Cologne Reloaded Bogue 2013

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8.2 / 10 8 Ratings

Cologne Reloaded is a limited perfume by Bogue for men and was released in 2013. The scent is smoky-animal. The production was apparently discontinued.
Limited Edition

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Main accords

Smoky

Animal

Earthy

Fougère

Leathery

Fragrance Notes

Bergamot

Castoreum

Lavender

Leather

Styrax

Amber

Birch tar

Bitter orange

Cedarwood

Cypress

Juniper

Labdanum

Musk

Neroli

Rosemary

Tangerine

Thyme

Perfumer

Antonio Gardoni

Ratings

Scent

8.28 Ratings

Longevity

7.15 Ratings

Sillage

5.76 Ratings

Bottle

6.516 Ratings

Submitted by Drseid, last update on 15.10.2023.

Reviews

3 in-depth fragrance descriptions

07/21/2023

8.5
Scent

DrB1414
143 Reviews

DrB1414

3

It's all about that BEAVER, yummy...

Review based on the first run of Cologne Reloaded.
To me, this one showcases the most beautiful natural castoreum note that I've come across in indie/artisanal perfumes. It's mouthwatering and insanely addictive. Oily, sweet, chewy, smoky, and leathery. It is the most prominent note in this composition, to my nose, smelling it now, after 10 years of maceration. If I put my nose close to it, yeah, I get the citrus/aromatic opening, I get the lavender and the resins. But to me, this one is all about the cloud, the sillage. I don't like it that much if I sniff it up close. I don't like lavender, fougeres, or classic men's perfume. But if I let it waff and swirl around me it's crazy good. Not that much of a fougere, more of a smoky, leathery, castoreum with a resinous touch. Downright sexy and alluring. I personally much prefer this over the current version of MAAI. And as mentioned before, like all Bogues, this one is all about the cloud, the way it smells in the air, not close up. Simple, but high-quality stuff.
I'm curious if the castoreum used here was part of the vintage stuff Antonio has found or if he added it up later on as his own personal touch. In my opinion, it really makes this fragrance shine.

05/17/2015

jtd
484 Reviews

jtd

Helpful Review 4

Cologne Reloaded

Cologne Reloaded is made with perfume materials from the 1940s that found their way into the hands of perfumer and architect Antonio Gardoni. It is derived from a concentrated eau de cologne base called "Colonia della Esperis”. The base included instructions for reconstitution to various concentrations, each of which Gardoni prepared in his investigation of the materials.

The discussion of Cologne Reloaded focuses quickly on the materials. Due to regulation and ethical considerations many historical materials are no longer used. As found objects from a remote past, though, these extant materials are free from contemporary censure and can be appreciated for their aesthetic value. They are an unearthed treasure, a time-capsule. The question is what to do with them?

cologne reloadedHow should we view a cultural artifact separated from its era and lineage? In the case of the perfume base, you have the object as well as clear instructions for how it was used during its time. How do you interpret it in the present? Should they be preserved? Studied? Revived and prepared per the instructions? The answer to these questions leads from the materials to the perfumer.

Mixed-media work is not uncommon. With Cologne Reloaded, though, the form isn't an intermedia hybrid. The artist is.

Architecture has a language for adapting the past to the present/future and changing a structure’s meaning. Adaptation requires analysis of the original form and reimagining it while reflecting on the unexpected and unintended. An architect who is also a perfumer is in an interesting position to answer the questions posed by these materials from the past.

The rediscovered essences were the starting place for the composition that eventually became Cologne Reloaded. Employing an eau de parfum concentration for a composition intended as an eau de cologne increases the potency but also risks a loss of clarity. Rather than avoid the issue of intensity, Gardoni chose to highlight it, adding materials that emphasize the forcefulness of the perfume by opening it up and making it more expansive. The topnotes in particular vibrate as if they are barely contained and Cologne Reloaded lunges out of the bottle. It has many of the signifiers of old-school perfumery including an expansive hesperidic opening that recalls an eau de cologne and a barber-shoppy hum nicked from the classic fougère. It borrows the twisted logic of the mid 20th century chypre and starts with a pouncing animalic quality yet finishes with a dense, powdery tone. Despite the references to the past, Cologne Reloaded is neither nostalgic nor dated.

Some of the source materials came in the form of pre-mixed bases. The inherent complication of a base is that a perfumer can add to it but not subtract from it. Strong choices and editing become difficult to balance. Gardoni is adept and succeeds in making a perfume with a large dynamic range but no gaps or sharp edges. It bridges genres as easily as it bridges eras. Gardoni makes a compelling argument in favor of tradition, showing it to be a strength rather than a burden. He takes advantage of a traditional approach without falling into the traps of a conservative method. Cologne Reloaded is neither a repetition of the past nor a refuge from innovation. It is contemporary in structure if not style. At a time when restrictions on materials often foster nostalgia and regret, Gardoni uses vintage materials to ground his work firmly in the present.

Production of Cologne Reloaded was restricted by a limited supply of the perfume base. Colonia della Esperis presented the classic zero-sum game: its supply is finite and cannot be reproduced. The dilemma becomes preservation versus meaningful use. Should it be reconstituted per instructions? Is it a museum-piece for display? Should we genuflect when we refer to it? Is there another option?
Gardoni’s solution is to investigate the materials and to recognize what they offer. Colonia della Esperis could no longer be produced today, but current aromachemicals allows for the creation of perfume that couldn't have been imagined in the 1940s. Gardoni demonstrates that the value of tradition is not the repetition of customs or the replication of historical objects. It is the evolution of ideas.

Colonia della Esperis and Cologne Reloaded highlight perfume’s impermanence and its predicament as both an object and an experience. The perfumes are gone and I mourn their loss, but Antonio Gardoni remains, a prospect that leaves me upbeat about the future of perfumery.

from scenthurdle.com

07/20/2013

8
Scent

Tinctureall
94 Reviews

Tinctureall

Helpful Review 2

Perfumery Reloaded

A soft gingery, spicy, herbal citrus greets you, no harshness. This has a slightly wild quality like a lush herbal jungle with the merest hint of luscious florals without them being there. There is a presence within, like a soft and gentle nuzzle, a playful tease with gentle mouth, of a powerful creature behind. This animal is resting watchfully with one eye open, lazily pawing with retracted claws. Stirring up the resinous needles and leaf matter of the forest floor. Idle from the warmth of the sunshine. The woods are darkening and the night approaches. The resinous qualities emerge. An incensy vibe is in the air. There is a rubbery nuance as if there was a bit of tyre thrown on a distant fire and it still smoulders far away. All this gently fades as if it was a dream, and the powdery shadow of the memory remains. Completely delightful and yet not mainstream. Proper perfumery as it was before it got interfered with.

The presentation is immaculate, the website is intriguing, and the story of a discovered trove of long forgotten accords is a delight. This perfumer is one to watch like a hawk.

Cologne Reloaded Bogue 2013

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