Bursch Acqua di Biella 2005

Bursch really has not gotten a lot of love here and elsewhere, but I confess I like it a lot... It opens with an extremely brief hint of citrus, but quickly moves to an excellent incense and rhubarb accord with a gentle splash of semi-dry rum that I really like. A very natural cedar note dominates the relatively brief base of the scent. "Brief" is the operative word here, describing the scent in its entirely... It does not last long at all, regrettably. Bursch is subtle; definitely a skin scent. It is excellent smelling while it is here, but after a few hours, poof, its gone. I love it, but it is hard to recommend a buy as it is relatively expensive and you will need to use a lot of it... and frequently at that. While buying Bursch is a hard-sell proposition (albeit one that I personally found worthy enough to take the plunge), sampling it is at least a very easy one. Good stuff and personally recommended. 4 to 4.5 stars out of 5.

"La Bürsch - das Valle del Cervo is a 20-kilometer-long valley in the landscape around Biella. For centuries, it has served as a natural route for people from the surrounding villages to the markets of Biella, Cacciorno, and Oropa. Interspersed with old stone bridges, rest areas for humans and animals, and small chapels, this landscape reveals itself in breathtaking, pristine beauty."

The fragrance that carries the name of this region begins with a classically spicy citrus bergamot note and gradually develops into a peppery forest scent.

For me, it ideally represents the quintessential high-quality office fragrance. Not in the least bit intrusive, finely balanced, of high quality, in short: You can use it, but you don’t have to.

I was quite curious about the sample of this fragrance due to the combination of the scent notes, which I kindly received as a surprise.

It starts off quite fruity; I can clearly detect the rhubarb, while the citrus components are less noticeable. The whole thing is paired with a rather masculine note, possibly the rum. After a short time, the fragrance becomes even more unisex. I only smell vetiver paired with a certain sweetness, likely from the fruits. This strongly reminds me of Vetiver-Tonka by Hermes/Hermessence. I actually quite like it when the vetiver loses some of its sharpness and biting notes, but I prefer this to be done through citrus components... sweet notes often don't harmonize ideally with vetiver, in my opinion.

I find this fragrance to be "okay." Not a must-have and not a candidate for purchase or decanting for me. Not unpleasant, but also nothing particularly great. The longevity is, by the way, very low, but the sillage is surprisingly good, I think.

There are very few perfumes that blow me away with their uniqueness, that I like immediately, and that do not disappoint or annoy me even after prolonged use. This one belongs to that category, and it is a strong contender for signature status. Spicy-woody with a slightly tart-fresh rhubarb note in the opening and a subtle sweetness in the background from the rum, but its true strength is (stolen from a base note expert, but she puts it PERFECTLY) its saltiness, to the point that it makes your mouth water! I have never experienced such an expressive salt note in any fragrance until now. Bravissimo!

Pleasantly fresh and citrusy, Bursch presents itself in the top note. Very soft, velvety, and slightly sweet, with a faintly powdery touch. I am pleasantly surprised and find it very wearable for me as well. This warm, friendly fresh opening probably comes from the fruits, which I can't quite identify, but they seem to ensure that the scent doesn't become too sharp.
However, once the top note has faded, unfortunately, the wood and oak moss dominate. So much so that even I, as a pronounced oak moss avoider, recognize it immediately. The other components like the spices and incense, however, do not reveal themselves to me.
Overall, it remains a well-wearable perfume, suitable for both men and women, relatively unobtrusive yet with a slightly warm elegance. I can imagine it very well in the office. But for me, I no longer like it now.

Thanks to Gerry for the surprise sample.