No 10 Malt Night-Fighter

I came accross this one by accident, as a free sample included in an online purchase. It was a pleasant surprise and went immediately on my wishlist. There is a dominant combo impression of malt and smoke, which convey a smokey, peaty whisky. The smoke side diminishes over time and an allusion to black tea takes over. There is a a degree of harshness in the opening which changes into a softer fruitiness in a few hours. Despite this evolution, it is fairly linear, everything is there from the beginning until the end. Moderate in everything, projection and lasting power. Overall, it has a pure niche vibe, with bold notes and decent quality. I found some resemblance to the discountinued DS Durga's Spirit of the Glen, along the interpretation of the whiskey, but this one has more smoke and goes in a different direction with the tea/fruit note. I used to have that DS Durga on my wishlist, too, but they discontinued it fairly soon. It becomes a race against time to try to buy stuff before they disappear and I wonder how long will this one be around, as not many people seem aware of this brand.

It has an interesting scent, I think the name reflects the scent of the perfume. A night malt warrior... dark, scratchy, malty. A difficult perfume for me to accept, this violet-carnation-malt combination forms a trio that not everyone would necessarily like. Regardless, we are talking about a completely unique scent. The description also mentions smoked tea, but for me it did not appear at all in the drydown... in fact, I experienced a completely linear perfume from the moment I exhaled until the end of the drydown.

This smells like burning a stick of Nag Champa incense while dusting the house with lemon Pine-Sol, and I don't mean that as an insult. It immediately brought up memories of my mom cleaning the house with these exact products in the 90s. It's extremely nostalgic for me, to the point where I'm not sure if it's wearable because it's too specific and familiar. It is really nice smelling though!

On my very cold skin after a couple of hours it suddenly smells like a huge bouquet of royal white lilies. Although the blotter produced a good whiskey with a smoky, even peaty flavor.

If you're a collector of smoky/incense fragrances, this one won't blow you away and could be a great “everyday” option. It's light, demure, and lovable.