Nabatieh

Jordi Fernandez? A date and coffee fragrance? With smoke and spices? Yep, this was one of the easier blind buy decisions I'll ever make. It arrived earlier this week from French Avenue and cost around US$25. The box is very fine but that bottle is something else. I've never seen anything quite like that before. It is 3D printed I think, made of some kind of resin, lined with metal accents. I don't hate it, it's just very.... different. "Different" is a bit of a theme for this one. The juice is quite something. It isn't like anything else I own and I mean that in a really good way. It is fascinating. You first get this big hit of black, roasted Arabica coffee beans and cardamom and it is sits a little bitter at first, in a nice way. As it dries down it changes on the skin. The coffee stays in but the gorgeous sweet dates and vanilla start to appear and it starts to go a little creamy and gourmand in this really strong, masculine way. There are a lot of Middle Eastern notes in this, and the bottle is very Middle Eastern, but it has a broader feel. You don't need to be Middle Eastern or enjoy Middle Eastern style perfumery to love this one. The orris in the middle is woven into the other accords so you struggle to pick it out, but it adds another layer of richness. The best way I can describe it is that there are lots of rich things in this fragrance all working together to make something super rich. Layers of richness. The coffee is rich. The sandalwood in this is one of the most attractive such examples of the noble wood as you'll ever find and yes, it is incredibly rich plus a bit smoky and bitter as well. The spices are rich. The vanilla and tonka accords are rich. I think there is some Benzoin in this as well and that is rich. The orris is - you guessed it - rich and the date and almond accords are also rich. If this was a dessert you would be asking for a takeaway container after three mouthfuls because you wouldn't be able to finish it. Again, if that sounds a bit confronting, it shouldn't be. It is very good and astonishingly wearable. As we would expect from Mr Fernandez, the blending is excellent and it never feels synthetic or cheap, which given the price is borderline miraculous. It is this lovely, dark, sweet, rich (there's that word again) fragrance that wouldn't work if the blending was not up to the mark. I imagine myself playing with making my own fragrances from time to time and would love to do one that has coffee, dates and cardamom in. My attempt at this would be akin to what it might smell like if a Cheescake Factory and the Starbucks next door was hit by a burning, out-of-control truck carrying dates. It would be a disaster. Nabatieh is, by contrast, a ridiculously assured masculine powerhouse that is about as well blended and judged as any fragrance could ever be. Sorry to repeat myself but I couldn't believe how wearable and accessible this fragrance is. Nabatieh is also a timely antidote to fragrance fatigue. In this world of dupes, "beast modes", bergamot, florals and yes, even oud, you can start to tire of looking for the sometimes small differences in what you get your nose on, especially if like me you're smelling something new at least once a day lately. But Nabatieh is nothing if not individual. It is properly different. This is something a bit special that is genuinely interesting. That bottle is also, as I've said, interesting too. When we talk about "successful blind buys" this one was an absolute home run smash hit. I greatly, greatly recommend this one. Three Word Summary: Have Another Coffee! Scent - 9/10 Drydown - 9/10 Sillage - 9/10 Bottle/packaging - 6/10 Performance - 7/10 40/50

The opening on this was kinda assaultive on my nose (a bit too warm spicy), but 15 mins later it becomes this beautiful dark gourmand scent. To me it becomes like this mix of 65% Initio Side Effect and 35% Lattafa Khamrah Qahwa. This was my first true blind-buy, and I thought it was a failed buy at first but the post-opening was too good. I still don't recommend blind-buying at all but if you like scents like Side Effect and Khamrah Qahwa, this is likely to be safe. Nothing to complain about with performance. Overall, I think the juice in this is of high quality. I don't wanna be a glazer, but I think Jordi Fernandez cooked with this one. This style of scent just isn't for everyone. I still hope that with maceration, the opening becomes more smoothed out.

Just received this and wow, I'm glad I picked this up. I don't tend to like Vanilla but the way this comes together is addictive. Can't speak to longevity yet, but it's a "heavy" scent, though one that I don't mind, it may be too much for those around you. It evolves quickly, within 30 minutes the top notes fade (fine by me they are a bit astringent as others have said). The rich smokiness as it dries down makes me want to keep putting more on but it's strong enough to give me pause. Wonderful fragrance, would buy again

This is really good and one of the best fragrances I have tried from French Avenue. Nabatieh smells very similar to Toy Boy 2 and it makes sense, since Jordi Fernández is the mastermind/nose behind both fragrances. Nabatieh and Toy Boy 2 also both share coffee and Akigalawood notes as well, but Nabatieh is less fresh, less spicy and more powdery and sweet, because of the added dates, almond and vanilla. I definitely recommend this.

Wear this in the cold. Very cold days. And it truly becomes an amazing scent. It's warm, cozy and hugs you. Sweet, smokey and soft yet packs a punch. Unique and a special day scent. Not a everyday wear. But more for those very special nights. Smells like something that Lubin or Atkinson would make. Extremely high quality stuff. But certainly not a blind buy.