Pont. Max.

Context: main purchase in a large order, first time trying Sorcinelli. Pont Max was a primary purchase, not quite a blind buy but close. The only stockist in Warsaw had barely half a spray left of Pont Max, so I layered Pont Max with Notre Dame di Natale from the same collection. I wanted the ultimate Catholic sent, not just ''churchy'' but, as somebody else commented, institutional and austere. If you are seeking an authoritative, ancient and aristocratic kind of resinous incense, not just to smell of incense hanging in the air but to embody a great gilded thurible in the Vatican, this is the pinnacle. It's an atmospheric, environmental kind of smell. It truly does recall a sacristy, the kind of functional rooms in the flanks of Churches in which the priests, decons, and altar servers prepare the mass. I find warm woods, particularly cedar, make up the base notes. There is clove and valerian low down on the scent pyramid, above the woods but below masses of turpentine, benzoin, and myrrh. It isn't dark or claustrophobic, I think thanks to an ambergris (rather than amber as some others have found) accord, or something vaguely mineralic in a salty way, which makes the whole spicy heady concoction airy, as if you're never far from a great square or light, breezy courtyard. The Wear: - Opening: significant incense (primarily myrrh), and a light, agreeable smoke. You're entering the nave of the church. - Mid-wear: spicy, sacred, and institutional. The mass has ended, the air and stone is pregnant with centuries of ritual and ceremony. You're still in the nave. - Closing: Mineral, heavy valerian, old noble wooden furniture. A slight powderiness reminiscent of great slightly dusty tapestries and carpets. No longer in the great hall of a church, but in a more lived-in furnished sacristy, or even the narthex. The presentation: The bottle itself is lovely, of good quality, as is the label. It is genuinely reminiscent of some of the oils the priests would order in to prepare holy, blessed anointing oil when I was an altar boy. This may make me think even more valerian is present as is, as valerian would be used for anointing the sick and dying rather often. The hand makes sense, this of this as eau de pape. This is an ode to Catholicism, this scent in the collection, to the Vatican and His Holiness himself. It is a part of the story telling, and I understand it. Is it to my taste? God no I wouldn't have chosen it, but I do feel, somehow, it was necessary. Be aware the bottle does come with a normal travel cap, but for the love of god it could have been metal. It's a basic cheap black travel cap. Also, rest assured, the hand is actually very light plastic. It looks great in person (objectively, I mean the details of the ring, veins, it's very life-like. 10/10, the star in my collection.

Divine. My favorite incense fragrance I’ve ever smelled. I don’t find Pont Max challenging at all, but I also have pretty eclectic taste, so take that comment with a grain of salt. This is my first Filippo Sorcinelli fragrance, but it certainly will not be my last. I’m impressed. Pont Max opens by conjuring the strength and magnitude of an enormous cedar tree. There are ghostly whispers of smoke coiling their tendrils around the trunk of the tree. Over time, the smoke takes over and evolves into the full-blown scent of a Catholic Church by the sea. Precious incense burns as the smell of the ocean faintly wafts in through the church’s stained glass windows. This fragrance commands respect. It’s beautiful, haunting, and austere. I love it. And don’t even get me started on the gorgeous bottle design. As of right now, I just have a decant... that bottle must be mine someday.

This a creation that experimented noses will appreciate fully. If you love Interlude 53 and for example can appreciate R by PR, and found Lavs exquisite then you will recognize the craftsmanship of Pont. Max. This is yet another very bold statement of a fragrance by FP. To me the “most” wearable from the Memento collection, having sampled almost all of them. For ultra fans of wood-incense-resinous fragrances looking for a top-tier experience.

While this does read as an “institutional” scent, I think it is a lot less austere and stoic than expected. Among the incense there is also a kind of resinous sweetness, I would almost call “juicy”, that heavy resembles the aroma of dried rhubarb root: a blend of earthy-sweet and smoke. It is definitely austere, but moreover grounded and somewhat endearing. A resinous powerhouse.

I only smell smoke. Frankincense and myrrh kind of smoke, exactly like the interior of a church. There is something fresh in it, maybe the cedar? I am not sure I want to smell like this. However, I can imagine in it on a very formal event (which I usually do not go to). Or maybe on the very first days of spring, when you get the first warm ray of sunshine in the year. And I love how he managed to recreate the church-smell, so even though not wearable for me, I really appreciate the effort and the results