Hyde

Oh my! I wasn t expecting liking it, buy it seems I alreafy love it. Front the 1st sniff, I had yhe same mouthwatering feeling that I got when sampling Andy Tauer Une rose chyprée: delicious mandarine and lime layered by balsam and vanilla. Later, the smoke comes up very strongly, but I don get any kind of bbq or campfire vibe. Isntead, some incense burning, a herbal and balsamic one, like things we use to burn in santerias. And later, oh gosh, I got what I want where Une rose chyprée could have stopped: this retro balsamic and vanila drydown, lightly poudrée and woody and sexy. I don t get leather, it s more fine balsams ( My vocabulary is poor on that matters). I will definetly buy a full bittle (or even two). This is retro yet modern, strong for a natrual perfume. I understand the hype behins hyde, now. Actually, this is not perfume, but sorcelery in bottle. EDIT (after a bottle bought and some full wearings): So many polarizing reviews here and I understand why. Hyde starts full on birch tar, which why is results of keywords such as bonfire, smoked meat, bacon, sausages, etc. For me, its start is right away mouthwatering citrus, nut it only takes seconds. Right after, this beginning is similar to smoked moose leather: like a First Nation's mocassin smell (sublimely heavy). Then, it starts to get a little powdery, maybe the cassie. A little "feminine", with some associations to make-up smell. To conclude, vanilla, moss and labdanum get louder, and is incredibly rich, smooth and similar to vintage amber. It's quite a hyde as said below. In a Facebook live, Hiram Green said that he conceived Hyde as a perfume to "nightlife, loud music...". I cannot disagree more from the perception that I have: Hyde for me smells nature, and it is almost spiritual. Attention. This is a powerhouse: it lasts more than 15 days on fabric and at least 24 hours on skin (but thankfully after shower you won't smell it no longer). It's not by chance that Hyde is Winner of the Artisan Awards at The Art & Olfaction Awards 2019.

There's absolutely no need to hide Mr Hyde. Thought I might as well start off, on the funny side today. Anyways, my first reaction to this fragrance wasn't anythiing to write home about. I picked up a sample from one of the fancy shops downtown, got home and tried. Needless to say, I had my hopes up high, which sadly ended in some sort of anticlimactic experience. I did find it utterly medicinal and very, very malty. The birch tar was there, but not to the extent that I would have wanted. Disgruntled with the whole experience, and straight it went to some dark corner of one of my cupboards. I did however decide to give it another go, having smelled it on a passer-by in the mall and asked him what he was wearing. Dear oh dear, how wrong I had been, beacause now the fragrance opened up in all its glory. This time around the birch tar was heavier, the malt subdued and there was something utterly warm and cozy about it. It's funny how some fragrances can give you that kind of autumney feeling, sitting on the porch, with that blanket nicely swept around you, the smell of burning leaves, with a warm malty vibe and some heavenly touch of vanila in the dry down. Needless to say, I purchased a full bottle shortly thereafter and it has become one of my most treasured fragrances. Does it perform well? That should be the least of your concern. It stays on my skin for 12+ hours, with an armlengths projection for 5-6 hours before turning to a skin scent. It does have a very good sillage as well, and there is no need for more than three sprays. Besides, my experience tells me, that one of the best ways to go nose blind, is to overspray. Not only is it a waste of perfume, but a waste of money as well, and believe you me since I have learned the hard way. The beastier the fragrance, the less you will need to spray.

