Woodmere971

In the world of good foresty conifer themed fragrance, Olympic Rainforest is a criminally underrated gem and should receive much more praise than it does. If on the basis of nothing more than it being one of the most original and unique attempts at the style.

Everyone seems to want to make a Norne. Norne is great and it will always have a special place in my heart, but Norne is tired. Norne is getting on in years. Norne just wants to close it's eyes and finally get some rest, and we keep rehashing it over and over. Let Norne go. Please. A few of the popular ones are good. I liked Fume. I haven't smelled Mirkwood or Fanghorn 2 but I hear nothing but praise so I'll trust the general consensus. Original Polo was a defining moment in time, but that time has gone.

Here we have a fresh exciting take on the forest, and one that stands totally apart from the herd. Covey went with Port Orford cedar as a frame, instead of the typical Virginia or atlas cedars, and that immediately brightens the whole thing up with a dewy damp and musty green-woody thing that almost reminds me of fresh trimmed sativa cannabis buds.

The arborvitae cypress further brightens up the profile with a sharp, piercing cool camphor conifer breath, akin to breathing deep in the misty Olympic forest.

Black spruce and fir balsam give a waft of more traditional Christmas tree conifers, but the sticky earthy myrrh and the faint fruity floral rhododendron work together to make a spiced beeswax accord that just launches this off in another direction, and I would go as far to say this is so unique and creative that I'm surprised it hadn't been mimicked the way Norne has.

Norne is painfully simple. Olympic Rainforest's beauty comes from its super unusual and creative combination of naturals, one must wonder if Dr. Covey just might be a genius. This alone is worthy of earning one a doctorate.

I think it's a masterpiece. Very atmospheric and highly atypical, without forgetting to be a wearable fragrance. All the stars.

Seattle Chocolate is a remarkably unique take on chocolate, spinning it in a more dusty dry and powdered direction, with a peculiar Siberian fir note and a lot of woods and resins. The cocoa itself is woody and dry, avoiding "gourmand" or dessert suggestions. There is an unusual herbal "top note" that gives a somewhat artemisia/sage/dittony connotation, and a unique aldehydic sparkle. I spite of the fact they are made with natural materials, neither the cocoa nor the fir needle are particularly realistic, opting for a more "fantasy" take. It dries down intensely woody, dark, resinous and dusty, and becomes suspiciously similar to another PNW indie oldie.

It really is a beautiful creation, with that rough and rugged handmade perfume feel I oh so adore. But unique? I'm not sure, but I think Slumberhouse did it first with their Ore.

That's okay Ellen. This one still rocks.

Speaking as someone who has been working with perfumery aromachemicals and natural extractives for the better part of 15 years, it is hard for me to see this for anything other than its constituents and the fact that it is a pretty average fragrance when you really break it down to them. It's also one of my favorite mainstream creations of all time, and that's coming from a guy who doesn't have a 1000 bottle shrine, or who seeks out the new hyped banger.

When this came out, it really set a trend for "niche" (I hate this term) perfume, and I can confidently say this has been an inspiration for so many perfumers who came later.

It's sweet, it's spicy, it's woody, it's honey and booze and fruity and brooding, with a friendly, sexy "come hither" pull. It's a whiskey cocktail. It's a leather chaise that has seen the unthinkable. It's the storage room of a Northwestern farmhouse rife with fruits of the fall harvest.

It's a clever creation. I am reminded a bit of oak, tobacco, tea, peaches, and something I've never been able to totally isolate. While I know most of its secrets and it doesn't wow me like it once did almost 15 years ago, it's still one of my most frequently worn fragrances, and I have to bow down in appreciation and admiration, for, in my opinion, one of the most important trendsetters of the 2010s perfume scene.

You should try this at least once if you haven't. A sort of historical study piece.