Through The Forest

Sampling d’Annam Through The Forest, a smoky, woody blend featuring a well-rounded but dark ensemble of incense, tobacco, black pepper, elemi, saffron, and hints of oud and vanilla to provide more of the extremes, but the whole fragrance is smooth, even though it has spicy and sharp aspects. It incorporates a bit of a burning fire with smoke itself, along with some of the more profound elements like incense, all while being quite wearable. It does not veer into the territory of the barbecue / pine resin aspect, territory already well-covered by a handful of other great fragrances, but instead feels midway between the campfire and a bit of a churchy incense aspect. As with the rest of the house’s offerings, Through The Forest is EDP concentration, priced at $120 for 50ml, sold via the house site, and, as with most of the house, also sold via some US boutiques—in this case, via Ministry of Scent. I find the pricing quite reasonable for a niche/indie company in the current market, between $2 and $3 per ml, particularly considering its very good performance. Overall, this is a really outstanding scent, a dark blend, the larger category of which I tend to love, especially as weather gets cooler, making it perhaps my favorite of an already-great line that I’ve tried so far to date, with two further scents to sample, still. 8 out of 10

I don't usually go for woodsy scents but I had to try this and I'm so glad I did. At first spray, it's peppery, woodsy, smoky, resinous, slightly (barely) powdery, and somewhat coniferous. The oud, incense, and elemi all shine immediately, and the saffron is there supporting them with a subtle sweetness. All very cozy and warm. After an hour or two, the elemi and saffron back down and the tobacco emerges some, replacing them with a soft earthiness. Around the three-hour mark, the tobacco and incense push more so to the forefront making the scent smokier. From here, it remains smoky and subtly sweet, resinous and aromatic for most of the remainder of the wear. The vanilla comes out near the end and helps to round out the fragrance. Overall, this is a wonderful scent, perfect for the fall and winter months. The longevity is also amazing, lasting on me for over ten hours.

Oh boy what a treat! I was worried this would be another vague green disappointment. Glad I tested it before reading the notes because it was a wonderful surprise! Whatever synthetic aroma-chemical is responsible for the sweet damp smoke is instantly recognizable in other fragrances I own but I welcome it. The intensity of the opening is a forest fire stamped out before it takes down acres. The rest is the hazy orange atmosphere hanging all around the dense woods as you walk home. Flakes of ash drift in a windless space and catch on weeping resins like wax trees melting against the heat. Green new growth and pine notes swimming in the smog. I am obsessed with this. Always gonna be a sucker for resins, amber accords, and sappy burnt incense. So fucking good.

This was a surprise! Like catcel, I'm glad I got the discovery set because I'd otherwise overlook this thinking it's just a regular woodsy scent. Through the Forest is a soft blend of smoke and wood at the right strength for me, stronger than other D'Annam works but not too heavy or obnoxious at all. It's perfect in an unexpected way and satisfies a want I didn't know I have. It's comfortable to wear and also quite beautiful as an everyday scent especially if you live in a gloomy climate, as it's cozy without being too warm and jarring with the surroundings. The profile is definitely more nighttime, but thanks to the softness I think it's perfectly fine to wear in the day too. The first spritz is masculine but it quickly settles to something unisex.

This might be one of the best men’s perfumes I’ve ever smelled. There’s something incredibly addictive about it. I’m surprised it doesn’t have any green foresty notes because it really smells like a fresh pine forest to me. This reminds me of ”By the Fireplace” by Maison Margiela, but more bitter and foresty. I wish this was slightly more unisex, I feel a little wierd about wearing it since it smells very manly. This still is an amazing fregrance and I love it.