While many smoky fragrances aim to illustrate bonfires, campfires, and like, Hyde begins as a haunting charred edifice, post-conflagration, lingering smoke rising from its remains. I imagine that the edifice was built for this very purpose: for immolation of a physical symbol that no longer serves a purpose. Perhaps it could even represent a past self. It does feel monolithic, and that's what I love about it. Hiram, while harnessing the power of birch tar, allowed it to be just a bit more ominous here, and I love Hyde for this reason. His addition of cassie absolute is what really sends me, however. It's one of my absolute favorite floral botanical materials, from Acacia farnesiana, famously used in the sublime Une Fleur de Cassie from Frederic Malle. Unlike its cousin the mimosa (Acacia dealbata), cassie has a dense, cinnamic, clove-like, honeyed, violet-leaf-powder feel, and its underpinned with an undeniable feral pungency. With its inclusion in Hyde, the heart is on the verge of smoky floral, but leans more floral smoke. This lends a bit of levity and allure, keeping Hyde from being a complete tale from the dark side. As it subsides, Hyde recalls aspects of a classic Cuir de Russie at its edges, a milder smoke, a lighter haze. The edifice has transformed into a sweeter memory of the way life used to be, before the fire, and now its remains have imbued everything. A malted resin is the ghost, just a little sticky and ashy, a sweeter sensation, but the tar and the char hold fast from beyond. The acrid blast of its opening, while so pleasurable to my own peculiar nose, may have some wince and be unwilling to stay for its evolution, but there will be surely those who will be in rapture over its evocative, savory and flowery smolder.

Leather metamorphosis. Shapeshifter, skin-walker, changeling. What is happening before my nose...? Bitter, oily, sour, and juicy bergamot burst open but it is an incongruous juxtaposition to the shocking birch tar smoke and immortelle-leaning cassie floral heart engulfing the air around you like a forest fire. The leap from the top to the heart - it doesn’t make sense; it shouldn’t work. Yet somehow for that reason, it does work, like a completely unexpected metamorphosis. Observe from a safe distance. The birch tar smokes like an apocalyptic fire, and the cassie flower brings an oppressive suffocation of the lungs with a heavy, sun scorched, anisic, red earth. Hyde concludes with a melted, smokey, and sticky labdanum and a blackened, unsweetened vanilla - it smells of charred earth and resins, heavy, dense, but also expansive - like standing over a near-black abyss. If it isn’t already obvious from my description, this perfume is big, loud, and incredibly diffusive, so wear it conservatively until you see how it works for you. From a big distance, which is easy for Hyde to achieve, the overall effect is smokey leather just as the brand states. But it’s up close - which it will be for you, the wearer - where you realize this is leather in disguise. There is much more happening behind the leather mask, something of mythical proportions. It took me a while to come to grips with Hyde. At one point it was almost a sure “no” from me, even as someone who has a huge weakness for leather perfumes, but with time and additional wear I became more and more comfortable with this berserker. Not safe, not easy, not comfortable, but very stunning.

Wow - just wow. Even when Hiram Green's fragrances are not quite right for me, I'm blown away by what masterpieces they are. Hyde is a gloriously tarry, birchy, leathery work of genius. Truly a natural perfume, Hyde does not have the lingering smokey aromachemical (I have no idea what it's called) that many other 'smoky' fragrances have at the moment. Instead it has a very pure, birch-driven, smoked but not smoky aroma. It's stunning. Earthy and dry. This is like a campfire and at first you smell the tarry birch and it's quite intense, then slowly it mellows and it's just like a dying campfire in the dark of a mellow summer's evening, you can smell the wild grasses drying around you, you can almost hear them rustling in the slight breeze and smell the faintest hint of clover blossoms in the meadow. This is such an evocative beautiful fragrance. It makes me feel nostalgic not only for things that I remember, but nostalgic for things I have never even experienced. Truly a journey. I started out thinking that this eau de parfum was not for me. Then I thought, but wow, this is stunning. Then I thought how wonderful it would be to be wrapped up in the strong arms of a man wearing this fragrance! But now? You know, I think I actually might like to try to wear it, it's a raw scent and a strong one, it would be incredible on a man, but it has a really strong elegance that I think a woman could own beautifully.

