Habana 500 Renier Perfumes 2019

So this is my first! But I have to somehow. There are only 5 statements so far and no comments on Habana 500, which is somewhat unfortunate, as the scent takes me on a journey I did not expect. I may not explain much about the fragrance itself, but I want to share the memory it has awakened in me.

But let's start from the beginning:

The fragrance, created on the occasion of Havana's 500th birthday, promised to be an olfactory vacation in Cuba. I've never been there, but one has a certain image in mind that one expects - sun, beach, cigars, rum, leather seats of vintage cars, music, and dance - fitting with the listed scent notes.

So, into the imaginary plane, flight LH418 from FRA to HAV... so much for the theory.

In reality, I am taking a time trip 30 years back, I am in Austria on the Schneeberg, more precisely at around 1200m, at the Fadensattel heading to the Sparbacherhütte.

But the scent has less to do with the area and more with what is now in front of me on the table, because when my family used to stop here, a plate of Kaiserschmarrn with plum compote was a must... to my dismay, as I hate raisins (who likes raisins, please?) and plums weren't really my thing either, but that's long ago and the "trauma" has since been overcome.

I smell the burnt dough in the cast-iron pan (which has been in the family for at least 5 generations and has only been lightly wiped out if at all), powdered sugar, and the plums (which probably also got a good splash of rum). Immediately, memories of the hut mistress came flooding back - imagine Benny Hill as a woman in an apron with an Austrian dialect. A wonderful memory that this scent has given me, even if it didn't take me to the place I expected.

Conclusion:
The scent itself is a clear 10 for me, it is simply delicious, creamy, fruity - I can also still smell coffee. But due to the memory, I am at least slightly influenced here, even if it didn't lead to Cuba after all.

How does one assess longevity for a fragrance that you can still perceive on your skin the next day, but only when you are close? Habana 500 is still quite noticeable around the 10-hour mark, so I give it a solid 9 points.

The sillage in lockdown is somewhat difficult to judge as a single, but I still perceive the scent after a good 5 hours without having to get close. At the same time, it doesn't overwhelm the environment. The only colleague I still see at work from time to time despite the lockdown could still perceive the scent through her mask around the 3-hour mark and said it smells great, so I have no idea - I give it 8 points, as it is all subjective anyway.

Finally, it should be mentioned that you should keep your hands off this fragrance, my bottle bears the number 418 (unfortunately limited to 500 copies) and there are probably not many left, and I don't know how long I will manage with the 50ml, so just leave it, I don't want to have to wait until Havana celebrates its 750th or 1000th birthday! But you can treat yourselves to the samples. That should be enough!