Cherry X Kai Porten Parfums Privés 2024

I would like to share my impressions of Cherry X after testing it for 2 days now.

The scent description from Kai Porten states "Dark, mysterious, seductive and evolving into a spicy-oriental" and yes, that is 100% accurate.

The beginning starts directly with a beautiful cherry-almond combination that is by no means too sweet. During my first test, I admittedly had associations with a rather synthetic Hubba-Bubba note, but I could not relate to that at all the second time and found the cherry to be quite successful.

As the scent develops, it becomes darker and spicier. I would categorize the spiciness towards cinnamon/incense. Additionally, a dark, not silky but still soft wood-leather combination joins in, which has a slightly balsamic-resinous quality and appears dry with the increasing spiciness. At the same time, the scent always retains a mild underlying sweetness but also has something that is, for me, piercingly sour.

All in all, the scent is very complex and lives up to its promise of a long-lasting cherry. However, for me, it feels too dense and tightly woven and therefore rather cloying.

Unfortunately, this direction does not resonate with me.

I admit I pre-ordered the scent after Oud 31 also did not match my taste, but still earned my respect.
I had hoped for Cherry X to be something more in the direction of Lost Cherry Eau de Parfum, fruity and gourmand. Instead, here comes an oriental spiciness that takes the theme of cherry for itself.
When Kai Porten says "more pleasing," he certainly does not mean "simple" or "mainstream." And I think that will appeal greatly to fans of dark oriental and spicy fragrances.

One more word about the bottle and packaging. I find it very well done.
I admit the packaging is as small as it could possibly be, almost unusually discreet compared to the opulence usually offered by well-known niche houses. Is it all just cost-saving? ... Yes, maybe ... Nevertheless, everything feels valuable, with attention to detail. The bottle itself is a delicate cube with pleasantly rounded edges, which feels nice in the hand. High-quality metal plaque and a heavy, well-fitting cap with an engraved logo. The "juice" has a beautiful intense color, almost amber-like.
Next to many other bottles on the shelf, Cherry X appears almost tiny, and somehow that sets it apart again.