Cuir Garamante Parfums MDCI 2013

The conductor Arturo Toscanini was notorious for his strict adherence to the score, which he relentlessly enforced in the orchestra - with overflowing temperament, always on the brink of a stroke, loud and not picky in terms of vocabulary. Simply because he held himself to even stricter standards (including adequate self-abuse), there were no complaints from the extremely sensitive American musicians' union, which otherwise criticized every little thing in the speeches.

However, it was a British ensemble, namely the BBC, that the maestro shouted at during a rehearsal of Beethoven's 3rd Symphony in 1937. The composer had originally dedicated his "Eroica" to Napoleon, but literally erased the dedication out of disappointment over his coronation as emperor.

And such surrounding details were completely irrelevant to Toscanini. Perhaps the musicians had played too "imperially"? In any case, he interrupted and yelled: "No! No! … Is-a not Napoleon! Is-a not ‘itler! Is-a not Mussolini! Is Allegro con brio! … Da-caaaaa-po!"

I feel somewhat similar. As if I must always be loudly reminded by a purist: "Is leather!"

Vanilla and saffron open, accompanied by a hint of fruit candy rose. Leather? Nuances. They struggle. I find a gentle, subtly dirty spice more noticeable. Instead of nutmeg, I would have guessed cumin. A guessing game. Then, just a few minutes later, I sense a latent, creamy labdanum that is slightly pig-like. That was it!

Up to this point, I would call it the 'amber-spice scent.' And although I concede a bit more leather starting from the second testing day (getting used to it? "No - is leather!"), Cuir Garamante essentially presents only a bouquet of corresponding hints. Unless, for example, 'papyrus' is simply meant to refer to Papier d'Armenie, it could hint at a dull quality that, if desired, reminds one of leather. The rose also contributes: it shifts between fruit candy and oily-tarry, providing with the latter another building block. A woody note from late morning suggests oud. This not only develops a reference to the tried-and-true combination of rose-oud, but oud also offers - this is argued indirectly - at times a closeness to leather.

But that all seems like mere embellishment to me. I shrug my shoulders and prefer to wait eagerly to see if the dominant labdanum might eventually start to urinate (cf. Oud Ispahan by Dior). Indeed, its proportion increases throughout the morning, while the role of the rose becomes a supporting one. However, it never urinates. Never. The labdanum does unfold an undeniable animalic quality, but remains within limits, not least thanks to vanilla-caramel tones. I find this wonderfully executed and, above all, not too sweet at all. In the afternoon, Cuir Garamante increasingly takes on a more typical amber direction in my perception, which, accompanied by vanilla splashes and rose touches, lasts well into the evening and consistently appears very high quality.

Napoleon this, Allegro con brio that - with a perfume, things may be somewhat different than with a symphony conducted by Mr. Toscanini. Therefore, I maintain my opinion: I would not have referred to today's candidate as a leather scent or called it "Cuir something." The supposed leather shows its other family trees too obviously. It doesn't matter at all, because the result is a noble and characterful perfume with a certain entertainment value.