Bottega Veneta pour Homme Essence Aromatique Bottega Veneta 2016

Bergamot, so-so. Instead, I think of a bit of nimm2 lemon, including the creamy-sharp content. Along with something ethereal-fresh, brushing against mint. All garnished on a rough, astringent-hesperidic base. The fruity part soon turns completely green, leaving only a hint of nimm2 as time goes on.

A sheep-cheesy, pupated intermezzo after half an hour briefly raises concern. Unjustly - for soon the boss appears: balsamic-herbaceous coniferous wood. It doesn’t smell like the pines I know in nature, so I like to believe there’s a contribution from Siberia. I really like this, a spicy-elegant scent, where “the creaminess of the special pine” takes off a bit of the edge.

As it progresses, the matter moves charmingly back and forth between the resinous and the creamy, edging towards midday in a style that even resembles throat lozenge leather. Only resembles, this is undoubtedly not a leather scent. But perhaps the folks at Bottega Veneta can’t quite help themselves considering their core competency. Or I’m just unconsciously assuming that.

Otherwise, the scent is stable and shows at least three-quarters of its herbaceous-spicy-balsamic coniferous brew: relatively quiet, but quite enduring, although a generous application is recommended for this (as already mentioned). Patchouli plays a significant role for me only directly on the skin for long stretches. It only becomes more prominent in the overall fading scent from late afternoon onwards.

With all that, the non-niche ambition and area of application are undoubtedly revealed. And in light of this, the Essence Aromatique can be considered a hit. That it can feel a bit boring over time is then obvious. My rating should definitely be understood solely against this background; those looking for a stylish, timeless all-rounder will be well served at a reasonable price.

I actually like Bottega Veneta pour Homme Essence Aromatique better than the earlier Bottega Veneta pour Homme. Although - I must not hide this - I had tested the latter back then with very little experience.

I thank Ergoproxy for the successful surprise.