Moha Śasva 2024

It feels like a gentle burnt chestnut wrapped in white flowers, sandalwood, and coffee.
The coffee is what I love most here, because it’s different from the usual coffee notes I’ve smelled before: it’s distant, soft, never aggressive, yet always there, somehow subtle. That’s probably what gives the fragrance its aromatic, lightly burnt vibe.
I find it very well balanced, even though it has a sharp, edgy soul. Another big plus is how beautifully it evolves on skin — really impressive.
Today is definitely its day. (6°C in my town in Italy!)

As a great coffee lover, a day without this incredibly delicious, aromatic beverage is completely unthinkable for me.
I not only enjoy drinking coffee immensely, but also love its scent.
For a long time, I was searching for a perfume that reflected the aroma of a delicious café au lait, until I discovered Coffee Addict.
Of course, tastes differ, but to me it is the perfect coffee scent, which I have become truly addicted to and which must never be missing from my collection.
Even though I had found my coffee scent, I remained curious about other coffee fragrances and thus became aware of Moha.
The fragrance pyramid already suggested that it would go in a completely different direction than 'Coffee Addict', and the combination of coffee and chestnut in particular sparked my interest.

The fragrance opens with a bitter, intense coffee note that is completely devoid of sweetness. At the same time, I detect cardamom and immediately think of traditional Arabic coffee, in which dark-roasted, finely ground coffee beans are boiled together with freshly ground cardamom in a small pot.

Almost at the same moment, chestnut joins in with a light roasted aroma, immediately reminding me of warm roasted chestnuts. It gives the spicy coffee a mild, nutty note as well as a velvety-soft texture.

In the base, the fragrance is rounded off by a touch of caramel, soft sandalwood and vanilla, which lend it a gentle sweetness and a warm, woody depth with which it finally fades away.

'Moha' is a multifaceted, oriental and extraordinary coffee scent, and I have to say that I have not smelled anything comparable so far.
It comes across as decidedly refined, full-bodied and aromatic. The chestnut adds an interesting nutty touch, while vanilla and caramel keep the fragrance from seeming too bitter through their gentle sweetness.

Nevertheless, I have to admit that Moha could not completely convince me and does not entirely suit my taste.
Personally, I perceive the chestnut note as extremely intense throughout the entire development, and combined with the coffee, it strikes me as rather unusual, distinctive and somewhat out of place.
It almost seems as if roasted sweet chestnuts had been placed in a cup of Arabic coffee, left to steep there for a few minutes and the coffee then drunk.

To be fair, I would like to emphasize that 'Moha' is by no means a bad fragrance.
I can certainly understand the good to very good reviews, but personally I prefer very sweet and milky-creamy coffee fragrances that are reminiscent of cappuccino or latte macchiato.

Anyone looking for a unique coffee scent should definitely give it a chance and test it, although I advise against a blind buy, as the bitter-spicy coffee and chestnut combination will certainly not appeal to everyone.
Nevertheless, I am glad that I had the opportunity to test 'Moha' and get to know a completely new facet of coffee fragrances.

Finally, a brief word about longevity, as it positively surprised me.
I can smell the fragrance on my skin for around 8 hours, and even longer on clothing, so it can certainly impress in terms of performance.

I have come across Moha repeatedly in the ticker here.
Since the opinions were mostly positive and the scent pyramid sounded really promising, I ultimately decided on a decant.

With high expectations, I followed with the first spray.
At first, a note reminiscent of dark chocolate hit my nose, not too sweet, rather bitter and mysterious.
Although chocolate is not listed in the official notes, it is absolutely present for me at the beginning.

After a short time, this impression changes.
The chocolate gives way to a prominent coffee note, accompanied by a very authentic chestnut.
On my skin, it additionally develops a slightly woody character.
Coffee and chestnut remain dominant, but the coffee is not as sweet as I had hoped.
It reminds me more of an unsweetened, oriental cardamom coffee.
Caramel and vanilla add a slight sweetness to the fragrance, yet the overall character remains dark, bitter, and subtly woody until the end.

In terms of performance, I am unfortunately torn.
The longevity of 5.5 hours is quite disappointing for this price range.
The sillage, on the other hand, is solid, not a room-filler, but absolutely within range.

The scent is definitely unisex, but for me, it leans more towards the masculine side (M60%/40%W).

Ultimately, it simply isn't my DNA.
For my taste, it is too bitter and too dark; the hoped-for gourmand sweetness is simply missing here.
Those who prefer it less sweet and more edgy might like it, but unfortunately, it is not for me.

India? Nope. Japan! A ghost story... Life jackets on, please.

In the khaki-colored sultriness of this hazy late afternoon, water drips from the leafy crowns of the ancient, nameless trees by the shore, slowly, languidly. The Kappa are cultured; they clarify the pond so that it doesn't stink at all. They have almost lifelike recreated the musty scent of their habitat in the large laboratory in the Yôkai capital, decades ago. This allowed them to develop a room-uh, pond fragrance that scents their lakes this year without them actually smelling like rotten mud; old Kappa from 900 years ago would have wrinkled their noses at that.
And would have cursed terribly!