Hiram Green Hyde is my second try from this house (after Slowdive) and a celebrated leather scent, which, upon first spray, absolutely delivers this vision. Much like Slowdive is a dark and spicy (albeit also sweet) honey scent, Hyde is a spicy leather scent with resinous accents and just a touch of sweetness to prevent it from being too sharp. It maintains a bit of a burnt character with birch tar, specifically, and the smoky side of labdanum, I suspect, with just a slight tartness and levity provided via lemon and bergamot. Vanilla being listed as a note is not wholly surprising but Hyde is by no means a sweet fragrance. Instead, it sits spicy without being animalic, peppery, or sharp, always an impressive feat, being spicy but not too spicy. Overall, this is very impressive, with the leather, birch tar, and labdanum telling most of the story, with interesting quirks provided by the other notes, but on the whole, a masterful, rich execution. I just might have to pick up this and Slowdive this year, but I probably will owe both a revisit at some point first. In the US, Hiram Green is priced at $165 for 50ml in EDP concentration, very reasonable in light of its quality and performance (I said the same of Slowdive), and it is sold via several great boutiques: Indigo Perfumery, Tigerlily Perfumery, Luckyscent, and Ave Parfum. 8 out of 10

I'm very impressed by Hiram Green's perfumes. All-natural, but composed with the finesse of haute parfumerie, they are consistently excellent. HG creations tend to be creative and distinctive, even original, but with nods to the classics. All the more impressive, considering Mr Green is self-taught. Hyde is one of the nicest birch tar perfumes I've tried. Compared to the dark, dry Falcon Leather by Matière Première (which I also enjoyed), Hyde is somehow airy and slightly sweet with a lovely amber drydown. Punctuated with florals and vanilla, it is an unusual combination but really works. Birch tar is present from initial spray, bolstered initially by tart, fresh bergamot. While the birch tar is dominant for the most part, floral notes emerge, slightly sweet, polleny and hazy. Again, it serves to complement the bitch tar in a beautiful yet unexpected manner. As it dries down, a rich amber accord develops thanks to the labdanum, a natural progression for the birch tar - sweetened to perfection by smooth vanilla. It becomes earthy and mossy, with a lovely chypre base coming to the fore. Dry, smoky birch tar is still detectable too as it fades. Sillage and longevity are moderate. A wonderfully nuanced birch tar perfume, this is a cold weather scent, perfectly unisex and surprisingly easy to wear despite its artistry. Recommended. 4.5/5.

(FIRE) GONE WITH THE WIND This perfume is very interesting. It is also quite unique. I only remember of a somewhat similar scent coming from another very unusual scent: Black Tar by Parfumerie Particulière. Hyde brings up different images and associations for me: - It smells like the ‘next day’ of charred wood, as if someone had been burning branches and leaves and then putting them out again. - It reminds me of the typical smell of a traditional English gentleman's country club, with old books, leather armchairs, a glass of whisky and a glowing cigar forgotten on a mahogany table, with an almost dying fire burning in the distance under a broken chimney. - It also reminds me of the smell of boiled smoked spicy sausages or "chorizos". I like smoky perfumes, so I like this one a lot too. The perfume starts fresh and slightly citrusy for a brief period. There's also a subtle, warm, dark sweetness right from the start, immediately enveloped by a dark and spicy smoke. I don't notice the listed leather note much. The smoke remains all through the development and is the only accord present in the dry down, although softened by a slight vanilla nuance. This perfume is addictive to me, perhaps because it lulls me. Well... stinging bees are also calmed by smoke. Music: "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple

Hyde takes all the chypres, the fougères, the woods and watches them burn. This perfume is what you'll find three weeks later, the sun out, morning dew, a slight breeze, is that incense or burnt wood in the air? The first plants starting to come back alive and already forming a green haze and some flowers on the forest floor. Looking down you find the charred remains of what was before. I was apprehensive to try it on skin because on paper the fire wouldn't die down. On skin: From the smell of burnt sweet resins in an early morning smoldering campfire it transforms in to 'parfum de bois brûlée'. It's almost gourmand in an abstract kind of way. But you wouldn't chew on charred wood. At the risk of sounding like a pyromaniac; Holy smoke, delicious fire! PS This smells purely vegan, all the animals escaped the fire. PPS To emphasise: I understand the leather main accord, if there's any hint of it in here it's only of the tannins used to process it. Some years later, after getting the third sample and having a lot more experience with it, I have finally grown to love it and have bought the full bottle. The floral aspect of the perfume now seems to stand out more and gives it a layer of sweet complexity that's hard to resist.

