GunterMcGunt
Reviews
GunterMcGunt
An effervescent, cool freshie. Unlike anything I've ever smelled
I've reviewed my other ATH fragrances but have abstained from reviewing this one. Not because I dislike it - instead it's because it took me awhile to find the words to describe this fragrance. Even now i'll probably do a bad job of it, but here goes:
My favorite part of ATH's fragrances is that he will frequently take notes that I don't usually find in other fragrances to bring a fresh twist on familiar accords. This concept is front and center in Maverick with the Plum note. The opening is effervescent, fruity and citrusy. It reminds me of something between opening a bag of Skittles or a bar of Starburst (I'm aware that Hard Candy gets Starburst comparisons too, but I haven't had the privilege of smelling it yet) but with the sweetness toned down. To be clear, I wouldn't classify this as a sweet or sugary fragrance - it's not. Instead I would say it gets a touch of sweetness from the fruity accords.
Now, I don't have a strong connection to the smell of plums. I've eaten them before, but tbh I think they're kind of a mid-tier fruit and weren't particularly fragrant from what I remember. So to me at the heart of the fruit notes in here is blue raspberry. Yes, I'm aware that I have a closer scent connection to a fictional fruit than the listed real fruit, but hey that's more of an indictment on modern societal dietary norms than my nose.
So we have an airy, blue raspberry note surrounded by light citrus accords. As we head towards the mid / drydown, you'll start to notice the subtle notes of vanilla and nutmeg. I want to stress that these notes kind of "peek" out from behind the fluffy accords I mentioned earlier. They slowly and subtly take their positions in the background, at the base of the fragrance and provide a gourmand-ish and almost lactonic feel to the fresh notes at the top and heart.
And that's it! That's the fragrance. It doesn't evolve into an entirely different smell than from what you first smelled. It's also not linear though, as the feel of the fragrance changes from fresh fruity to slightly gourmand, fresh, lactonic.
Now I don't consider myself a fragrance connoisseur. My collection consists of a few designers I love, popular niche houses and decants from smaller niche and indie houses. So i'm an enthusiast but I admit that there are a lot of fragrances in the hidden corners of our hobby that I have never put my nose on.
I mention this disclaimer to preface this statement: I've never smelled anything close to Maverick. The total package from the texture and feel of the fragrance, to the notes, I don't have something where I'm like "Imagine X with Y and a bit of Z to get Maverick". No.
This is amazing and I absolutely love it. If you're thinking of starting off with an ATH fragrance and you're looking for something versatile and fresh, you NEED to start here.
The only reason this is a 9 and not a 10 for me is because I feel like there's room to make the perfect fragrance here by filling it out with some darker notes. Basically I think Aaron could / should make Maverick Elixir or Maverick Extreme and that could very easily be a 10 for me.
I'll end this long-winded review by thanking Aaron for making the best, cozy fresh fragrance I've ever smelled.
My favorite part of ATH's fragrances is that he will frequently take notes that I don't usually find in other fragrances to bring a fresh twist on familiar accords. This concept is front and center in Maverick with the Plum note. The opening is effervescent, fruity and citrusy. It reminds me of something between opening a bag of Skittles or a bar of Starburst (I'm aware that Hard Candy gets Starburst comparisons too, but I haven't had the privilege of smelling it yet) but with the sweetness toned down. To be clear, I wouldn't classify this as a sweet or sugary fragrance - it's not. Instead I would say it gets a touch of sweetness from the fruity accords.
Now, I don't have a strong connection to the smell of plums. I've eaten them before, but tbh I think they're kind of a mid-tier fruit and weren't particularly fragrant from what I remember. So to me at the heart of the fruit notes in here is blue raspberry. Yes, I'm aware that I have a closer scent connection to a fictional fruit than the listed real fruit, but hey that's more of an indictment on modern societal dietary norms than my nose.
So we have an airy, blue raspberry note surrounded by light citrus accords. As we head towards the mid / drydown, you'll start to notice the subtle notes of vanilla and nutmeg. I want to stress that these notes kind of "peek" out from behind the fluffy accords I mentioned earlier. They slowly and subtly take their positions in the background, at the base of the fragrance and provide a gourmand-ish and almost lactonic feel to the fresh notes at the top and heart.
And that's it! That's the fragrance. It doesn't evolve into an entirely different smell than from what you first smelled. It's also not linear though, as the feel of the fragrance changes from fresh fruity to slightly gourmand, fresh, lactonic.
Now I don't consider myself a fragrance connoisseur. My collection consists of a few designers I love, popular niche houses and decants from smaller niche and indie houses. So i'm an enthusiast but I admit that there are a lot of fragrances in the hidden corners of our hobby that I have never put my nose on.
