Vervins, and Geranium Pour Monsieur put on a jasmine perfume - the olfactory equivalent of a bear-fighting Slavic strongman powerlifting oil barrels in a Rupaul wig, and that's brilliant! Thumbs all the way up!