Gold Leather

”...the heart is an organ of fire.” Michael Ondaatje - The English Patient. The first whiff of this perfume reminds me instantly of one of my favourite soothing winter warming drinks: brandy and lovage. Lovage appears to be one of the most underrated and unheard of mixers known to mankind. It is an old English alcoholic cordial distilled from local Devon herbs and spices according to a family recipe. The word 'lovage' comes from 'love-ache', which is a medieval name for parsley. Traditionally, this is drunk two parts lovage to one part brandy as a warming pick-me-up on cool evenings. It is sweet and aromatic and has an almost honey like texture that slides down the throat. Although not listed here, Gold Leather contains Davana oil from India; it has a sweet, penetrating and boozy (of dried fruits) fragrance. it is well known to smell differently on different persons. If the nose could smell colour, Gold Leather is how a luminous reddish gold would smell. It is the scent of an evening by a crackling wood fire, sat in an Eames leather lounge chair, sipping fine cognac in a gold-rimmed Dartington Crystal brandy glass with memories of a past passionate embrace coursing through the veins. It is incredibly sensual. Although I think Gold Lovage might have been a more appropriate name, I can most definitely smell leather. It is just not the overt dry leather smell that most of us are accustomed to. It is a moist chamois leather, like a nineteenth-century glove or a cloth used to clean jewels or perhaps more aptly, to clean fine gold jewellery. Gold Leather is most likely a love or hate perfume (at least during the first hour of application) but it mellows down to a beautiful sweet leather and wood that lasts for many hours on skin (and possibly even days on clothing) which I don't think many people would take any offence to. Lots of people do seem to dislike the shocking alcoholic opening though, and although I wasn't too sure myself on first application, I found it to become utterly addictive. One reviewer mentioned that they couldn't imagine many occasions where they would wear Gold Leather and yet they felt compelled to reapply it every half hour. I get that completely; on certain nights I like to drink to get drunk. (”Every night I cut out my heart. But in the morning it was full again”). Gold Leather is a strong love for me, the type of love that makes me ache for a cosy evening by the fire, while the wild winter wind blows down the chimney. Some flames can never be extinguished.

Bitter orange, saffron, rum and plum... imagine the opulently dressed table of a Tsar’s banquet; and this is just the top notes. If, like myself, you enjoy these notes, you will be in for a wonderful treat; but wait, the proof of is in the pudding. Artemisia and eucalyptus are the middle notes; wonderful medicinal notes that pierce the nostrils and lift the top notes on a vaporous cloud. Cedar, guaiac wood, agarwood (oud) and leather provide the decadent base notes. So many revered notes could run the risk of making a perfume smell overwhelming or ‘muddy’. Fortunately, Gold Leather has been crafted by Atelier Cologne so we can rest assured that we have the trademark sparkle,the sense of lightness and the incredible artistic use of space between each of the individual notes that make the entire composition work together in perfect harmony - like a heavenly choir in the Vatican. There are those of you that will undoubtedly dislike this fragrance and that for me is a good thing because some of my very favourite perfumes have some strong dislikes within the fragrance community. Although Gold Leather carries the quintessential Atelier Cologne touch, I would say that Gold Leather is one of the most diverse of the fragrances within the Atelier Cologne portfolio and I wish that Atelier Cologne had the courage and vision to step further in this bold and decadent direction. Gold Leather is deep and rich and ‘alcoholicly puddingy’, yet it still manages to remain light and semi transparent and although it is a perfume that I have always worn in winter - today I wear it in the evening of the hottest day of summer and it works perfectly. It works because when perfume is created under the most perfect of conditions, it is the work of alchemy. To experience the scent of Gold Leather is to enjoy a moment of rare ecstasy and magic. Alchemists of days long gone looked deep into their magic orbs in order find a way to turn base matter into gold. Atelier Cologne have managed, somehow, to turn leather into gold. Just close your eyes and inhale the first hedonistic atoms then inhale again an hour or so later. There are worlds within worlds that exist alongside ours; we just need to learn how to see them. Using our nose is a good start. 10/10

