Aqua Media Cologne Forte Maison Francis Kurkdjian 2023

A strange combination of fennel and matcha tea sits atop the familiar musky MFK "Aqua" DNA, along with sharp verbena. I think as other folks have said, this is a love-it-or-hate-it scent. The fennel here is not licorice-like or anise-y, but rather vegetal and green. Other reviews compare it to cilantro/coriander which I think is fair. Aqua Media Cologne Forte is like being in an Italian kitchen during prep, with the scent of fresh vegetables punctured by sharp citrus notes being squeezed atop for added zest. If the imagery of the kitchen turns you off, you might not like this one, but it is a really interesting scent in my opinion, and a worthy addition to the Aqua line. It dries down like the rest of the collection, to a fresh white musk that sits on the skin for hours even after the scent stops projecting.