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Why 40 Knots sails under a false name and should actually be called Naxos
I admit, I wrestled with myself for a long time whether I should test XerJoff's 40 Knots. Somehow, when reading the relevant XerJoff reviews, I always had the impression that the brand is aimed more at younger to middle-aged people who prefer powerful scents. I, who am slowly out of the club-live age - well, jazz clubs excluded - place myself rather in the classic-conservative part of the fragrance universe, but am not averse to experiments and avant-garde outliers. And with a bit of sailing experience in the Turkish Aegean and Danish South Seas, the maritime bliss promise of 40 Knots seemed well worth a sniff. Even if the implied speed in the name rather refers to a speedboat ...
So that it came at all, in advance my heartfelt thanks to fellow parfumo Sergio0908, who left me an appropriately sized sample. Which was a funny occurrence, because it turns out we're almost neighbors. Well, sometimes good things are just around the corner. Thanks Sergej!
Back to XerJoff's 40 Knots ...
A fierce, fresh breeze greets me in the top notes. Instead of relying on citrus tones, it is blown in by mint and pepper. Hui, this is already going well to the point! Over the next half hour, it seamlessly transitions into a cinnamon and nutmeg mix, joined almost immediately by a jasmine note. A very pleasant sweet-salty note builds up.
Question: is this still an aquat or already not? I am at odds. I try to imagine teak planks bleached by Mediterranean sun. The salty seawater that still sprayed across the deck during the last, abundantly sporty turn before entering the marina has long since evaporated. Remnants of salt have crystallized on the planks. Hm. I don't really want to succeed with the seafaring associations, it lacks plasticity. No, 40 Knots is not a Popeye Aquat, not really. But maybe this XerJoff scent instead reflects a relaxed evening on the quay of a small marina on some Cycladic island, hardly any wind, the swell lazily sloshing around the creaky, shell-eaten wooden posts propping up the jetty. Outside, a 38" Beneteau bobs, awaiting her ouzo-stoned crew back from shore leave ...
After what seems like hours, the heart note gently transitions into the base note. Vanilla, amber, musk and a breeze of cedar now dominate. Equal, no captain to be seen, they rally spicily around a residue of sweet saltiness and let the long, sunny day pass in review, until it's time to retire to the bunks. Mind you, until that time comes, it takes and takes and takes ...
Categorical Rating:
Spicy-woody-sweet
Olfactory evaluation:
Top notes: Moroccan mint and coarse black pepper
Heart notes: cinnamon, nutmeg, jasmine
Base notes: vanilla, amber, musk, fresh cedar
Associative rating:
Colourwise: emerald green, light blue, pure white, forest honey yellow
Tactile: faded driftwood, polished teak, brass hardware
Musical: Mikis Theodorakis "Canto General"
Literary: Nikos Katzantzakis "Alexis Sorbas"
Visual arts: Sokratis Evgenidis "Santorini Magic 14" (2020)
Architecture: traditional Cycladic architecture
Verdict: A formidable fragrance that actually delivers on all the promises that XerJoff stands for - fine composition, high quality, excellent durability, very good sillage. All this presented in an opulent bottle. And wearable on almost any occasion. A place on my wish list is thus him sure.
Only: Perhaps for this fragrance the name Naxos would have fit better than the 40 Knots? ;-))
So that it came at all, in advance my heartfelt thanks to fellow parfumo Sergio0908, who left me an appropriately sized sample. Which was a funny occurrence, because it turns out we're almost neighbors. Well, sometimes good things are just around the corner. Thanks Sergej!
Back to XerJoff's 40 Knots ...
A fierce, fresh breeze greets me in the top notes. Instead of relying on citrus tones, it is blown in by mint and pepper. Hui, this is already going well to the point! Over the next half hour, it seamlessly transitions into a cinnamon and nutmeg mix, joined almost immediately by a jasmine note. A very pleasant sweet-salty note builds up.
Question: is this still an aquat or already not? I am at odds. I try to imagine teak planks bleached by Mediterranean sun. The salty seawater that still sprayed across the deck during the last, abundantly sporty turn before entering the marina has long since evaporated. Remnants of salt have crystallized on the planks. Hm. I don't really want to succeed with the seafaring associations, it lacks plasticity. No, 40 Knots is not a Popeye Aquat, not really. But maybe this XerJoff scent instead reflects a relaxed evening on the quay of a small marina on some Cycladic island, hardly any wind, the swell lazily sloshing around the creaky, shell-eaten wooden posts propping up the jetty. Outside, a 38" Beneteau bobs, awaiting her ouzo-stoned crew back from shore leave ...
After what seems like hours, the heart note gently transitions into the base note. Vanilla, amber, musk and a breeze of cedar now dominate. Equal, no captain to be seen, they rally spicily around a residue of sweet saltiness and let the long, sunny day pass in review, until it's time to retire to the bunks. Mind you, until that time comes, it takes and takes and takes ...
Categorical Rating:
Spicy-woody-sweet
Olfactory evaluation:
Top notes: Moroccan mint and coarse black pepper
Heart notes: cinnamon, nutmeg, jasmine
Base notes: vanilla, amber, musk, fresh cedar
Associative rating:
Colourwise: emerald green, light blue, pure white, forest honey yellow
Tactile: faded driftwood, polished teak, brass hardware
Musical: Mikis Theodorakis "Canto General"
Literary: Nikos Katzantzakis "Alexis Sorbas"
Visual arts: Sokratis Evgenidis "Santorini Magic 14" (2020)
Architecture: traditional Cycladic architecture
Verdict: A formidable fragrance that actually delivers on all the promises that XerJoff stands for - fine composition, high quality, excellent durability, very good sillage. All this presented in an opulent bottle. And wearable on almost any occasion. A place on my wish list is thus him sure.
Only: Perhaps for this fragrance the name Naxos would have fit better than the 40 Knots? ;-))
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