Vodka on the Rocks

'' By Kilian Vodka On the Rocks'' Bursalı mısın, kadifeli gelin? Bir çaydan mı geçtin? Yanakların al al olmuş ... Yoksa votka mı içtin? Votkayı bilirim, kokusuna da aşinayım. Ancak bir parfüm notasına dönüştürüldüğünde, esansiyel bir votka akorunun nasıl hissettireceğini pek bilmiyorum. Bu çalışma, kesinlikle indie niche olarak tanımlanabilecek bir karaktere sahip. Oldukça özgün bir koku. Bana göre bazı eksikleri olan bir parfüm; fakat onu değerli kılan tam olarak bu kusurları. Özgünlüğü buradan geliyor. Gelelim asıl meseleye: Bu kokuyu sizlere olabildiğince objektif bir şekilde aktarmak. Gözlerimi kapattım ve tenime iki fıs sıktım. O an, sanki bu kokuyu ben yaratmışım gibi bir his oluştu. Arkama yaslandım, burnumu tenime yaklaştırdım ve şunu düşündüm: Bu kesinlikle bir kokteyl. Ferahlatıcı, canlı ve güne zinde başlatan; havada dolaşan aldehitlerin oluşturduğu bir karışım. Zihni açan, dikkat toplayan bir yapısı var. İlk anda salatalık notasını çağrıştırıyor; ancak içeriğinde yer almadığı söyleniyor. Bana kalırsa bu his, tazeliğini yitirmeye başlamış salatalıklarla hazırlanmış bir kokteylden geliyor. Bu ekşimsi etkiyi yaratan unsur ise büyük ihtimalle ravent bitkisi. Mekânsal olarak fotogerçekçi bir sahne sunmuyor. Kusurları belirgin; fakat tam da bu kusurlar sayesinde, sınırları aşan ve farklı bir noktaya ulaşan bir parfüm ortaya çıkmış. . . . Are you from Bursa, velvet bride? Did you pass by a tea house? Your cheeks are flushed... Or did you drink vodka? I know vodka, and I am familiar with its scent. However, I am not entirely sure how an essential vodka accord feels when transformed into a perfume note. This creation definitely carries a character that can be described as indie niche. It is a highly original fragrance. In my view, it is a perfume with certain shortcomings; yet what makes it truly valuable is precisely these imperfections. Its originality stems from them. Now let us move on to the main point: to convey this scent to you as objectively as possible. I closed my eyes and sprayed two sprays onto my skin. At that moment, I felt as if I had created this scent myself. I leaned back, brought my nose closer to my skin, and thought to myself: this is definitely a cocktail. Refreshing, lively, and energizing— a blend formed by aldehydes floating in the air as the day begins. It has a structure that clears the mind and sharpens focus. At first, it brings cucumber to mind; however, it is said not to be part of the composition. To me, this sensation resembles a cocktail made with cucumbers that have begun to lose their freshness. The source of this sour, tart nuance is most likely rhubarb. Spatially, it does not present a photorealistic scene. Its imperfections are evident; yet it is precisely these flaws that push the fragrance beyond its limits and carry it to a different, distinctive place. 10/8.9

I didn't expect anything from this and I'm very pleasantly surprised. I blind bought Kilian's Fresh Citrus discovery set, which includes the 7.5 ml travel sprays for this, Bamboo Harmony, Moonlight in Heaven and Kologne Shield of Protection (reviews of those coming in the following days), and I'm really liking Vodka on the Rocks. Prior to getting the set in hand I looked up the scent profiles for all four fragrances and this had by far the strangest scent profile of them all, as well as the strangest scent profile I had ever seen (excluding weird stuff like Toskovat and Zoologist obviously). I had absolutely no idea what this would smell like, so you can imagine my surprise when I smelled this and it turned out to be a fresh, softer, sweeter version of Green Irish Tweed. Green Irish Tweed slaps you in the face with its green, old fashioned scent, whereas this is very gentle and slightly sweeter in comparison. The aldehydic notes blend extremely well with the cardamon and coriander, as well as with the musk and creamy sandalwood in the base. It's a very refreshing scent, which, although it doesn't really make me think of a literal vodka on the rocks, it makes me feel like I'm walking in the woods after or during light rain. The dry down is interesting as I find it becomes a marine-ish smell that's still pretty fresh, I suspect it being a combination of the base notes with the rhubarb and rose. Even though I like it a fair bit it's not a scent that drives me mad with excitement when I smell it, but I'd rate it a solid 8.5-9/10. Being such a unique scent I wouldn't really gamble blind buying it, especially since Kilian's travel sprays go between $35-40, so I definitely recommend getting a decant to try it out first. For reference, I sprayed each forearm and shoulder once and my neck three times. Vodka on the Rocks doesn't project too far, I was told by my sister that she could perceive the smell of it when she was within arm's reach from me. Paired with the fact that it's a really subtle scent, Vodka on the Rocks leans more towards being a close quarters' fragrance. In a way I think it's a good thing because if this projected more it could become annoying or even slightly cloying after a while. Longevity also isn't the greatest, as I can't really pick it up on my skin anymore about 5 hours after spraying. I can, however, still smell it very vividly on my clothes and, as a result, I can still catch whiffs of it while moving or resting. To be fair, it is possible I might have become somewhat nose blind to fragrances with ambroxan as I used Versace's Dylan Blue and Eros EDT daily for years and I've reached the point where I need to overspray Dylan Blue to be able to smell it 30 minutes after applying it.