A complex and interesting fragrance; seriously, this fragrance has a number of twists and turns. Gold Leather opens with a loud boozy-plummy bang, which slowly subsides over the next two-hours on my skin. I enjoy loud openings, but this one is a bit too boozy-sweet for my taste and comes across as leaving more feminine at this point...which my teenage daughter loves. Boozy, plummy and a faint woody vibe are what I get out of this phase. However, the heart is where Gold Leather moves into another direction and becomes a light medicinal-oud, with a whisper of guaiac wood and leather tones in the background, and not much else going on other than an occasional whiff of booze and/or plum from time-to-time. I really enjoy this phase whereas my daughter, who is not an oud fan, does not. I've come to love in-your-face oud scents--like some of the Montale/Mancera lines or Perris Monte Carlo Oud Imperial, or oud fragrances--or even oud that play a supporting role in Western fragrances such as Royal Oud. I guess a muted-oud is how I would describe it; it has full-body, but it kept under control. I woke-up this morning and Gold Leather was still going strong 12+ hours later. Perhaps going strong is a poor choice of words since it was mostly a skin scent after the four hour mark, but it's still there. Let's just say that overall projection is moderate and longevity is 12+ hours. I still kept getting a whiff of this one even when I thought it was gone. Also, at some point during the deep drydown phase, this fragrance turned into a plum jam scent (another interesting twist) on my skin with perhaps with a little very light leather in the background. I really like this one (unique, complex and interesting) and I look forward to further evaluations in the fall; it certainly warrants further attention. The major problem I have with this fragrance is the fact leather is missing to my nose: booze, plum, oud, guaiac wood/saffron and finally leather is how I see it. What hinders this fragrance is versatility as I find it difficult to find suitable occasions to wear this one. Perhaps I will learn to love this one (I very much like it) but I feel it should be renamed to Purple Boozy Aoud.

Beautiful fragrance. Very realistic boozy accord. And I say Booze & not Rum because the addition of the Plum makes the Rum smell like a Plum Wine. The note doesn’t stand out particularly as Rum. In fact theres a drink made with Red Wine & Coca Cola called a "Kalimotxo" Imagine Plums fermenting into Wine with Cinnamon, Nutmeg, & Coriander. With Citrus notes to add to the composition by giving it a Cola like effervescence. If you were to take a Kalimotxo & pour it all over a Brown luxury Leather Bag, thats what Gold Leather would smell like. .... & while this fragrance is named "Gold Leather", it smells more like spilled booze on top of leather, than it does actual leather. It’s such a sexy fragrance, & although beastly in the opening it remains airy enough to wear on Spring & Summer nights. In my opinion the Eucalyptus note is a nice middle ground between the Leather & the Oud. The Eucalyptus is only strong for about 10 minutes, 15 minutes after it’s initially applied. Then that Spiced Plum Wine & Leather comes back & lasts & projects for hours. The Oud is mild, but very noticeable. Adding an Earthy Woody nuance. This fragrance smells sexy on both men & women. Gold Leather smells nothing similar to Tuscan Leather, nor Plum Japonais. However, Gold Leather will serve the same purpose as Plum Japonais. But they are two totally different fragrances who’s Plum notes are nothing alike. Gold Leather is great for Dates, Formal Events, or any time you will be well dressed & going out at night, or on a cool overcast day or evening.

I find it necessary to, or at least only fair that I should, write a few words about this, as the notes-list above says that it has oud in it. So it transpires that since about October last year I have had a perfume with the stuff in it! Maybe I should not be all that surprised, given the prevalence of it. But I do remember, when I was in the store testing this, I was constanly attracted by a note that I found kind of tart with a 'bite' to it and yet velvety smooth at the same time. I would get the bottle to revisit it if it were not in an awkward place (and I were more certain exactly which place). But each time I have worn this as well as when I chose it, it always seemed to me that the most outstanding feature of this fragrance is that delightful counterpoint between the tart and the velvet. And I suppose that is effectively my review of it, as I cannot reliably recall fine detail about it. But I do remember enjoying it a very great deal, and I am now minded to find it again without too much delay, so as I can have another go on it.