An interesting perfume, although it is something that I would not wear, at least, on a regular basis. On the one hand, I find an accord scent, a tough and powerful leather, in the line of perfumes such as dark lord by kilian or the lovers tale by Francesca bianchi. On the other hand, birch tar gives the perfume a very smoky tone that, due to its woody character, sometimes reminds a little of the smell of barbecue coals. In the background a slight balsamic sweetness, but in general a strong and forceful perfume, even a little medicinal. The final mix, with a certain classic character, also reminds me of perfumes like Rook by rook perfumes or Bravo by Ramón Monegal. It feels very natural, as is usual in this brand, although as I say it is not for me. Of course, as a quality and as an olfactory experience it is worth it. It's a monster in terms of duration. Scent: 7.5 Longevity: 10 Sillage: 7 Quality / price: 5 Versatility: 5 Originality: 9 Global: 8

Being an ardent fan of Hiram Green fragrances, I had to try Hyde. What a great name, to begin with! I was hesitant about the birch tar at first, and on the first wearing it did come across as a bit challenging, but any harshness soon smoothed out into a delectable smoky leather. Hyde is akin to curling up in an ample burnished leather armchair by a smoldering fireplace, the atmosphere just touched by dry vanilla and honey. Then several hours in a gorgeous floral bouquet that to me is reminiscent of Moon Bloom rises to the surface, like the dreamy memories of sultry summer nights, touched always by rich leathery smokiness. Hyde steadily grew on me until at the third wearing I thoroughly loved it. I get superb longevity (this is an all natural fragrance!) and robust but not overpowering sillage. It lasts for days on fabric. In my opinion, Hyde is an excellent perfume to try for anyone who admires Hiram Green or smoky leather fragrances.

I tried Hyde in the sample pack from Hiram Green. I love it so much. I'm definitely getting a bottle. Yes, smells like a fire. But I love watching a fireplace or campfire, so it's not a bad thing. I don't get a lot of the indicated top notes, but it's really about what happens next, anyway. It's mesmerizing. So, a fire, then spicy amber, then malty vanilla leather. And I can't stop smelling my wrist the whole time. Easy to imagine wearing in winter or fall. Summer and spring...I'll have to experiment. I can see why it got an award. I can also see why it's polarizing. I'm thrilled it exists. Thank you, Hiram Green! I love your point of view. Updated to add: the more I wear this, the more wearable I realize it is. Amber gourmand, not sure if that's right but I keep thinking it. It performed quite differently on the paper spray vs. my skin, the latter being much more approachable. It's just so gorgeous! My bottle is ordered.

I am too much of a wuss for the first hour of acrid birch tar. However, as always with Hiram Green, incredible drydown. Edit: Subsequent wearings were more pleasant, addictive even. Ignore the challenging opening and let the autumnal, boozy, wood chip warmth surround you. This would make an excellent fall/winter scent for Billy Reid clothing brand. I don’t know why it gives me such a specific image of a chic, modern man of the American South, but it totally does. The late drydown is quite sexy and animalic with the funky warm breath of raw honey/sweet labdanum. I don’t think there is anything out there that smells quite like this rugged take on amber. Big props for originality. Edit2: Okay I’m converted 100%. This is excellent. What more can you ask for than a delicious completely new take on a favorite theme: smokey amber woods? It took a few wears to process and adjust but now I absolutelylove this stuff. 4 out of 5.

