So I went crazy looking for a freshie in early fall both to hold onto the summer and because I failed to purchase LL’s Cedrat during the window for City Exclusives and found myself immediately regretting it. That round of heavy sampling resulted in a half bottle of Castley. I put it away for awhile when it got truly cold but I’m revisiting it now and finding these ratings a little inauthentically low for my experience. Namely, the performance is way better than rated, the scent is consistently popular with those around me (family, colleagues, and strangers), and, perhaps most surprisingly, seems to be more or less a year-round fragrance - with plenty of benzoin, laudanum, and yes akigalawood to produce sillage right through winter. The blast of pepper and ginger you get at the start is a bit more challenging and not nearly as hackneyed as the reviews indicate. It can go a soapy direction, but more in an aldehydic sense than a blue shower gel sense a la Percival or Sedley (or Pacific Rock Moss or…)… I certainly understand the hate for the PDM brand generally and the suspicion that their product is poor value for the money - honestly what isn’t - but if you’re a fan of these notes, don’t be be put off by the somewhat trollish response to this release. It has a niche, it’s a good performer, and I think its reputation is set to grow.
