Wood Street is a street in the City of London, London's historic centre and primary financial district. The street was originally the main north–south route through the Roman Fort, discovered after the World War II bombing. The north gate of the fort became Cripplegate, the south gate of the fort was just south of the junction with Love Lane, and the road diverts slightly to the east suggesting that the gate was blocked up or in use, and they had to knock through the Roman fort wall to allow Wood Street to continue. The origin of the name of the street is not certain, and some possibilities are proposed: that this street was originally an all-wooden building, or that it was named after an ancestor of Thomas Wood, whose predecessors may have been the first builders, owners and to name this street after themselves. But it could also be named for the sale of lumber. Whatever the meaning of London's street, is WO/02 Wood Street so woody as to resemble a street made of driftwood? Let's find out together.
Wood Street is spicy-woody to my nose and is the most boisterous of the three in the Wood series. While
WO/01 Somewoody is intensely musky and floral on a salty amber base,
WO/03 Café Et Cèdre revolves around freshly roasted coffee with fresh wood chips on a powdery base. Three disparate and, at the same time, unique ways of interpreting the woody accord. As for WO/02 Wood Street, the freshly ground black pepper and cedar chips are explosive and nose-tingling, with a dry-down that’s more earthy than leathery or gourmand.
I thought no fragrance, apart from
Blackpepper or
Bang, could shock me so much with the overlying omnipresence of lively, acrid and pungent black pepper, here combined with a hint of tar, or resin if you prefer. And the presence of just slivers of unburned incense, which I don’t find too clerical or ecclesiastical, doesn’t do much to make it tamer, as Wood Street continues to roar. The opening has an aroma similar to that given off by a wooden mortar when a mixture of black peppercorns and frankincense resin grains is crushed. A spicy, burnt, slightly metallic aroma. It’s sublime, something that maybe not everyone will like, very questionable and polarizing, it’s likely to be a hate-it or love-it scent. A dynamic opening on an infusion of cold spices and a mix of incense and pepper. It’s dark but beautiful. The opening is very reminiscent of Blackpepper before being dominated by ethereal incense.
Even when the tar sweetens, the pepper continues to burn. The more it warms on the skin, the more the aromatic rum blooms and the alcohol blends with a dark, dense background of guaiac and cedar chips. Guaiac wood probably makes black pepper smokier. The fragrance is close to the skin, but the woodiness is vivid, and real, with a burnt rubber and bitter undertones. There are many things in Wood Street: the sweet smell of smoke, the syrupy aroma of maple, a gum that resembles black liquorice, not at all sticky or musky, but overall the scent smells like charred wood and pepper. The transition from the initial phase to the intermediate phase occurs seamlessly. The spiciness calms down gently while the woodiness grows, achieving a perfect balance between the two. Plus, the colder the climate, the more smoky and woody it exudes. I find it sensual and truly enigmatic. It might be a little off-putting if you’re not a fan of birch tar and liquorice undertones.
It has just a touch of sweetness, like burnt sugar, but make no mistake, it’s not gourmand. If the recent Vanilla collection is familiar to you, forget it. Here the vanilla has a completely different vibe and warms everything up. The bottom has a tender skin wrapped in mosses and earths. I was ready for anything but didn’t expect this soft touch of suede. The sweetness of the liquorice attenuates the smoky and tarry notes, which are not enough to tame the scent, but enough to dissipate some of the smoke. Suddenly, a warm, sweet aroma rises from my skin, and I imagine it’s from the coumarins. The vetiver roots are noticeable long into the finish until the spicy vanilla becomes more evident, but the play is between vetiver and vanilla on a bed of birch tar.
Wood Street is an extraordinary smoky scent that highlights this particular accord with the blend of incense, spicy black pepper and balsamic notes of frankincense and smoked guaiac to create a smoky accord so well executed that it is almost hypnotic to those who smell it. Its composition of spices, resins and woods makes it perfect for the colder seasons, certainly autumn but also the opposite winter. Performance is moderate for me, with below-average projection and longevity. It’s a pretty skin-friendly scent that must be applied heavily to be properly appreciated. I found WO/01 to be the best performing, with its amber and salty muskiness. But this doesn’t change my opinion, which remains firm on an intriguing and sensual perfume. Safe for office, it might suit better the evening and night out.
I'm basing my sensations on a bottle I've owned since November 2023 (BC 32630).
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