#La Isla Blanca Ramón Monegal 2022 Eau de Parfum

First, a hymn to the fruit that gives this fragrance its charisma.
It does something to me…this black currant. As a pubescent teenager in the early 1980s, it became fashionable to drink tea. No, not the bagged tea that my parents bought weekly. There were only three varieties available: peppermint, chamomile, and rose hip. All tasted terrible, and tea was so “oldie” (yes, that was a term from that time) that I never thought I would find something so mundane “cool” one day. But then they sprang up from the ground…tea shops! Almost everything could now be made into tea that we could pour hot water over. And there it was…that one flavor that shaped my tea passion back then: Black Currant. In one of those tea shops (in Hamburg-Wandsbek), there were large glass cylinders with a rubber stopper, into which (today's hygiene standards aside) pretty much everyone could stick their head. The black currant blew me away…and I was in a trance. Back then, I thought it was due to the amazing scent of this dried fruit; today I reflect that it might also have been due to the “aura” of the shop run by a Sannyasin, where it smelled of incense sticks and delicate sweet pastries were served on small plates. In short: I always floated through that shop…of course, only intoxicated by the brewed Black Currant tea…what did you think?
Through an Instagram post from my favorite (offline) shop, I became aware of Ramón Monegal. The Ibiza Collection particularly caught my attention. Just the hefty, high-quality bottle with the magnetic cap makes an impression.
(Aside: The bottles - especially the closure - of the other Monegal collections, on the other hand, are a disaster with a constant risk of spraying your fingers or dropping the bottle. Those who know these things know what I mean).
This fragrance also brought me a sense of floating… and again it was the black currant that triggered this feeling in me. At first, I thought it might lean more towards a citrus direction…but fortunately, those fears were not confirmed. The liquid rounds off from the start with a delicate pine green into a fresh-fruity experience. Far removed from an "Erba Pura | XerJoff" and its sticky relatives that also want to fish in the fruit pond. Since I don't know the EDT, I can't say whether it would have left a similar impression. Sensitive floral notes slowly come in later, without displacing the black currant from pole position. The same goes for subtle woody accents, which give IB a bit more depth but do not detract from the overall tone of the perfume. And now the most surprising part: the longevity! Even the next day, I could clearly perceive the black currant vibes. The sillage is good but not intrusive. For people who appreciate compliments, it is still a good choice, as it is hard for anyone to dislike it. Definitely a recommendation for testing again! The only problem is that I have hardly seen Ramón Monegal's fragrances live anywhere so far. We in Hamburg can definitely be glad that THE Hamburg niche perfumery now carries this brand. I am now floating joyfully with sheer happiness!!! 😊