Serpentine Sorce 2023 Extrait de Parfum

I expected a fig-forward scent, but this is more honey-forward on me. It smells like delicious, intoxicating, fruity mead in an Old Norse longhouse. Old wooden beams, drinking horns, juicy overripe fruit, and sweet mead. The whole community gathered around a roaring fire. Sexy, kind of mysterious, masculine from the wood and spiciness yet feminine from the fruity honeyed sweetness. I would compare it to Pierrot Perfumery Cult of Dionysus: rich, fruity, boozy decadence. The scent stays fairly consistent through the dry down.

For some reason I only ever almost love honey scents. I’ve never fully fallen for one. Still searching for the perfect one.

It’s got the sweet fruitiness found in Nest’s Indigo, except idk if it works. There is a strong, bitter freshly ground cardamom that isn’t supported by the sweetness. I think the honey almost makes it animalic when combined. It also is spa like in a way that can be very sharp. On skin, the bitterness becomes body odor. It’s saddening, the cardamom and fig are well done, yet together they make a mess of a fragrance. The wood notes might also be contributing to this sharp green scent.

When I was in my late 20s, I went to a friend's house who had a fig tree. They plucked them right off the branches, sliced them, coated them in olive oil and rosemary and put them in the oven. I didn't even realize you could eat figs this way. They drizzled them with honey when they came out and it felt like I was eating food for the gods. This fragrance brings me back to their beautiful kitchen with this beautiful recipe they shared with us.

What an unusual but beautiful fragrance from Sorce. I honestly wasn't sure it was for me on first spritz. The green notes lead into a heady cardamom and historically, green notes and I don't get along. But once the cardamom takes over, the fig starts to emerge underneath. The cardamom makes me think of authentic chai, not the powdery stuff they use in more commercial places, but REAL chai: cardamom pods and clove and anise and black tea with hot, steamed milk.

This is a unisex fragrance through and through which I always appreciate. Fit for fall or winter. I'd put this in the warm and cozy category. Sorce continues to leave me gobsmacked.

Admittedly, I'm new to Sorce's offerings and have only worn my sample twice since it arrived last month, but I'm already curious to continue testing this out. This might just be one of the more unisex offerings I've tried from their house so far. It's fruity, it's spicy, there's a bit of sweetness to go with the hint of green at the beginning, and that carries down to the warm and cozy woods at the base. And, as has been my experience so far with other Sorce samples, while the scent on paper seems quite strong, on skin the fragrance ends up sitting closer to the skin but maintaining longevity for at least 4-6 hours for the lighter scents. I've not yet timed Serpentine, but I would estimate the last time I wore it, (I had just one spray on) it was still very noticeable before I had to get my shower for the evening.

Because of the fig and cardamom, it made me think of several other scents I've tried, for different reasons:
- Nest Indigo: this one is more "moody" and better-suited for cold weather, and has a tea note. There also is less fruitiness here.
- Lore Somewhere But Nowhere: definitely connections with the cardamom and woody undertones, but much more dry and aromatic than Serpentine. Also, not sweet, as Serpentine is.
- MITH Thai Tea: this one is more like a spiced orange, but the spice and mild sweetness have traits in common with Serpentine.
- Lake & Skye Apaaray: the trace of fig, woody base, and aromatic, but not spiced, quality of Apaaray have some similarities here.
- Collective Harmony Co. Secret Garden: (this one's a small business in the US) a sweeter but very similar scent to Apaaray mentioned previously. For a designer fragrance, you could probably compare this to Jean Paul Gaultier Le Beau Paradise Garden. Same green, fruity, woody profile.

Obviously, it isn't a 1-to-1 between Serpentine and any of the listed scents above, but I was wracking my brain as to why aspects of this perfume felt so familiar to me whilst still being unique. I was almost surprised that this listed no tea notes, specifically because it reminded me of the tea scents I mentioned; when comparing them side-by-side, though, I can definitely tell the difference between the tea scents and Serpentine. I really love Nest Indigo for cold weather, and if wearing the rest of my sample of Serpentine goes well, I may just consider this as a warm weather alternative.

When you first spray this fragrance it's very loud and very green.

If I'm being perfectly honest if I tried I could maybe pick out a few of the notes, but this scent is SO photorealistic that when I realized what exactly it was it smelled like it's all I can smell now.

If you have ever lived anywhere with a walnut tree, you know how they smell when they drop.

They're green and woody and ripe. That's EXACTLY what this fragrance smells like. It took me all of 20 seconds to realize it because it's not a smell you forget.

Personally, would I wear this out and about in my everyday life? No probably not. But is it a genuinely photorealistic snapshot of an aspect of my childhood that absolutely delights me? Yes!

I don't think it's UNWEARABLE for everyday, if you like green/woody/unisex scents you'll love this. If I walked by and smelled someone with this on I'd definitely ask what they're wearing. Another absolute banger from Sorce.