Picknicker

What scent should one choose for their first personal review? Well, it should probably be a perfume that has relatively few reviews, and ideally, it should be a fragrance that one personally appreciates very much, which could even be considered a (hidden?) little masterpiece. It is therefore quite fitting that both apply to Frapin's L`Humaniste.

For some, the name Frapin is primarily associated with Cognac, as the house founded in 1270 is one of the most renowned producers of that famous brandy. Since 2002, there have also been Frapin fragrances, all of which share certain characteristics: a connection to the company’s history and the landscape of Grande Champagne, a composition that I believe is always very well balanced, high-quality raw materials, and often a certain “booziness,” meaning a well-woven scent note that recalls a specific alcoholic beverage. On the homepage, one can purchase a nice sample pack of Frapin fragrances at a good price; it is hard to find a scent here that hasn’t been well composed. From the, in my opinion, underrated “Speakeasy” with rum, mint, and leather, to Caravelle Epicee, where one believes to smell the old oak barrels filled with spices or fine Cognac, to 1270, one of the most beautiful gourmands on the market. Alongside 1270, however, L`Humaniste is the gem in Frapin's collection.
I agree with my predecessors; of course, L´Humaniste is another citrus-tinged summer fragrance, yet it is clearly much more.
The scent is dedicated to a famous member of the sprawling Frapin dynasty, Francois Rebelais, a well-known author of the French Renaissance and a proponent of the newly forming humanism. His works were satirical, often morally incorrect, and surrealistically exaggerated novels. With a wink, Frapin points out that L´Humaniste is a reference to the “divine bottle,” which is supposed to answer the question posed to the giant Gargantua in one of Rebelais' novels about whether he should get married or not.
Whether those inclined or disinclined to marry will find an answer to this question in L´Humaniste, I dare to doubt. In any case, the beautiful wooden cap of the simple bottle is meant to evoke the Frapin Cognac barrels, and it is supposedly produced by hand in the area of the family estate.
The Humanist starts immediately with a spicy-peppery, wonderful citrus kick, yet even here, one recognizes that it is not an “everyday fresh-showered sport scent.” Because soon the Frapin DNA becomes apparent, the booziness, a gin and tonic accord, a wonderful, slightly “alcoholic” juniper-mint refreshment. I see myself in a white shirt, linen pants, and tanned skin on a sunny late afternoon or early evening at an outdoor bar by the Mediterranean (in southern France?). A cool breeze from the sea lightly wafts the scent of an ice-cold gin and tonic with mint leaves into my nose. Around me are good-looking and elegantly dressed women and men, preparing for the upcoming summer night out at the bar, which is just the beginning; the evening is still young! L`Humaniste fits perfectly, as beneath the lemony gin and tonic kick, the unobtrusive yet distinctly perceptible elegance and sensuality of tonka bean with hints of almonds and tobacco become evident. The seemingly simple yet multifaceted scent, the quite good longevity, versatility, and well-tuned projection make L´Humaniste, in my opinion, a small but fine masterpiece. With the Humanist from the house of Frapin, admirers are sure to come quickly; one doesn’t have to marry them right away!