On the shore, a few young ghost hunters are camping. Real ones. Those with special cameras instead of traps like in that silly movie. One swears he can already smell the water spirits.

Unimpressed by the Kappa's roaring and howling, which comes to the surface as a distinct gurgling, a coffee is now being brewed; it burns a little, maybe the sugar should have been stirred in afterward, but whatever, the main thing is to look cool while taking a coffee break by the shore of a Kappa pond. What else smells umami?
On the lightweight double swivel grill from the hyped outdoor store hangs not only the coffee pot, but also leek cream soup is simmering, seasoned with creamy fats and, ahem, herbs. Here we go! The one with the trendy jasmine perfume pulls out caramel toffees to lure them in. The expensive ones, with chestnut cream. Smartphones are raised, digital cameras adjusted. Bubbles rise. The first Kappa down there flares its nostrils -

I actually just wanted to enjoy a quiet moment. A simple espresso, a little sweet treat…nothing earth-shattering. But then it happened, and my Toffifee, which I casually held between two fingers, slipped from my hand and fell right into my freshly brewed espresso. The chocolate began to melt immediately, the caramel became soft, and the hazelnut floated like a little buoy on the surface. Was this an accident or fate? Curiously, I took a sip and was immediately overwhelmed. The bitter notes and the slight acidity of the espresso combined with the velvety sweetness of the caramel. The chocolate made it all beautifully creamy, while the hazelnut, as a nut should, brought an unexpected nuttiness into play. “Wait a minute…,” I thought. “This reminds me of something!”

Moha is typically the scent that hardly anyone knows, as its name somehow sounds like the mantra of a forgotten order from the early Middle Ages. A fragrance that receives little attention on Parfumo…until now. So I find myself on a mission to change that and to bring this little masterpiece of the perfume community a bit closer.

I had been searching for some time for a coffee scent that suited me perfectly. I tested numerous fragrances that had the word coffee in them. But an Irish Coffee? For breakfast? Whether in the scent notes or in the name, during this time I got to know all sorts of strange, but also beautiful fragrances. Yet while one seemed too boozy, the next smelled somehow too bitter, then there was one that was musty, just smelled like old socks. Others reminded me more of coffee with sour milk. After I received a decant of Moha from a lovely Parfuma, I was immediately thrilled. What a coincidence that I later managed to snag the bottle from her as well. The bottle itself is quite simple and with its minimalist elegance, it already hinted that it does not submit to the loud cries of the marketing machinery.

So let’s get to my scent experience. One spray on the skin and an unexpected warmth spreads immediately. Oh, before I forget, here comes my only real criticism up to that point, the vaporizer, which was a disaster, and I rated the bottle only a “6”, but more on that later. Back to the scent, because the beginning is a bittersweet opening, where dark, roasted notes mix with a subtle spiciness. As if someone had drizzled freshly ground coffee with a hint of cinnamon. Then the true wonder of Moha unfolds, as caramel and chestnut come to the forefront, but not in a sticky, overly exaggerated sweetness, rather with a beautiful, elegantly balanced flavor. And from this also results my association with this combination, because that very chestnut immediately reminded me of a roasted hazelnut and transforms the scent in connection with the caramel note into an absolutely fantastic gourmand symphony. In the end, soft woods, a hint of tonka bean, and a light veil of vanilla round off the Moha. They give the scent a slightly earthy, but creamy and wonderful depth. Its secret? Yes, this interplay conveys to me a subtle dryness that prevents Moha from becoming too sweet or too intrusive. All of this may not sound earth-shattering and complex, but in its simplicity, it is a beautiful creation that makes it simply perfect for coffee junkies like me.

As I sip my espresso-Toffifee brew, I wonder: How could it be that Moha has received so little attention until now? A scent that balances fantastically between sweet seduction and adult sophistication? Perhaps it’s because ŚASVA doesn’t have a huge marketing budget or the name MOHA isn’t loud enough. Maybe it’s just that some fragrances need to be discovered by chance in a certain niche before they ascend to the perfume Olympus. And of course, that coffee scents are usually limited to certain times of the day, as I mostly wear Moha on my days off for my morning coffee. It fits perfectly on cooler days, but in summer it seems a bit too heavy for me, yet for the rest of the year, it is the perfect companion for a relaxed morning with a nice cup of coffee.

In the meantime, I have finished my first bottle, well, it only had about 30ml in it. But recently, a new bottle moved in with me, and here I come back to the vaporizer. Apparently, I just had the bad luck with my first bottle that the plastic insert of the vaporizer had come loose and kept shifting. As a result, it regularly dribbled and drove me to despair. However, the new bottle has a wonderful vaporizer with a perfect spray pattern, and that ultimately led me to give the bottle a “10” as well.

My contribution here will certainly not trigger a scent revolution or a mega hype, but one thing I know for sure: My espresso-Toffifee accident was not just a culinary stroke of luck; it led me to the trail of an underrated masterpiece. And who knows, perhaps Moha will one day be so sought after that bottles will be traded at astronomical prices. Then I will lean back, remember this moment, and whisper softly: “I am a pioneer,” not on the moon, but at least in bringing this beautiful scent closer.