Swiss Army Forest Victorinox 2012

For my twelfth birthday, my father gave me a genuine Swiss Army knife. Red, not much frills, two blades, bottle and can opener, corkscrew, awl, tweezers, done! I carried it in my pocket every day until graduation, I never lost it, and it was never taken away from me by teachers. Until after 9/11 and its unspeakable security regulations, it remained my loyal daily companion through all of life's situations. Then, as an airliner, I could no longer take it through the daily security checks, and the good Victorinox ended up in the nightstand drawer. Until a green glow in a perfumery reminded me of it again...

The bottle is a round, slender flask in dark green that truly shines when the light shines through. The base and cap made of light wood reflect the theme of the forest. The name and logo of Victorinox stand proudly, but not ostentatiously, for its origin. The box echoes the color and design of the bottle 1:1. Overall, a clear, self-assured statement.

The scent delivers exactly what one would expect from a green fragrance in such a bottle. The lemon bursts forth with a restrained freshness, but fortunately reminds one of the Amalfi Coast rather than toilet cleaner. Quickly, spicy notes of nutmeg, juniper, and sage follow and support the fresh accord. The violet adds a touch of sweetness, but remains in the background. The woods and moss then provide a solid base on which these scent notes persist throughout the day. Once all the notes come to the fore, it reminds me of a lush pine forest just after a fresh spring shower - fresh, woody, mossy, spicy, green.

Citrus accords often ignite quickly and disappear just as fast. Here, all the scent accords remained equal and balanced throughout the entire day; even after 8-10 hours, the scent is still pleasantly noticeable to me. And all of this without the sillage initially being in any way overpowering or harsh.

I have taken my pocket knife out again, didn't even have to oil it, and I carry it in my pocket on weekends once more. Because a loyal companion is always useful, just like this fragrance.