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Leathery, resinous, spicy, dark green, orange-y, smoky, mildly sweet
... without indeed smelling of leather, particular resins, spices, herbs or woods, not clearly of cognac or vanilla and only briefly of orange. All the same, the whole of PB is very recognizable and memorable to me. I can picture a sort of fantasy forest created by cool herbal notes and warm moss, and purple streaks of clouds at sunset suggested by creamy, balsamic and boozy notes. Lately – having sprayed the fragrance occasionally over the course of a year, I must say that the first one or two hours feel decidedly too sweet to me, as if a metallic energy drink had been added to the mix – or had been spilled over those imaginary watercolor landscapes. The likeliest culprit would seem Ambroxide, which I apparently perceive as sugary and sterile when highly dosed (in particular in “Molecule 02”). I suspect that I'm becoming more bothered by this, even in fragrances like PB that have other prominent sweet notes. (Though I'm really not confident that PB does contain a lot of Ambroxide.) My perception of the dry-down hasn't changed much: moderately sweet, orange-chocolate-y creamy and a little spicy, not too overtly gourmand. Well, with or without the sugar water, I've always found the fragrance too pleasing, sentimental and warm for me to wear. For that reason, I also haven't paid great attention to its projection and longevity; seems decent in both respects.
Regarding olfactory notes, apart from the “cognac accord,” I don't find the pyramid provided by the Couvent terribly descriptive. Neither the sweet orange nor the frankincense are prominent by my reckoning. (Though I imagine that the incense plays an important role, perhaps indeed as a part of that cognac accord.) I guess the brand is following a pattern of two advertised natural materials per fragrance. I'm not sure what to make of the rarely used davana note. That plant is of the Artemisia genus, so I'd expect something herbal. An older pyramid appears to be preserved in an article [1] by Bella van der Weerd. Petitgrain and benzoin are included in that one. Petitgrain figures for me – though it's not overt –, benzoin perhaps if the (supposedly warmer, spicier) Sumatran kind is meant. That one could perhaps hide between labdanum and (synthetic) oakmoss, both of which I find quite apparent. I'm also suspecting a medium dose of patchouli among the green and chocolate-y notes.
Alternatives: Margiela's “Jazz Club” immediately reminded me of PB, the sweet notes (apart from the supposed Ambroxide), warm resins and moss are strikingly similar. JC has a different aesthetic, however, with concrete impressions of cigars, leather and rum. It's also much spicier, less green and more animalic than PB. “Side Effect” by Initio becomes somewhat similar to PB only late in its development: creamy, slightly sweet and smoky; (fruit) brandy, warm backdrop. I've seen Amouage fragrances mentioned, broadly, as being in a similar vein as PB. I'm still exploring that avenue, but it seems clear enough that those tend to be more oriental, more unusual and pricier. (Though the Couvent has been increasing its prices over the last few years and PB is now squarely mid-range.)
[1] B. van der Weerd: “A New Line from Le Couvent des Minimes: Parfums Remarquables,” 2019, user account required:
https://www.fragrantica.com/news/A-New-Line-from-Le-Couvent-des-Minimes-Parfums-Remarquables-11872.html
Regarding olfactory notes, apart from the “cognac accord,” I don't find the pyramid provided by the Couvent terribly descriptive. Neither the sweet orange nor the frankincense are prominent by my reckoning. (Though I imagine that the incense plays an important role, perhaps indeed as a part of that cognac accord.) I guess the brand is following a pattern of two advertised natural materials per fragrance. I'm not sure what to make of the rarely used davana note. That plant is of the Artemisia genus, so I'd expect something herbal. An older pyramid appears to be preserved in an article [1] by Bella van der Weerd. Petitgrain and benzoin are included in that one. Petitgrain figures for me – though it's not overt –, benzoin perhaps if the (supposedly warmer, spicier) Sumatran kind is meant. That one could perhaps hide between labdanum and (synthetic) oakmoss, both of which I find quite apparent. I'm also suspecting a medium dose of patchouli among the green and chocolate-y notes.
Alternatives: Margiela's “Jazz Club” immediately reminded me of PB, the sweet notes (apart from the supposed Ambroxide), warm resins and moss are strikingly similar. JC has a different aesthetic, however, with concrete impressions of cigars, leather and rum. It's also much spicier, less green and more animalic than PB. “Side Effect” by Initio becomes somewhat similar to PB only late in its development: creamy, slightly sweet and smoky; (fruit) brandy, warm backdrop. I've seen Amouage fragrances mentioned, broadly, as being in a similar vein as PB. I'm still exploring that avenue, but it seems clear enough that those tend to be more oriental, more unusual and pricier. (Though the Couvent has been increasing its prices over the last few years and PB is now squarely mid-range.)
[1] B. van der Weerd: “A New Line from Le Couvent des Minimes: Parfums Remarquables,” 2019, user account required:
https://www.fragrantica.com/news/A-New-Line-from-Le-Couvent-des-Minimes-Parfums-Remarquables-11872.html
Pimm