I mention this disclaimer to preface this statement: I've never smelled anything close to Maverick. The total package from the texture and feel of the fragrance, to the notes, I don't have something where I'm like "Imagine X with Y and a bit of Z to get Maverick". No.
This is amazing and I absolutely love it. If you're thinking of starting off with an ATH fragrance and you're looking for something versatile and fresh, you NEED to start here.
The only reason this is a 9 and not a 10 for me is because I feel like there's room to make the perfect fragrance here by filling it out with some darker notes. Basically I think Aaron could / should make Maverick Elixir or Maverick Extreme and that could very easily be a 10 for me.
I'll end this long-winded review by thanking Aaron for making the best, cozy fresh fragrance I've ever smelled.
You're at a tiki bar on the beach and you just ordered a margarita...
...or maybe it's a mojito.
Guys take this review with a grain of salt - i've worn this quite a bit recently but the image my mind conjures and the notes I get from it are pretty different from what I see listed here, but I think the feeling I describe is perfectly apt for it because i've had my friends try this and everyone agrees with the image this fragrances paints in my mind.
The mix of citruses listed in the top notes bring to mind a bright, sunny day. One of the aroma chemicals used has a salty tinge to it, bringing to mind the salty air at the beach. The now salty, citrus accords remind me of - lime (I cannot believe Lime is not a listed note).
So we have a sunny day on the beach and some lime. Is the lime in a beer, like Corona or XX? I feel like that's the exact feeling that most people will get, with good reason. But I go a step further...
It might be the patchouli, but something gives this slightly musky, dry wood vibe in the base. In my mind it's like the wood used to make a beach hut, or a tiki hut.
I've never had a non-aquatic, non-marine fragrance send me to the beach before. In that regard, this fragrance is one of a kind.
Casual, relaxing. I would use this on hot days with clear skies, or anytime I wish I was on vacation at the beach....
Edit: With more wearing, testing and opinions, I noticed something: That photorealistic grapefruit note in D&G Light Blue Forever is here too. It's less detergent-y as I mentioned it my review. But if that grapefruit note gives you B.O vibes (some people get this from Light Blue Forever) then beware that this has the same opening.
Guys take this review with a grain of salt - i've worn this quite a bit recently but the image my mind conjures and the notes I get from it are pretty different from what I see listed here, but I think the feeling I describe is perfectly apt for it because i've had my friends try this and everyone agrees with the image this fragrances paints in my mind.
The mix of citruses listed in the top notes bring to mind a bright, sunny day. One of the aroma chemicals used has a salty tinge to it, bringing to mind the salty air at the beach. The now salty, citrus accords remind me of - lime (I cannot believe Lime is not a listed note).
So we have a sunny day on the beach and some lime. Is the lime in a beer, like Corona or XX? I feel like that's the exact feeling that most people will get, with good reason. But I go a step further...
It might be the patchouli, but something gives this slightly musky, dry wood vibe in the base. In my mind it's like the wood used to make a beach hut, or a tiki hut.
I've never had a non-aquatic, non-marine fragrance send me to the beach before. In that regard, this fragrance is one of a kind.
Casual, relaxing. I would use this on hot days with clear skies, or anytime I wish I was on vacation at the beach....
Edit: With more wearing, testing and opinions, I noticed something: That photorealistic grapefruit note in D&G Light Blue Forever is here too. It's less detergent-y as I mentioned it my review. But if that grapefruit note gives you B.O vibes (some people get this from Light Blue Forever) then beware that this has the same opening.
Smells like sex
I'm not saying that to be edgy or whatever. This fragrance does something to conjure visceral sexual energy and mix it with mint chocolate: it adds a salty, musky note.
Honestly I could go on and on writing about how brilliant this kind of perfumery is. I could tell you about comments my wife has made and how it's actually had aphrodisaical effects in my personal experience. Could try and convince you that this is literally a panty dropper.
The best i'll do is this: Imagine you go on a date with a woman. The plan is to take a stroll through a nice park during a brisk, cool evening before having dinner at a fancy restaurant.
Now fast forward 4 hours later and you're both back at your place. What do you imagine her dress smelling like? A bit of sweat, light musk and perfume?
Ok but now the masculine version. That's this.
Honestly I could go on and on writing about how brilliant this kind of perfumery is. I could tell you about comments my wife has made and how it's actually had aphrodisaical effects in my personal experience. Could try and convince you that this is literally a panty dropper.
The best i'll do is this: Imagine you go on a date with a woman. The plan is to take a stroll through a nice park during a brisk, cool evening before having dinner at a fancy restaurant.
