1976 Floris 2016

1976 opens with soft black pepper, sappy woody-green birch leaf and just a hint of supporting citric orange bergamot before transitioning to its heart. As the composition enters its early heart, the soft black pepper and sappy woody-green birch leaf remain, with whiffs of aromatic lavender, piney green juniper and sanitized patchouli rising from the base in support. During the late dry-down the aromatic green aspects and the black pepper all vacate, unveiling a subtle, dry amber and non-animalic smelling synthetic musk driven finish. Projection is average, as is longevity at just over 8 hours on skin.

After having been impressed with Floris' 1962, I figured I would give another of the house's more recent offerings, 1976, a go as well and while not as impressive as 1962, this one doesn't disappoint. Maybe the best part of the composition's development is right at the open, as the black pepper comes off as a sophisticated gentle spray that melds perfectly with the woody-green birch leaf and the citric bergamot before adding the juniper perfectly into the mix shortly afterwards. The whole thing in many ways reminds me a bit of Tzora by Anat Fritz (and this is meant as a huge compliment). Recently I reviewed another perfume that tried to mimic Tzora's winning formula, Bentley Infinite Intense; but where 1976 successfully tones down the pepper, the Bentley sent it into overdrive, ruining the balance and the overall result. Unfortunately all is not stellar with 1976, as the amber and musky finish while skillfully implemented is rather uninteresting. That said, in this case the journey (albeit a more brief journey than one would like) to get to it is well-worth the effort, and on the whole, 1976 in my mind definitely succeeds. The bottom line is the $190 per 100 ml bottle 1976 may drop the ball just before the finish, but the "very good" to "excellent" rated 3.5 to 4 stars out of 5 perfume hangs tough almost to the end, earning a solid recommendation to all.