Vetiver Veritas Heeley 2014

It's slowly becoming clear that I obviously have a weakness for Heeley fragrances: I like the clear statement, the variations on the main theme, where something unexpected always plays a role... there's just no fuss about it. And the rest is skillfully done.
Vetiver Veritas enters the arena like a lumberjack: filling the doorway of the cabin, he beams from ear to ear, brings half a forest with him, and booms a loud "MOIN!". And then he sits down at the table with you and starts telling you quiet stories, you exchange delicious cooking recipes, and listen together to "Mingus" by Joni Mitchell...

I like this clear vetiver scent. I've been searching for a wearable version of the theme for a long time and have found it here. For me, it's not as old-fashioned-masculine as Guerlain's classic, but rounder, clearer, more communicative. Vetiver is very prominent here, but it gets a polish from a rather surprising note: lavender leaves. Not the usual scent block from sleep aids, but the fine, balsamic sweetness of crushed lavender leaves - that's wonderful! I hardly notice the mint, nor the grapefruit in the base, but the scent fades for me like warm, charred wood - not smoky, but deep and dark. And this even after a long workday of 9 hours.

I've found my second hit here, the bottle goes right next to "Cardinal" on the shelf.

[edit] for 50ml EdP, I still find €130 quite sporty.