Alpona

I sampled the parfum version of Alpona, so it’s not surprising that it opens strong and assertive with citrus, flowers, and an undercurrent of dry wood and aromatic resins and herbs. The citrus has been described by other reviewers as “orange marmelade”, and I would agree with that, but it’s a high-quality sugar and bitter orange marmelade, not one of the high-fructose corn syrup ones with only a couple of token recycled orange peel bits floating around in the jar. It proceeds to develop into a gorgeous floral chypre scent, accented with thyme. Then an incredible sillage blossoms and wafts around the entire room. It’s simultaneously rich and fresh. There’s no way to describe it in terms of other things, it’s an emergent property of the parts that’s far greater and different than their sum. It’s like walking into a strange place redolent of an odor that is completely new to me - the ultimate perfume experience. During the drydown, I detect a little bit of something that is probably citrus oils that are no longer in their prime, but it really doesn’t detract much from my overall enjoyment. Although this fragrance dates from 1939, it could just as easily be a modern niche scent, and an incredibly good one at that. It made me want to dance and brightened my day. Bottom line: I love it. Apparently it’s discontinued so I'll probably send off for a decant, if I can find one, since this just might be one of my go-to scents for fall.

Alpona is one of the crowning jewels of Caron, yet one that has been lost to time and seems to be under appreciated - perhaps because it’s so damn hard to find nowadays. It’s an interestingly aromatic and resinous take on a classical Jasmine-centric chypre, and oh my does it execute it perfectly. I’m surprised the jasmine note isn’t ranked higher in terms of prominence, it’s the star of the show for me. I smell a very similar jasmine to that used in Jean Patou’s Joy, which rose to huge success after its release just 10 years before this. Alongside that is an array of bitter citrus, soft woods and a hefty amount of oakmoss. The aromatic, resinous facets are coming from the use of thyme and myrrh, which are gentle but present just enough to turn this into something completely unique. I adore this scent. Someone special was very kind enough to send me a decant from their bottle, and I’ve fallen head over heels for it since. This is the pinnacle of perfumery, Ernest Daltroff at his best, there will never be another like Alpona.

Notes: lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, rose, orange, jasmine, orchid, thyme, patchouli, myrrh, cedar, sandalwood, musk, and oakmoss. I"m writing a a new review of Alpona, because in the year since I first added it to my collection it's trickled up to my top 5 favorites. Fragrance lovers who like Ivoire de Balmain, or similar greens with a burnt grass feel, will want to try this. The ad copy above is misleading; it suggests Alpona is raisin sweet and lists it as a citrus aromatic. No, no, and no. If I gave this to you blind you would think it belonged to the tobacco or incense family. There is a spring like crispness here, but nothing you could easily identify. Any citrus you might smell would be faint at best. Alpona is extremely well blended. I think this is the only Caron I own that does not change over time. How is goes on is how it smells, 18 hours later. If I could change the above, I'd call it a green woody chypre.

Alpona Extrait. Vintage. I think if you get a chance to experience this Caron, consider it a unicorn meeting. Its not easy to obtain, and further, its so far in the past you could argue its a modern niche however the copious amounts of Mousse de Saxe base and Oakmoss would give the IFRA a heart attack and flatline. Its the first to showcase a bitter grapefruit against the herbal thyme opening and due to its age, a heavy oakmoss presence does come at you at the first sniff. So old chypre lovers, someone highly allergic to the synthetic candy scents now..this is more up your alley. It is definitely unisex, and all thru the path this fragrance had taken me on something kept echoed that parts of this is familiar, yet half of it wasnt. Created in 1939 unveiled in New York coinciding with Daltroffs relocation from France due to the war, Alpona was a reminder of the French Alps, more in the summertime.

Alpona has a mild creamy sweetness that the listed notes do not suggest, so it took me by surprise the first time I actually put it on. My grandmother's very old and empty bottle has a more pungent oakmossy smell than my new bottle. I think this new one feels more balanced and every time I catch a little waft as I wear it, I honestly think "mmm, yummy." Yes, it is citrusy and yes, the green notes come through, but it's more complicated than that. It is also warm and soft, and a little sweet too. I heard a rumor that Alpona was going to be discontinued this year due to EU regulations or something and reformulated again later on so I guess this kind of helped pushed me over the edge to finally buy a bottle even though it's so expensive.