Aqua Media Cologne Forte Maison Francis Kurkdjian 2023

Maison Francis Kurkdjian used to be a guarantee for unusual, multi-layered niche fragrances. Milestones like Lumière Noire, Absolue pour le Soir, and APOM showcase what the master once dared to create. Unfortunately, that time is over; the three mentioned fragrances have been discontinued.
Recently, in my perception, rather arbitrary and especially expressionless fragrances have been launched: 724 repeated the usual Kurkdjian white floral powder number once again, but fell far behind old milestones in the genre (Absolue pour le Matin, Universalis forte). L'homme à la rose, apparently thrown onto the market as a substitute for Lumière Noire, turned out to be a horrifically synthetic contraption. And the three Cologne forte alongside the three Aquas were expressionless and, above all, unnecessary.

Now, another Cologne forte - but this time, without an Aqua or Aqua forte preceding it. The green bottle says everything about the fragrance. You get a green-citrus freshness that is ultimately cushioned by a decent amount of musk. Matcha tea and bergamot are the dominant notes. It starts off very tea-heavy, with the citrus coming in after about a quarter of an hour - and that’s about it.
Not very exciting, right? Absolutely not, but measured against the low standards that MFK has recently set, this is a step forward. One can wear and smell Aqua media Cologne Forte and it doesn’t even smell too fleetingly - green-citrus, clean, and well-groomed. Nothing bites, nothing stands out unpleasantly, nicely done.

However, I won’t be buying this one. Compared to what MFK once was, this new release doesn’t offer enough to be exciting, and that’s something a fragrance from this house (and this price range) simply should do.

But at least - it’s not bad, and unfortunately, that’s worth mentioning lately with MFK!