Cuir Bourbon

One word: Beautiful. This is one unicorn I have been curious about for a long time, and I am so happy to have it in my collection... finally. A beautiful, perfectly balanced leather-vanilla fragrance. The leather here is not processed or car seat leather as in Cherry Punk, or a suede as in Babycat but a hide leather, similar to what you would get standing inside an Italian leather goods store. The vanilla is not gourmand, it’s more vanilla pods crushed to release the oily essence. It is subtle, classy, and perfectly balanced. I don’t know how Monsieur Kurkdjian does his magic but he does it well. The saffron is in the background, giving a subtle spiciness that does not compete with the main notes. On my skin, I do not get the musk. The end product is a beautiful, subtly sweet, powdery, well-balanced choreography of the notes, creating a unique, inviting scent bubble. This would be perfect for a classy occasion where you want to smell unique but can’t be loud with your fragrance. An absolute shame that it was discontinued.

Whiskey, vanilla and leather. What's more to ask? The first thing that emerges from the decanter is a boozy scent, similar to that of a fine single malt. Leather and vanilla, intertwined, ubiquitous, create a velvety mist that lasts and lasts. No rough edges here, perfectly unisex, ideal for layering indeed. Sits close to the skin, as I believe it is supposed to, since in great doses, it could be cloying. My only complaint is that the vanilla feels a little synthetic. By no means can it measure up to Dior or Givenchy vanilla. Still, the opulence and mystery this scent breathes is uncommon and very much sought after for me. Instant love.

The dry down is where the Kurkdjian magic happens. The top notes are strong and it’s nice but a little confusing at the start because you’re not exactly sure what it’s presenting. But once all that heavy smoke and saffron start to fade and you get those creamy notes with hints of smoke and boozy notes, it’s truly special

Wow this is really nice but such a ripoff

Very warm and clean vanilla. I find it perfect to wear with a cashmere cardigan on a cold winter night. Having that cloud of soft vanilla just warms me up right away. I could see how this can be layered with another minimal, but heavier scent to give the fragrance an edge I feel it's missing, especially after it has opened up. I could actually enjoy more leather in the base, as on my skin it disappears quite rapidly.