Yes, it smells somewhat generic (in a good way), but I think that's necessary in a collection--although this one could certainly stand on its own if you're looking for an "one and done" fragrance. Great for a date, a business meeting, the office, or trip to the mall. Year-round, too. A lot of fragrance fanatics get caught up in their "niche nose," and they ultimately begin to like scents that the general public find displeasing. In this, they start downplaying a lot of crowdpleasers. I'd like to think that I'm in between the crowdpleaser and the hipster. As that type of consumer, Vodka on the Rocks suits both personality types perfectly for me. It's got that kinda niche edge and quality to it--complexity as it dries down and has a slight evolvement where the woodiness becomes more present. However, it's still plain and fresh enough that you don't have to ever worry about someone saying you stink. That's perfect to me. A "dealer" quit stocking the refills of this and marked them half off, so I bought two 50 mL refills. Started with one, liked it so much that I bought a second while it had a good price. Yes, you can buy the refills to fill generic atomizers. It's cheaper than buying the fancy bottle--although I will say that I also own the "real" bottles of By Kilian Intoxicated and Gold Knight. This one, however, is my favorite overall; the other two are definitely more "niche." Does it smell like its competitors? I own Mont Blanc Legend. This is like massively upgraded version of it. Where MB Legend smells synthetic or harsh, this smells naturally smoother and so much deeper; the wood notes are more present, and the performance is better. However, MB Legend is a fraction of the cost, so if it's way out of your budget, then that's a great way to access this sort of scent for cheap. VTR has that extra "oomph" that's the next level of luxury. They're almost a little redundant, but the Kilian is far superior, especially noticeable when worn side-by-side. If I ever run out, I may be willing to buy at full price, currently $295 bottle/$195 refill, both 50 mL. Notwithstanding, that's close to Creed Aventus pricing. In my opinion, that's the closest competitor for this type of scent at this price point known by me. If a lot men in your circle wear Aventus, get this and stand out and still smell great. 9.5/10 excellent fresh scent. 8/10 performance/longevity (lasted ~9+ hours today). 8.5/10 sillage (not going to knock someone out, but noticeable at about arm's length).

My everyday cologne. Beautiful, masculine, sophisticated, and complimented daily. Complete strangers stop me and ask what I am wearing. Cardamom and coriander grace the top notes, but the aldehyde gives a subtle twist of citrus. Contrary to what others have said, this scent does NOT smell like "an alcoholic" or "booze," and one can only assume that the power of persuasion (in the name of the fragrance) has caused this misunderstanding. The lily of the valley, rhubarb, and rose are probably some of my favorite notes, but they never act independent of the base. Ambroxan and oakmoss tie everything together beautifully and help to create one of the best olfactory experiences I have ever smelled. When I say this is complemented every single day, that is not an understatement. Although I always appreciate compliments, I wear this scent because it truly is remarkable. It manages to evoke subtle masculinity while defying the heavy spice that seems to permeate the genre. This scent is perfect for every day wear, which is why it is my signature scent. Suitable for all occasions, all seasons, and all times of day. Safe enough for the workplace, but bold enough to get noticed by everyone. My only qualm is longevity, but that holds true for many of the products made by the House of Kilian. If an intense version were to come out, I would purchase it in a heartbeat. However, it is nice that they sell refills for a discounted price, as the entire line is built around reusing the original bottles and cases they come in. Refills, though, still run about $195 - so longevity could certainly be improved upon at that price range. Overall Scent: 10/10 (The only 10/10 I have ever given to a scent) Silage: 9/10 (others always smell it on me, but I am not as sensitive to it anymore) Longevity: 8.5/10 (I can get around 4 hours out of it before having to spray more) Adjectives: Crisp, sexy, confident, refined, well-made

Ahhhh Vodka On The Rocks is finally here in my possession! Upon first sniff of my sample a few weeks back, I was immediately reminded of A&F Fierce which is what I was expecting. It was a cleaner version, but still very-much-so a Fierce sibling. I wasn't taken back and I wasn't impressed, but of course I still like it. Who doesn't like the Fierce vibe?! Fierce has that tried and proven, universally accepted DNA's. It's well known. People like it. Its one of the few fragrances that has clones all over the damn place. I can't tell you the number of frags I have tried and went, "oh my god, another Fierce fragrance!" The fact of the matter is Vodka On The Rocks has that same genetic structure...BUT this is some high quality juice! As I mentioned above, there are endless fragrances that carry this DNA, but it seems like all of them lack quality and longevity. VOTR has the quality and it has the longevity. This is a beefy version. I will say Percival is also a good version, but it's a little on the soft, floral side. Not as "in your face" as VOTR. Anyways, long story short, I wasn't impressed upon first sniff, but after finishing my sample off, I wanted this stuff. It's such an easy dumb-reach fragrance when you're not sure what to wear. Honestly, it might be the easiest dumb-reach I have and it's always a pleasure to wear! I know people will like this one and it's always enlightening to catch a whiff of this classic masculine DNA. Overall: This is nothing new, but it is a fantastic and possibly the best version of this fragrance I have ever come across.