I purchased this at Neimans the day that it launched. I fell in love with it on first sniff! It comes in a beautiful gold bottle, with a gorgeous high end leather cap, burgundy in color. Upon first sniff, you get a massive boozy, leather and oud attack! I've never smelled something like this before! Its such a natural smelling blend of these 3 notes, you'll think someone spill oud oil and rum over the leather seats of a bentley. This opening stays for a quite a few hours, and projects very nicely. After a good 4 hours or so, the leather comes to the front a bit more, and smooths out everything. You can still smell the rum and plum, though a bit muted. Oud is there in the background. It stays this way for MANY MANY hours. I couldn't even tell you how long, because i could still smell it on me the next morning before i showered! Projection is not huge, but its got a nice consistent bubble for the life of the wearing. 18% concentration and it shows! Amazing and unique perfume! Atelier Cologne has truly outdone themselves!

I bought a 30 ml seeing the polarising reviews here. But I have to say I love this boozy, plum and leather goodness. To the point where I will probably find a larger bottle even though I know I can never finish it. But such is the fear of the perfumecollector when a perfume is a limited edition and you really like it. There's always a little voice whispering that you might run short at one point in your life. It does have resemblance to Rudis Nobile 1942. In Rudis it's wine and leather. Here it's rum, plum and leather. This one is a bit softer after a while, Rudis is perhaps stronger but I love them both. And the combination of dark red leather around the little gold 30 ml bottle is very pleasing. The scent is dark, rich, opulent and a little bit gothic. It makes you long for a glass of deep red wine in a Venetian Palazzo accompanied by a beautiful vampire. Gold inlaid with rubies around your throat wearing an equally purplish red, gold trimmed dress.

I like this one, Leathery luxury. This one has a Fresher opening than Tuscan Leather but I prefer the base of TL in the drydown. This X-mas I predict this newer house is gonna serve up some fierce competition in the North American market. Strong concentrations, whether or not the notes are natural or synthetic, I find the frags from this house last. Although the silage in this one does not reach that far into the room. But in this day and age of the scent free office etc, it doesn't hurt to have a few options in your collection that have a short radius around you. The scent molecules don't seem to travel far. UPDATE: After wearing this one all day I find that it is not as long lasting as I anticipated. But the fragrance is quite strong in it's initial phase.

A juicy, booze-soaked plum embraces the cool, piquant breath of artemisia on a bed of sultry leather. It's fruity, spicy and sweet, almost like a darker, racier version of Jo Malone's "Pomegranate Noir". I really like it. It's not ground-breaking, the leather is very clean, the oud more of a suggestion, but that main accord of spiced plum is just so deliciously sexy. I'm thinking of a vampish Asian girl with dark lipstick and a cropped leather jacket, on her way to a neon-flooded night club. That said, I'm sure a man could pull this off too. The sillage is quite sheer, but enough to leave an alluring trail, without making you smell like you dunked yourself in a vat of plum wine. I recommend as a 'fun night out' scent.

Massively strong boozy opening of whisky and I mean malty, to me this doesn't smell of rum. It has got a leather accord mixed in there with Guaiac wood and oud adding to the overall highland, cask aged single malt feel. I don't think this perfume is beautiful or balanced just quite harsh especially in the opening but it does dry down to an interesting, luxurious and powerful scent. So Gold Leather is a full on fragrance, no holds barred on the leather front either, it's pretty intoxicating in more than one sense of the word! I'd have to try it again but it's certainly a contender for my collection because of it's uniqueness. It might be a little too much on the boozy side though for me...only time will tell.

