WHISKEY & LEATHER Southern California: Fragrance Review
Today I'm offering some thoughts on my recent purchase of Whiskey and Leather - Southern California Saddle and Cardamom. Admittedly I thought this was a fragrance, but on closer inspection is actually a room spray. But who cares? Especially when this one has been getting some good reviews and the old lady is a fan.
It's a scent that blends the warm, leathery notes of saddle with the exotic and aromatic spice of cardamom, creating a sophisticated and comforting ambiance that resonates with both luxury and warmth.
The Whiskey adds a rich, smoky, and slightly sweet depth. The Leather Saddle is more of an aromatic or conceptual element. While you wouldn't consume leather, the scent of leather can evoke a sense of earthiness and nostalgia. In perfumery or scent design, leather notes are often paired with smoky or woody elements. Mixed with Cardamom, a warm, citrusy, and slightly floral spice that compliments both the Whiskey and the Leather Saddle perfectly.
Note profile
● Top notes - bergamot, eucalyptus and warm spices;
● Middle notes - incense, tobacco and orris;
● Base notes - milky sandalwood, cedarwood, musk and amber.
Opening
Immediately I'm overwhelmed with the possibilities of this fragrance. The spices have an elegant depth, and I'm lured in like an alcoholic into an off licence. It's exotic, transportative, (wait is that a word? Too late now) and is not too aggressive.
Staying power
Here's where it gets interesting. After a push of bergamot, which is unusually bitter, it dovetails nicely into some tobacco notes, and a smokey-wooden follows through lands like a lawn dart. It's the late night campfire smell. The incense weaves inside and at once I'm thinking about wanting to go night fishing by the streams around the school I attended all too briefly.
Drydown
A creamy amber anchors the spray and some cedarwood pops through, taking me to that house in Coventry where I helped assemble wood cabins for my friend's Dad when I was in my early 20's. I remember he took us out for dinner once it was complete as a means of thanking us. He spoke Japanese to the waiter, and when he got very drunk, showed us photos of his old Mercedes that he spent 5 years restoring, only for someone to break in and set fire to it. The before and after photos were heartbreaking.
Where to Wear
As I said this is a hit with my old lady. I think she likes it because we've been watching a lot of Yellowstone of late and I've been growing my beard out. It has a cowboy feel. The smell of outdoors, the smell of raw and rugged masculinity. Can be worn to the pub, to festivals, to the
work place if you're a mechanic, cowboy or someone that's sanding down the hull of their boat on a deserted beach .

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