Now fast forward 4 hours later and you're both back at your place. What do you imagine her dress smelling like? A bit of sweat, light musk and perfume?
Ok but now the masculine version. That's this.
Looking for a chocolate gourmand that ISN'T overly sweet?
I consider myself a gourmand enthusiast, and yet some fragrances like Montale's Chocolate Greedy go too far for me - it's literally freshly baked chocolate cake and after 10 mins I get tired of the smell and need to wash it off. Personally, I want to play in the world of gourmand yet keep it grounded in the reality of perfumery.
I am not a chocolate man. I'm a man who smells of chocolate. lol
Forbidden starts off very bright and a bit raspy. It's not so much of a chocolate piece with orange filling as much as it is you squeezing half an orange and some of the rind-y mist squirting into your nose. For my nose, I definitely have to let this air dry for about 30 seconds before truly putting my nose to the skin. Nothing against the fragrance, and honestly you'd be doing yourself a disservice to judge a fragrance by the first 10 seconds.
Moving on, you start to get the chocolate vibes. Except for me it's more of cocoa powder than milk or dark chocolate. The orangy vibes are rounder by now and give way for a toasted coconut note. In Peru, there are these pastries of balls of coconut flakes that have been toasted. That's what I get. As the fragrance continues to move through it's lifespan, you'll get the sandalwood base and some oud. But they're very....playful? Like it's not serious, strong nor stanky oud. It's like the nicest parts of oud. So if you're an oud enthusiast, this may not do it for you if you need that strong, oudy backbone in your fragrances.
Speaking of which - I feel like this fragrance has a very light base. It's top heavy, if that makes sense. Linear like a good RPG that doesn't railroad you but also isn't an open world. This IS a cocoa, toasted coco, tonka bean with orange filling fragrance in an airy presentation. It's not heavy - there is very little "bass" to this song.
Which brings me to my next point, I don't get a lot of rum from this. This isn't boozy to me. It could conjure images of a cocktail with Bailey's or some other Irish cream, some Grand Marnier or a touch of Cointreau if I really looked for it, but honestly this has a more "light, airy dessert" vibe to it for me. Still, the more I smell this fragrance and keep the "cocktail" vibes in mind, it starts becoming clearer. So I guess in that sense it can be boozy.
Final thoughts: This is a gourmand that doesn't get too heavy or too "real" for me. I don't get tired of smelling myself or nauseated by an overly sweet perfume. It walks the line of conjuring real dessert accords without being too heavy or sweet, and without being photorealistic to the point of exhaustion, and the dessert notes in question are fairly unique to me. This blend of Cointreau and toasted coconut with a chocolatey touch is not something i've experienced before, and as a gourmand lover that's exactly what I look for.
I am not a chocolate man. I'm a man who smells of chocolate. lol
Forbidden starts off very bright and a bit raspy. It's not so much of a chocolate piece with orange filling as much as it is you squeezing half an orange and some of the rind-y mist squirting into your nose. For my nose, I definitely have to let this air dry for about 30 seconds before truly putting my nose to the skin. Nothing against the fragrance, and honestly you'd be doing yourself a disservice to judge a fragrance by the first 10 seconds.
Moving on, you start to get the chocolate vibes. Except for me it's more of cocoa powder than milk or dark chocolate. The orangy vibes are rounder by now and give way for a toasted coconut note. In Peru, there are these pastries of balls of coconut flakes that have been toasted. That's what I get. As the fragrance continues to move through it's lifespan, you'll get the sandalwood base and some oud. But they're very....playful? Like it's not serious, strong nor stanky oud. It's like the nicest parts of oud. So if you're an oud enthusiast, this may not do it for you if you need that strong, oudy backbone in your fragrances.
Speaking of which - I feel like this fragrance has a very light base. It's top heavy, if that makes sense. Linear like a good RPG that doesn't railroad you but also isn't an open world. This IS a cocoa, toasted coco, tonka bean with orange filling fragrance in an airy presentation. It's not heavy - there is very little "bass" to this song.
Which brings me to my next point, I don't get a lot of rum from this. This isn't boozy to me. It could conjure images of a cocktail with Bailey's or some other Irish cream, some Grand Marnier or a touch of Cointreau if I really looked for it, but honestly this has a more "light, airy dessert" vibe to it for me. Still, the more I smell this fragrance and keep the "cocktail" vibes in mind, it starts becoming clearer. So I guess in that sense it can be boozy.
