Apple Brandy on the Rocks Kilian 2021

really wanted Apple Brandy on the Rocks to stay in my collection.

The scent was never the problem.

In fact, that’s what made the decision so difficult. I find it incredibly enjoyable - smooth, elegant, versatile and surprisingly easy to wear. Despite the boozy character suggested by the name, I never felt restricted to cold winter nights with it. I could easily wear it during the day or evening and across most seasons.

For a while, that was enough to make me overlook its biggest weakness.

The performance.

On my skin, the longevity was average at best, while the sillage was particularly disappointing. Most of the time, it stayed very close to the skin, and I constantly found myself wishing the fragrance had more presence.

I kept debating whether that really mattered.

After all, if you love the smell, does every fragrance need to project strongly?

Normally, I would say no.

But eventually I realized that I simply wasn’t reaching for Apple Brandy on the Rocks enough. As beautiful as the scent was, its performance kept taking something away from the experience for me.

So I sold my bottle.

I still think it smells fantastic, and my opinion of the fragrance itself hasn’t changed.

I just reached the point where loving the scent wasn’t enough to make me want to keep wearing it.

Fruity fresh opening with a spicy peppery undertone and a blast of cardamom in the top - extremely refreshing while being dark and unique at the same time

As this is part of the liquors collection, this is also based on an alcoholic beverage: rum and it is noticable! Not overly alcoholic but more in the note of a dark wooden barell that had the boozy juice inside. Also I get a hint of smoke.
Super masculine, very dark and spicy

This scents is way less sweet than angels share. It has a woody vanilla with a very subtle sweetness - but this is not a sweet scent by any means

To me, this is the perfect bad boy scent. Boozy, peppery, a hint smokey and woody. Unapologetic and powerful
Definitely not a blind buy - get your nose on it before buying.

Performance is great - the freshness fades after the opening and then the boozy dark vibe stays for quite a long time

This is an well crafted fragrance that i consider one of the best made by the brand.

The rum combined with the vanilla and pineapple gives this sweet,fresh boozy feeling to it. The scent really grows on you the longer you wear it.

The price for this is an little overpriced in my opinion but if you have the money for it this is definiently something you need to have in your collection if you like sweet fruity scents.

Cardamom and fruity, tart apple at the beginning with a boozy, alcoholic spike. There's a woody, musky, and marine-like undertone which reminds of ambroxan. The fragrance gives way to a cool air vibe with foundations of very dry wood - just waiting to be placed into the fireplace. There's sweetness but the dry wood maintains semblance of maturity.

Fall and winter seasonal. Leans traditionally masculine but could be pulled off as unisex with the right style and confidence. Best suited for leisure and evening occasions. Above average performance and sillage.

A fitting inclusion into Kilian's liquors collection. This isn't a stylistic match for myself but was pleasant to sample.

It's 20°C out here, the wind is picking up a bit. The sky is clear, sun is out, but there's no doubt fall is peaking around the corner. I'm starting to leave behind my warm weather fragrances for the colder one and I felt like trying a sampler in my collection which is how and why I stumbled upon this one that I had forgotten about.

I'm starting to think the Kilian brand is not for me. It's ironic to see that I, who's a Straight Edge (I do not drink, smoke, take drugs) person, have a skin chemistry that absolutely loves alcoholic beverage notes. When I first sprayed it on, I got maybe a second of fresh, fruity notes, but then everything changed. The rum came barreling through the door, overwhelming everything else, like someone who refuses to surrender the spotlight. Since I don't drink, I must say I was quite indifferent to it. Then, after about 15 minutes, there's the cardamom that came out, looking for a fight. Both notes vyed for attention on my skin, although I have to admit the perfume is well-blended. At that moment, I could detect a sort of spicy warmth that's a great fit for autumn. I don't know if its because of the strength of the cardamom, but I could almost compare the overall scent to a fall candle (albeit not a cheap one). After about an hour there's a woody base that starts to shine through with a subtle synthetic sheen to it. It fades admirably well into something that's still warm, but also soft and comforting.

All in all it's probably a good perfume for those who love the Kilian DNA, but since I don't drink, this perfume is overall a miss for me. A great fit for fall nonetheless!