Caldo Gourmand Officina delle Essenze 2012

This is another member of the large woodsy vanilla family. Think Spiritueuse Double Vanille, Cologne of the Missions, Al-Rehab Golden Sands and the likes. To me, these scents are very hit or miss. When they hit, they really do (I love SDV and Golden Sands!), but when they miss, they have a musty cardboard note, which I obviously can't stand. The 7 Virtues Vanilla Woods for example belongs to this family and has that note.

Unfortunately, Caldo Gourmand has it too. Which is a huge pity, as it also has a lovely fruity undertone. It smells a bit like a mix of Burberry Woman with the SDV/CotM DNA, which sounds intriguing to me... If it wasn't for that musty, papery edge. It's especially noticeable in the first couple of hours, afterwards it turns into a nice scent. Woodsy vanilla with a touch of sweet caramel and unlisted autumnal fruits, a bit like an apple or maybe peach pie. I do not get any coconut milk, but there is a light creaminess involved.
If the perfume smelled like this right from the start, I would like it.

I think the moldy cardboard smell might be a me-problem, not something everyone will perceive in this fragrance, but if you ever had this problem, too... Proceed with caution.