al03

Delightfully bitter, green aromatic herbs open aI03, flagellating my nostrils into alertness, the artemisia, rosemary, and the like. These are merely glazed with citrus and some flowers, and the overall effect is comfortably arid, almost desert-like, with it growing more smoky, almost creosote-like. Leathery quinolines join this phenolic accord while still green and fresh. Patchouli and vetiver steeped in spices are part of this phase of aI03. I almost detect what reminds me of piñon pine resin incense and ponderosa oil. This coniferous passage yields to more the interior of the trees than its oozing exudate. Pines, oaks, and most of all, cedar open up their flesh and are slathered with a sheer layer of castoreum and rolled in the ground-dwelling lichens. What a magnificently dry, masculine affair, a real buffet for the olfactory. I would describe this as a rounder, somewhat more modern and naturalistic approach to woody, musky, leathery scents of the 1980s. Think Jil Sander Man (1981), Hermes Bel Ami, Halston Z-14, and the like, with heretofore unexplored frontiers added to the journey, and more understated radiance. Gorgeous stuff.

Opens with a blast of lavender and bitter aromatics (mostly a strong artemisia, with mint and rosemary). Other florals are present, but part of the blend. Then it morphs into an amazing stage, with a combination of a smoky/incensy birch tar (leather) and a strong rooty/spicy vetiver with salty facets (ambergris?), with noticeable and beautiful support of a fantastic green labdanum note. The base will end the majestic show with a fresh cut cedar, supported by a bitter moss and leather, giving a nice impression of tobacco. Also a hint of patchouli and animalics. A stunning leathery/woody chypre, quite complex, with 3 distinct stages, with the edges rounded a bit to fit more the contemporary tastes. Project seems average/low, but I get wafts here and there, still after 4-5 hours.This fragrance is simply fantastic and even more if you can get your hand on it for $50, like I did. Right up my alley. A lesson of perfumery. Fall/Spring days, 30+

This is a cross of classics. Jil Sander Scent 79 Man (Artemisia, Incense, Birch Tar) Hermes Bel Ami (Patchouli, Birch Tar, Vetiver) The top starts out very similar to Scent 79 Man with its liquid, green, sour artemisia note and the smoky woody birch tar. The mid is more like Bel Ami with its patchouli, vetiver and birch tar although its more woody compared to the more spicy Hermes. The base is of its own, its dry, woody like finely sawed oak, it has a sweetness to the wood. Very nice stuff overall, worth seeking if you enjoy those woody/spicy chypre classic masculines from the 70s and 80s. Its too bad this brand never caught on. Priced themselves out of the market IMO, "art" or not.

This Fragrance Screams Masculine Man. Very Strong, Very Long Lasting ... Alas It Was To Brutish For Me.

al03 by Biehl Parfumkunstwerke was a pleasant discovery, plucked from my sample stash on a whim this evening and applied liberally to my wrists. Had I tested this fragrance a decade ago, my review may have been a negative one, especially seeing how much I detested leather dominant fragrances in my youth. Testing al03 at this current point in time, however, was the perfect moment as I am greatly enjoying both the scent pyramid and its development on the skin. The opening is quite spicy and herbal, with notes of geranium, lime, star anise, salty vetiver and soft leather. al03 is quite masculine in the initial stages, and I admittedly felt a little uncomfortable as a woman wearing this fragrance. Thankfully the drydown is much smoother and more complex with a rich, well-rounded scent that is neither masculine nor feminine. al03 is a leather fragrance, but it's not a harsh representation of this note. The leather in al03 is smooth, comforting and familiar, like a well-worn pair of leather boots. The endless scent pyramid only adds to this fragrance's complexity, showing the true "niche nature" of this composition. Uncomplicated, straight-up leather scents, even to this day, aren't my personal cup of tea. I like my leather fragrances subdued with added nuances to lift this sometimes sticky, bitter note. I am more than impressed with this fragrance and I am now intrigued as to the entire Biehl Parfumkunstwerke line, as I don't hear much said about this brand within the fragrance community.