Kalimantan Chantecaille 2010

I have wanted to test Kalimantan for a long time. In some places, it is compared to Coromandel, but I cannot find this similarity, especially since Coromandel did not appeal to me.
Now, let's talk about Kalimantan. I find the name just rolls off the tongue. Kalimantan refers to a province of Borneo, and this scent is supposed to reflect the wild originality of Indonesia.
The first thing that comes to mind right after spraying is: cough syrup! The thyme comes through strongly, and even though that doesn't sound great at first, I find it pleasant and not at all medicinal.
The top notes are really spicy and slightly bitter; I haven't smelled something like this in a long time. Instead of being transported to a tropical rainforest, the scent takes me directly to the Mediterranean south in summer.

I stand in the midday sun in an herb garden, the herbs exuding their sweet and spicy fragrance, intensified by the sun and warmth, with no breeze blowing, complete stillness. I breathe in the aromatic scent and feel the warmth and tranquility of the garden while the sun is at its zenith.
Slowly, it sinks lower, the shadows grow longer again, and the herbal scents quietly recede. I get on my bike and ride along a country road. A gentle breeze carries a few spicy aromas, but there is a fresh and resinous sweetness in the air. Arriving in a flat grassy landscape, I take a break, leaning against a large, warm rock; nearby is a forest, and in the distance, the sea. I close my eyes and perceive a sweet, resinous fragrance, dreaming of a journey on a sailing ship across the sea, the ship carrying a cargo of frankincense and vanilla, the planks made of cedar wood. Who knows where the journey goes?

I didn't think of an Indonesian rainforest, but I really enjoyed the Mediterranean short trip.
The longevity of the scent for me is 8-9 hours; I like the development from the strong herbs at the beginning to the heart, where I perceive the labdanum most strongly, but there is still a hint of thyme lingering. In the end, it becomes a nice amber, though not as interesting as the top and heart notes. The base develops quite sweet (without being sticky!!!), and I can only detect traces of oud.
Based on the notes, one might consider Kalimantan more of a winter scent, but I enjoyed it today on a warm and sunny day; it didn't become too heavy. I wonder if it might even be more of a summer scent for me, as in winter during cold season, the thyme = cough syrup association could become stronger. ;)
Conclusion: it is on my wish list, but I will probably test it again, as it transformed into an amber quite quickly for my taste.