On the Road by Timothy Han immediately appealed to me because I associate road tar with something I enjoy olfactorily. However, it was clear that something else had to come into play, as I already own a formidable tar scent in Black Tar, and I am reluctant to purchase identical products unless they are leather perfumes. Good old Timothy designs about one fragrance per year, aiming in very different directions, and I was curious. Honestly, only half-curious, as I was familiar with the scent; it was about considering a purchase or whether reality isn't as beautiful as the past that floats in my mind.
In fact, Timothy opens with green tar for a few seconds, with patches of grass visible beside the asphalt in the scorching heat. These quickly wither under the relentless temperatures. The heat accumulates on the road, the air is still and shimmers. It smells mercilessly of quite fresh tar. This tar is gradually mixed with something else.
It's the overturned lemon truck on the road, which fell onto its load and squashed it. It smells... somehow refreshing and a shade richer. It is easy to compare it to Poltergeist by Heretic here, but the latter is spicier, less of a black mass than On the Road. Essentially, lavender plays a role here, giving the scent that spicy-herbaceous note that accompanies the tar.
At some point, the birch tar cools down; it smells brittle and woody, somewhat like cold ash. Unfortunately - and this is the major flaw of this creation - On the Road rapidly loses its expressive strength after a strong start. The element that enhances the birch tar completely disappears, leaving only a background hum. Nothing more. Like a delicate whisper, the faded fire still lingers in the air; far too quickly.
I still don't know if this scent is worth purchasing for me. It smells different from Black Tar, even if outsiders won't perceive the subtle nuances. On the Road is, for me, a blend of Black Tar and Poltergeist, in a way a pleasing compromise. Pleasing is relative. So, if one was too spicy and the other too dark, one should test this. Additionally, you have to be more of a friend of understated perfumes of this kind due to the rapidly declining intensity.
Your comment is really well and aptly described.
But at least Poltergeist is the absolute flat version of it. It's like drinking a "real" whisky and then having Jameson. The Jameson feels like an empty bubble that pops in the throat after the tongue. It's strange how you experienced the longevity. It follows me like a shadow from 6 AM to 5 PM. And that's just for me, not overwhelming at all. And that's the main thing.
As always, your comment is incredibly authentic and beautifully described, guiding whether a test is worth considering or not. I'll wait for Black Tar, which will be coming my way soon...
I've smelled enough tar, or rather asphalt, so I'd rather not spray that on myself, even though the other ingredients sound nice - but your comment is, as always, beautifully described!
I can never get enough of tarry scents. Poltergeist is pretty close, but it doesn't last on me. Black Tar, on the other hand, smells like chewing gum on my skin. Lavender is interesting, and the lemon truck is too. Nothing happens with less than five sprays here :) more is more with OtR. I've never regretted the purchase.
I only had a small sample of that one, and it smelled way too much like asphalt and exhaust for my liking, so I didn't even want to give it a proper test. You seem to be much more pain-resistant...
But at least Poltergeist is the absolute flat version of it. It's like drinking a "real" whisky and then having Jameson. The Jameson feels like an empty bubble that pops in the throat after the tongue. It's strange how you experienced the longevity. It follows me like a shadow from 6 AM to 5 PM. And that's just for me, not overwhelming at all. And that's the main thing.