Café V Olympic Orchids Artisan Perfumes 2013

Review that said it's more coffee shop than coffee is onto something. More specifically, it's more working at a coffee shop than coffee. It's got the harshest parts of espresso (partially due to the cardamom, which lunges for you on first application), in a coffee grinds/instant espresso way, and a BIG spoon of condensed milk. It's not at all unpleasant, but in the fashion of all Olympic Orchid fragrances, good god does it Full Body Grab You. All in all, exactly what it says on the tin, just a tad intense about it (i.e a more polite, less 'stay-with-you-for-fucking-ever' iteration of Followed by Unknown Pleasures). This is how I smelled after being covered in syrup and drip coffee for 12 hours.

I reached for this on a cool and rainy day. It’s definitely coffee shop more than coffee, the kind with wood slab tables. Maybe bar-restaurant though because my coffee is a little boozy. It’s got a faint touch of vanilla but not much sweetness—the wood is very sharp. It’s a little similar to Imaginary Authors Memoirs of a Trespasser, actually, but more wood and less vanilla; they’d layer well.

Like every day, I rushed to work, wanting to quickly spray on some coffee at Dougbucks, but the line was too long; everyone wanted the sweet Rochas. I was running late for a meeting; annoying, but I had to move on. Then I saw a new flower shop that exclusively sold orchids but also offered coffee to spray on, according to the advertising display. I went inside, and a dark-haired lady offered me the so-called Cafe V. Lacking time, I didn’t think long, bought it, and quickly went into the office tower. While I was riding up to the 10th floor, I sniffed myself and realized I would stand out today among all the sweet coffees. Only Mark usually smells different from the majority of colleagues, specifically like mocha with cardamom from Chennai, India.
Upon arriving at the office, I was quickly informed that the meeting was canceled; the boss had an even more important meeting. So Mark and I went to the perfume kitchen and treated ourselves to a Colonia Club to wake up. I was just stirring in the green bottle with the syringe and gazing absentmindedly out the window when Mark initiated the dialogue:
“Rollo, you smell a bit different today than usual!”
“Yeah, the line at Dougbucks was too long, and on the way, I stopped by a new shop. What do you think? The scent is called Café V.”
“Very special, I can’t make a direct judgment. You smell of cardamom but unsweetened and rather heavy. It lays like a veil over the bitter coffee. I think it’s not bitter but also not mild. Too strong for many people but not really overly strong. Do you understand what I mean?”
“ I think so, I like it so far, but you’re right, no love at first sight. I’ll test it further. I had a little bottle filled with 10ml.”
Time passed, I worked through my office tasks, made phone calls, balanced my pen on my nose, and checked emails as well as our messaging service, which I diligently filled with funny GIFs. During this, I noticed that my coffee was changing. Now it smelled more like chai latte, which had a calming effect on me. Even more: it triggered a kind of longing for peace and security.
Suddenly my door opened, and I shook off my thoughts.
“Everything alright, Rollo?”
“Yes, of course... Boss. Everything’s great.”
“You don’t smell as randomly sweet as usual today. Did you stop by a different café?”
“That’s right, I did, Boss.”
“You seem much more composed to me. Keep it up.”
Then he left my office.
Now Cafe V smelled different again; it became vanilla-like, and it was as if the coffee was now more cappuccino than espresso. Decorated with fine cocoa powder. This was becoming increasingly pleasant, more intense, and at the same time more detail-oriented. I had to take a sip of perfume to cope. Hardly in the kitchen, I saw the crowd already lamenting. The machine was broken. There was only filter perfume available. I decided to take a break to return to that orchid shop and seek an exchange, as I was now very fascinated.
The shop was closed, so I went back to the office, and slowly the scent began to pick up again, as I couldn’t help but notice. The vanilla dissolved in the coffee as if more espresso had been poured in. Gently, it became leathery. Yes, indeed, it smelled like hot coffee in a leather vessel. This vessel was by no means dirty or of coarse texture. The leather smelled like normally processed leather goods, which had not been created recently, nor was it old, but like leather that has lost its initially intense scent over time and has only been lightly used. It simply smelled like a piece of leather furniture. This was very well woven with the rest. Satisfied with my choice, I went into the evening.
Epilogue: a few months later, my bottle was empty, and I sought out the shop once again. Outside, there was only a sign; through the dirty windows, one could see yawning emptiness in the sales area; the sign read: your new Dougbucks opening soon here!