A 10/10 birch tar masterpiece, but certainly not for everyone because... birch tar! I'm normally not a big fan of smoky scents myself but Hyde is just so well done & seriously addictive. Not for the faint of heart by any means, but for experienced buyers looking for something adventurous, it's tough to beat, IMO. While some come away from it in shock, it's actually a beautifully balanced & well-rounded fragrance. That's why it's still hovering around a 4.0 even with being a clearly polarizing scent... It's so much better than many people's initial reactions would suggest. Warm & comforting, it's a perfect "scent bubble" scent with excellent performance. Yes it's bold & a bit wild upon application, but such a satisfying ride. I can't promise it will be your new favorite scent, but like Tauer's LADDM, it's really one not to be overlooked. Few scents live up to what Hyde pulls off effortlessly.

Each of the Hiram Green fragrances smell extremely high quality and luxurious and Hyde is no exception. This fragrance is [one of] the most distinctive scents I have ever smelled, which may not make it the most approachable for your every-day consumer. This scent is instantly warm and spicy, with a slightly sticky feeling to it. It's like being a cowboy in the high desert, traveling for days on end, sleeping fireside under the stars with your horse next to you. It is authentically rugged, yet warm and huggable. Of ALL the fragrances I have smelled and sampled on paper, this one lasts the longest and has the most projection! A little goes a very long way however, because when I tried it on my wrist, my skin got a tiny bit of redness/irritation...not to mention that this scent has the MOST projection and longevity of any scent I've ever tried.

What a wonderful fragnance. It starts out with a strong boozy and woody smell. The citrus notes is probably what gives it the "whiskey" smell other people have mentioned. But it quickly develops a strong mossy character. It is really wonderful and long lasting. Don't spray this on white clothing however since it has a slight color. It is masculine and I think the reason people consider it a winter and fall smell is because it has a dark woody character. But it smells great on warm skin. I would be careful with it in an office, because it has a reasonable sillage. I don't smell any notes of leather, but it reminds me of leather. I think 1970 wood veneer and stylish black leather furniture. It is very elegant and I love smelling it on me and on paper.

I didn't know what to think about Hyde when I first smelled it. It seemed like the strong leather scent would never die down on my skin. But when it did, it defied the typical leather drydown dilemma of turning medicinal. A turnoff for many. Hyde accomplished this by adding the note of Birch tar, which transformed the fragrance into an attractive scent of a recently used fireplace filled with smokey resins. Perfect 10 for me. I forgot to mention. Hyde is the perfect dark base for layering. Whether it's a rose, citrus or fruity/floral fragrance, layering Hyde with it, adds the masculine complexity that you didn't know that you were missing.

a brisk chimney fire with dark scents of tar and leather. Then a powdery flower gently emerges from this darkness, and its vegetal, spicy and narcotic facets are soon overtaken by a smooth, balmy, resinous, slightly aromatic, almost medicinal accord. The animal and caramelized notes of vanilla bean and labdanum reinforce the dark side of birch, while cassia flower caresses the skin with its powdery, velvety and fleshy petals, like a moist epidermis. Then the flames die down, leaving only glowing embers mixed with the warm, dry and herbaceous scent of a bouquet of dried flowers with tones of hay, moss and lichen. What a trip !

There is a lot of artistry here. How to define Hyde? Smoky ? Yes, of course, but definitely over the top. The opening is very strange: he reminded me of the aroma one feels when one is about to taste smoked food, perhaps meat, and it is really incisive. These fumes then subside and the scent of dull, burnt wood now comes to mind, which will last for a very long time. I love this kind of fragrances, it's very special to wear, but honestly I would, maybe in late autumn or winter. Absolutely to try before buying, here the line between liking it or not is very thin. "The fire of Rome" painted by Andrea Cefaly.

I love this, but how could I wear this in public? This has more birch tar than I ever deemed possible, so intense as to smell more like barbecue smoke than leather, with spicy acacia, citruses from keeping it too dry, and malt to give it more texture. This is one of the most pleasurable dark perfumes I've ever smelled (along with Yatagan and Salome), and I just love being steeped in the weird funky scent of it. but I just cannot imagine subjecting other people to this incredibly pungent and sinister (if beautiful) smell. This has the perfect name, btw.