HS3

Today’s “scent on the back of the hand” is Aramis Havana Reserva. I had sort of expected it to be a traditional fougere, but what I got was anything but that. I wasn’t completely surprised by what came out, but it held far more interest in it than I’d expected.

It opens with a fizzy bright boozy notes, with a tickle of pepper and warmth of crushed tobacco. It settles relatively quickly into an intriguing rum/tobacco/pepper melody with soft cumin undertones and hints of patchouli. There are elements of a traditional after shave (think Old Spice type), but it’s done in a very well blended, nicely presented package. The long dry down brings great dry woody notes that really balance the whole composition. I likes it. I likes it a lot.

From what I gather, the Reserva is the same formulation as the old Havana, but in a higher concentration. I believe both of the Havana and Havana Reserva have been discontinued, but Aramis has re-released Havana with new packaging just last year. I think Reserva might be something I would only reach for on seldom occasion, so paying the exorbitant prices that are out there for the discontinued Reserva isn’t really in the cards. However, I can really see wearing it to an evening outdoor happy hour on the beach could be perfect. I’ll try out the new Havana release and see how that compares – hopefully it will make the cut and make the much friendlier price of $48 even friendlier.

Chanel (Jacques Polge & Christopher Sheldrake) did it right with this one. This is in the top 5 scents I smelled in 2008.

I would describe it overall as a rich, yet accessible take on patchouli and chocolate. However, there are just so many wonderful aspects all along the way that make it as wonderful as it is. The opening has the peppery tart spray of bitter orange peel with a sweet chocolate undertone. The spices are gritty and light, not ones to hit the back of your throat.. A wonderful patchouli that you wouldn’t necessarily identify unless you knew to look for it emerges with just the slightest powdery feathering. It settles into a rich, warm leathery scent that still retains some of its top notes punch and even has a comforting, classic feel to it. I don’t know many classic Chanels, but the dry down makes me think of a complex scent with such depth a company like this would have produced.

This is really a masterpiece for me. I knew I would end up buying it within minutes of sampling it. I took a sample and wore it that night and the next day and bought a bottle the next afternoon. The bottle is gorgeous and the base of the box doubles as a Chanel stand for the bottle. The packaging is top notch – even the cap is magnetically polarized so that the Chanel logo is horizontal when you put the cap on.

Be sure you love anything you buy from Les Exclusifs line… you’re getting a jug of it. The price may seem daunting at first, but when you account for how much you’re actually getting, it’s no more expensive than any other standard designer scent.

Huge A+ from me.