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04/04/2021
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Neukölln 25 - A pity about the idea
In 1912, Spanish cologne specialist Alvarez Gomez established his fame with the excellent classic citrus cologne with the yellow label, borrowing from the Farina tradition but with its own distinctive signature, namely an amplification of the fruity yellow lemon while tripling the green-herbaceous notes (rosemary is joined by thyme and a fat dose of eucalyptus). The "yellow" is one of my favorite colognes, it's absolutely unmistakable, and every time I wear it I'm happy to see that it's still being made.
Coincidentally or not exactly 100 years later, the Alvarez Gomez came out with the brown label, 'Barberia', probably a linguistic and certainly an olfactory play on barbershop and rhubarb notes. Again, a wonderfully fresh, very special, distinctive and quite successful cologne (with the rhubarb I do - as in food - a little difficult, so it bumps with me always in the prelude, but overall too beautiful, as that I would have wanted to part with my flacon).
Possibly it would have been better, the Spaniards would have waited again 100 years, instead of throwing 2020 already several new cologne variants on the market. This one is from the new model range the first I test, and I am really disappointed.
And not because the fragrance isn't a proper classic orange scent, although the name 'Eau d'Orange' and the bang-bang label promise just that. On the contrary, I think it's a funny idea to build an Eau d'Orange (or Eau de Portugal) without orange essence, only with orange blossom, bergamot and lemon. And I also find the other stated ingredients exciting and original: almond (should be rather rare in Colognes, but actually goes very well with orange) and a solid base of woods, with a lot of cypress, that sounds good, exciting and again special, almost like eucalyptus in the yellow and rhubarb in the brown Alvarez.
Unfortunately, however, seems to me the implementation by the - not appearing by name - perfumer botched. I encounter here a fragrance that is so uninteresting and boring that I review it only because of the comparison with the two good old Alvarezen, because of my cologne series, and perhaps still to warn the reader.
Any original, independent or even at all clearly contoured prominent notes are with no discernible, except perhaps a quite nice minty note in the prelude. Otherwise, we have nothing here but a shadowy, diffusely dissipating orangy-woody happening that, moreover, unlike the scents of 1912 and 2012, is devoid of juice and power, does not radiate and after a few minutes already vanishes without a trace in the Andalusian sand. The musk, annoyingly used here as well, doesn't even lead to a (since long "modern"; but for me still just not fitting Colognes) fluffing or softening of an otherwise crystalline freshness, but only to make an already tired event even duller and duller. There I would, if it must be an orangy-woody cologne, even prefer Boston by Harry Lehmann, with which I also can not, but which at least still has edge.
Two hopes remain: That the fragrance in midsummer temperatures, for which he should be rather created, but still somewhat better convince, and that the also brand new "green" Alvarez, whose label I find particularly beautiful, is less bumbling than this one.
Coincidentally or not exactly 100 years later, the Alvarez Gomez came out with the brown label, 'Barberia', probably a linguistic and certainly an olfactory play on barbershop and rhubarb notes. Again, a wonderfully fresh, very special, distinctive and quite successful cologne (with the rhubarb I do - as in food - a little difficult, so it bumps with me always in the prelude, but overall too beautiful, as that I would have wanted to part with my flacon).
Possibly it would have been better, the Spaniards would have waited again 100 years, instead of throwing 2020 already several new cologne variants on the market. This one is from the new model range the first I test, and I am really disappointed.
And not because the fragrance isn't a proper classic orange scent, although the name 'Eau d'Orange' and the bang-bang label promise just that. On the contrary, I think it's a funny idea to build an Eau d'Orange (or Eau de Portugal) without orange essence, only with orange blossom, bergamot and lemon. And I also find the other stated ingredients exciting and original: almond (should be rather rare in Colognes, but actually goes very well with orange) and a solid base of woods, with a lot of cypress, that sounds good, exciting and again special, almost like eucalyptus in the yellow and rhubarb in the brown Alvarez.
Unfortunately, however, seems to me the implementation by the - not appearing by name - perfumer botched. I encounter here a fragrance that is so uninteresting and boring that I review it only because of the comparison with the two good old Alvarezen, because of my cologne series, and perhaps still to warn the reader.
Any original, independent or even at all clearly contoured prominent notes are with no discernible, except perhaps a quite nice minty note in the prelude. Otherwise, we have nothing here but a shadowy, diffusely dissipating orangy-woody happening that, moreover, unlike the scents of 1912 and 2012, is devoid of juice and power, does not radiate and after a few minutes already vanishes without a trace in the Andalusian sand. The musk, annoyingly used here as well, doesn't even lead to a (since long "modern"; but for me still just not fitting Colognes) fluffing or softening of an otherwise crystalline freshness, but only to make an already tired event even duller and duller. There I would, if it must be an orangy-woody cologne, even prefer Boston by Harry Lehmann, with which I also can not, but which at least still has edge.
Two hopes remain: That the fragrance in midsummer temperatures, for which he should be rather created, but still somewhat better convince, and that the also brand new "green" Alvarez, whose label I find particularly beautiful, is less bumbling than this one.
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