Indigo Smoke Arquiste 2022

Those of you who test a lot know it. Often one thinks: I know this, I've had it before, it seems somehow familiar. A certain fatigue sets in. Until, yes until you stumble upon a gem that turns everything upside down and you are glad you haven't given up hope of finding a true treasure.

Indigo Smoke is such a little wonder for me.
I am neither a tea connoisseur nor a tea drinker, and I don't get overly excited about fragrances that list tea in the scent pyramid. With Lapsang Souchong tea, which is exclusively grown in the Fujian province of China, it's different. I'm not surprised, as this tea is characterized by a smoky note, and I usually enjoy smoky aromas.

Lapsang Souchong is essentially a black tea that acquires its special aroma through smoking over spruce wood and pine roots, followed by roasting in a pan, rolling, oxidizing, and smoking again, which evokes memories of campfires and almost overshadows the actual tea flavor.

In contrast to my esteemed predecessor reviewer Intersport, I perceive this smoky note very distinctly shortly after spraying the fragrance. However, those who dislike smoke can breathe easy; it is all very socially acceptable and far removed from calibers like the Beaufort fragrances, for instance. Moreover, quite quickly, the main player of the scent takes the stage: the apricot accompanied by a whisper of citrus freshness.

Normally, alarm bells should be ringing for me at this point. I primarily know apricot from classic women's fragrances of yesteryear (which often come across as quite feminine) or in the context of modern sweet fruit bombs like Xerjoff, and those are definitely not my thing. The surprise is all the greater, and yes, I am delighted; it simply smells stunning here. They have left out the fruit sugar, and the apricot comes across as almost cool and refreshing, contrasting excellently with the initial smoky aroma.

Cassia, a laurel plant and relative of cinnamon, which has a rather pungent to bitter flavor, forms a nice counterpoint to the existing fruitiness and complements the apricot with a fine and subtle spiciness.

Overall, all the ingredients seem well-measured and carefully employed. Woods provide only a foundational structure, while incense wafts gently through the other scent notes and lightens them up a bit. Only the apricot remains consistently present throughout and never veers into a sweet direction. This makes it absolutely suitable even in warmer temperatures.

The sillage is moderate, yet you experience the fragrance for many hours, as it is far removed from common scent patterns, and that is what makes it appealing to me. On one hand, it is quite pleasing and should not clash or stand out, while on the other hand, it smells so distinctive and extraordinary that it brings joy every time it brushes past the nostrils.

The only difficulty lies in obtaining Arquiste fragrances, as neither their own online shop nor the listed online retail partners deliver to Europe. Many of the perfumeries listed on the website in the respective European countries only have a limited selection of Arquiste fragrances. But you know how it is; when you really want a fragrance, you find a way to get it, even if it requires some effort.

The brand has not disappointed me so far, and with Indigo Smoke, I am now completely thrilled, especially when you have already smelled a lot and no longer want to follow the mass-compatible fragrances.