Final thoughts: This is a gourmand that doesn't get too heavy or too "real" for me. I don't get tired of smelling myself or nauseated by an overly sweet perfume. It walks the line of conjuring real dessert accords without being too heavy or sweet, and without being photorealistic to the point of exhaustion, and the dessert notes in question are fairly unique to me. This blend of Cointreau and toasted coconut with a chocolatey touch is not something i've experienced before, and as a gourmand lover that's exactly what I look for.
All the colors
I'm not typically someone who sees colors in fragrances, but ATH Notorious is absolutely one that brings forth a lot of colors when I smell it. Green, Yellow, Red. I've never smelled Neon, but I can totally imagine this being named Neon.
The opening is a sweet, ambroxan-powered fruity opening. Think pineapple, mango skin and ripe bananas. It's important to note that this is definitely sweet in the vein of sweetness in One Million Parfum or Invictus Legend - it's not a sugary sweetness, instead it's a base, designer-y sweetness amped up to 10 by the ambroxan, and not a sugary sweetness. Hopefully that makes sense.
Speaking of designer-y, if you're someone who is a hardcore niche fanatic, this may not do it for you. It disappointed me at first, tbh. It's a very "mass appealing" DNA, but don't confuse that for being generic. Does it have some similarities to designers? Yes, remember when I said "powered by ambroxan"?
So it's no surprise that this fragrance has gotten 100% positive comments and attention. My wife loves it. My friends (who arent fragheads but enjoy testing fragrances with me after our game nights) are crazy about this. The lowest score someone has given this is 8.5. The LOWEST. Literally had a buddy say it's an 11/10. People love this stuff and I can understand why - it's addicting. Even though it's not the kind of scent I usually go for (and thus put me off at first), I can't stop smelling myself when I spray it. Or smelling the bottle cap.
This thing is nuclear. I would say it's stronger than the pre-reformulated batches of Sauvage EDT - 1 spray fills the room and the sillage is insane. Literally I walk into my bedroom after spraying and go back to the living room - 3 hours later i can still smell it in my bedroom wtf.
I'm not great at writing reviews, I just wanted to share my thoughts and experiences since there were no others. This is a very high quality, mass pleasing scent. If it was a designer release, it could very possibly win fragrance of the year from those award shows. It would get mass hype and attention. If you dislike ambroxan, I think you'd have a hard time liking this. It's loud and colorful. It's an attention grabber. It's unique without being innovative if that makes sense. Prolly doesnt.
Scent 8/10 (i'm more into gourmands, iris, vanilla, warm fragrances)
Projection 9/10
Sillage 10/10 (literally cant imagine a stronger sillage)
Versatile, probably don't apply in direct sunlight but honestly even if you did you'd probably just get complimented by the guy walking his dog 2 blocks away
The opening is a sweet, ambroxan-powered fruity opening. Think pineapple, mango skin and ripe bananas. It's important to note that this is definitely sweet in the vein of sweetness in One Million Parfum or Invictus Legend - it's not a sugary sweetness, instead it's a base, designer-y sweetness amped up to 10 by the ambroxan, and not a sugary sweetness. Hopefully that makes sense.
Speaking of designer-y, if you're someone who is a hardcore niche fanatic, this may not do it for you. It disappointed me at first, tbh. It's a very "mass appealing" DNA, but don't confuse that for being generic. Does it have some similarities to designers? Yes, remember when I said "powered by ambroxan"?
So it's no surprise that this fragrance has gotten 100% positive comments and attention. My wife loves it. My friends (who arent fragheads but enjoy testing fragrances with me after our game nights) are crazy about this. The lowest score someone has given this is 8.5. The LOWEST. Literally had a buddy say it's an 11/10. People love this stuff and I can understand why - it's addicting. Even though it's not the kind of scent I usually go for (and thus put me off at first), I can't stop smelling myself when I spray it. Or smelling the bottle cap.
This thing is nuclear. I would say it's stronger than the pre-reformulated batches of Sauvage EDT - 1 spray fills the room and the sillage is insane. Literally I walk into my bedroom after spraying and go back to the living room - 3 hours later i can still smell it in my bedroom wtf.
I'm not great at writing reviews, I just wanted to share my thoughts and experiences since there were no others. This is a very high quality, mass pleasing scent. If it was a designer release, it could very possibly win fragrance of the year from those award shows. It would get mass hype and attention. If you dislike ambroxan, I think you'd have a hard time liking this. It's loud and colorful. It's an attention grabber. It's unique without being innovative if that makes sense. Prolly doesnt.
Scent 8/10 (i'm more into gourmands, iris, vanilla, warm fragrances)
Projection 9/10
Sillage 10/10 (literally cant imagine a stronger sillage)
Versatile, probably don't apply in direct sunlight but honestly even if you did you'd probably just get complimented by the guy walking his dog 2 blocks away
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