Probably my favorite Atelier Cologne, Gold Leather is very warm and inviting plum leather. Quite sweet for an unisex perfume, and also for being worn in warmer months. In my opinion, it is more of an autumnal or winter fragrance and a bit closer to the feminine side. The opening is quite complex: sticky plum jam, leather and rum, something mentholated (eucalyptus), citruses, and spicy saffron. After that it goes downhill and becomes a bit flatter, but still remains very inviting. The base is plain woody on me, it's pleasant, but a bit boring considering how exciting the opening was. Staying power is great. Overall a wonderful work, but still lacks some extra oomph for me personally.

in many ways, this perfume is a reference point, of sorts. it's the first *real* time i smelt rum and plum, and it's also the first time i 'got' leather. there's a rocky 30 - 40 minutes where the leather is a little too much, but, after that, the boozy plum, 'oud', saffron and all the other goodies work together to produce a near-perfect concoction. this is also what my wife bought for me for our 1st wedding anniversary. the leather leans towards the metallic side a little, and lingers throughout, however, it's in the 'acceptable range', tolerable and not off-putting. it hugs the upper limit a little too much for mine, but, i can cop it. four and a half stars.

I tried this a few months ago thinking it was overly feminine opening - and it now after trying it again for a longer, I love it. Can be worn day or night, and has a romantic twist. The opening is very cranberry, woody, and then turns leather - unlike Tuscan Leather by Tom Ford, but not that sweet. This one dries down and stays closer to the skin and doesn't project like Black Orchid, another TF beast. This is fresh and clean, and my date loved it. Guys - don't be fooled by the opening - give it a chance. Ladies can wear this too, but I think maybe only as a winter scent - can't see many women pulling this off in the summer.

WOW, such a great scent! Bought a 5 ml decant. So I tried it after a shower at the gym, very relxaing. It's start with the mix of leather, rum and plum. After a while, it's a slow transititon that the plum note takes over the fragrance 9hrs + longevity, great projection got few compliments by the gym staff about it smells really good. not very versatile in my opinion, formal occasion, dates yes fall, winter and spring at night. It is very mysterious scent that I don't see how it could fit in the day. So 8.5/10 Solid release Personally, should be name Gold Plum ;)

Definitely a thumbs up from me. Leather, booze, saffron, spice, oud and plums. Lots of saffron threads floating on a glass of something that will quickly make you giddy sitting next to an opulent brass bowl full of very ripe plums. The oud gets stronger as the fragrance develops. Sadly the ripe plums fade somewhat. It closes with leather, saffron and a touch of booze. I have to admit the opening and first hour are my favourite and all too quickly disappear. Moderate longevity but fades to a skin scent in just over an hour on me. So sad.

Reminds me a little of Acqua di Parma Colonia Oud, just not as stout. The rum, plum, and oud are center stage, while the other notes are very noticeable and play strong supporting roles. I really like Atelier's way of blending their notes. A previous reviewer wrote that this reminded them of Christmas, and I can't agree more. This is not my favorite, but I do like it. I plan on putting it in the closet and saving it for Christmas.

Really nice take on leather and plum. It's starts out with quite a bit of plum and rum but as time goes on, turns into a soft leather/sandalwood smell. Quite a bit of development throughout the life of the fragrance as well. Quality ingredients and expertly blended. Is it worth the retail price tag? Not sure I would pay the hefty price tag but I didn't mind paying the $100.00 I got if for on Amazon. Overall - 9/10

I must say, I was surprised by the longevity, I could still smell it on me after 9 hours (not sure from the clothes or body). The leather accord is strong only in the opening, then it is basically a plum liquor for the rest of the fragrance, melted together with saffron. I really liked it. So well-rounded, balanced and great longevity. I would consider a purchase of 30 ml.

Simply one of the best leathers I've encountered. Unlike the other reviewer below I LOVE the opening! Atelier has rapidly risen to the top of niche brands I love. And Gold Leather is as elegant and rich as I could ever hope to find. Definitely compelling as I'm constantly pressing wrist to nose to identify each stage of its stunning development.

When I first put on this fragrance, my boyfriend, a bartender, said that it smells like Long Island Ice Tea. And it does! It's a boozy, unusual scent that is more masculine but could be worn by a female too. I loved it on my boyfriend, it has a delicious and sexy feel to it.