African Rooibos Chris Collins 2021

I have to disagree with the previous reviewer who stated that this smells more like a green tea than rooibos. To my nose, this smells just like opening a tin of loose rooibos tea. It does not smell like brewed tea. It captures the dry, hay-like quality of rooibos as well as the honeyed and fruity (baked apple?) notes. You get black pepper and bergamot in the opening that are quite zesty, but the dry down that lasts for several hours after the top notes fade are straight rooibos to me. After 5-6 hours it loses some of the sweetness and evolves into a clean and woody skin scent of tonka, immortelle, and cedarwood. It is very unique, unisex, and has enough projection that people will notice it, but it isn't loud. I think this is easily a year-round scent. I can see the dry, spicy quality working well in the heat, but it also feels very bright and warming in the cold. I have not smelled anything quite like this one before. It does have a cardamom note like Gris Charnel, but I don't think it smells like Gris Charnel. I'm a fan!