Kandahari Rose

And so a rose has bloomed through parched ground, blood-soaked and caked with despair. The frosty winds lick its edges, but it survives. Who knows how long, but it is real for now.

A perfume genius with such life-altering creations as Incense Rose (earthy and sweet) and Lonestar Memories (Texas patched-up leather), Andy Tauer has shocked the noses that seek out niche perfumes with a spicy gourmand composition using a rose from Afghanistan.

As it leaves its glass container, the liquid releases such a mesmerizing smell that one's breath catches for a minute. That is not rose, you say. It is spice cookies and apricot jam. There is an overwhelming need to regress to childhood, when we were all warm and cozy. Sweet milk and cinnamon days thrill the brain.

As you wear Une Rose de Kandahar, the rose peeks out, slowly, and only as an accompaniment to the spicy goodness that envelopes you. It is difficult to tell what is going on as the perfume wears but it is safe to say that one can never feel alone or in despair when one is cradled by this Afghan rose.