Sacred Memory

The latest release from Kerosene, Sacred Memory, immediately reminds me of Blackmail due to the prominence of the berry, and later, amber, but it diverges toward the tobacco and whiskey accords relatively quickly into the experience of the fragrance. The dry down is a reasonable balance of the berries, tobacco, whiskey, mildly but not remotely toward the extreme of the sweet side. The overall experience is not quite as sweet as Blackmail, given the absence of vanilla, nor is it quite as heavy, given the absence of oud. Overall, it's a more moderating experience than Blackmail, which strikes me as a positive development, given that Blackmail, despite being an exceptional fragrance, might be a bit much for some to enjoy (along the lines of Tom Ford Private Blends and Slumberhouse scents). Its performance is good, not on par with the better entries of the line (Blackmail, Broken Theories, Copper Skies) but still very good, and the pricing remains reasonable for the line, at $140 for 100ml, sometimes found on sale. 8 out of 10

Sacred Memory from Kerosene has arrived and it opens with an exciting, camphorous edge that has almost a fleeting, faint, intoxicating, and intriguing gasoline smell that gives way to booze, berries and then...smoke and woods. The sweetness is alluring, magical and will have you wondering to yourself how this is all possible. Gorgeous.

Another sadly discontinued gem that I'm enjoying immensely in the summer heat. This one was a bit ahead of it's time. Boozy, oudy, sweet, with impressive sillage. If you like Blackmail, this might be your jam as well.

A wonderful potent boozy, tobacco and wood scent backed with juicy red berries. The booze eases off with time and for most of its timeline it's about fruity tobacco. I get good longevity and sillage.

One of the most realistic perfumes that captured the scent of whisky, accompanied by tobacco and some kind of berry juice or something. Good stuff—well done, John!

FINAL UPDATE Sample directly from Kerosene is incredible. Bought a full bottle! It's Fall, and Forest, and photo realistic cranberries. Berries crushed beneath their own weight in our buckets, my leather gun holster, fresh air, trees, earth, sky... everything warmed in the heat of the sun and cooling in the shade. A rich scent story that brightens in spots, deepens in others. It's Alaskan berry picking with my mother, grandmother, sisters... It is a SACRED MEMORY. (This 1st review is based off a hand decanted, non-official sample of SACRED MEMORY purchased from Smallflower Apothecary)- "The opening has a tartness combined with freshly tanned suede leather which makes for the specifc impression of ripe high-bush cranberries, a scent often compared to sour, dirty socks. The woods start to push in as it dries down and this helps settle the uncomfortable feeling a bit. It does remind me of the forest in fall, with the hint of wood smoke, wet leaves, and berries. Interesting but not pleasant until an hour in when it really smooths out into a cranberry candle scent, a "crackle" one with smoking wooden wick. It's nice but I just don't have time to spend on a fragrance I don't love. Perfectly unisex." UPDATE I am STILL thinking about this fragrance 10 days later! I have a large collection, it is rare for me to dismiss a scent and then keep it in remembrance. I must give it another try... I'M GOING TO BUY A SAMPLE DIRECTLY FROM KEROSENE.COM AND SEE IF IT'S DIFFERENT.

First blast of dry aged wood, slightly medicinal with hints of smoky bacon. Fairly one-note for a while and then a red fruit note starts playing high above all the dark woods and smoke, like a clarinet floating above deep bassoons. The sweet musky berries get stronger in the drydown, at last fully overtaking the smoked woods in the opening and is quite a startling transformation actually, considering the depth of those woods. I'll have to keep my nose on this one to see what it becomes in its final form. Moderate projection. Unisex and.. hmm it's a strange one for deciding which season is appropriate. It's full on cold weather in the opening and turns deep fruity after a couple minutes. I'll hedge my bets and say it's perfect for a warm autumn day. 6 + hours later: The scent had veered into warm amber but still predominantly red fruit. Still faint on my skin.

The cranberry-like fruity note stands out the most and is the first thing I detect. And similar to Kerosene's Blackmail this is another dark berry fragrance. But this time the darkness isn't a campfire smoke but a tobacco smoke which to me makes this less mysterious but more approachable. But I do like Blackmail more because it's more daring and interesting to smell. I get more tobacco than booziness. It's pretty enjoyable to smell, but I like the other Kerosene fragrances more. One thing I'll give to this fragrance is that for notes like whiskey and tobacco it is surprisingly easy to wear and gentle on the nose. If I had to wear a tobacco-forward fragrance in the summer I might pick this one because of that cranberry fruitiness.

I got this as a sample along with Blackmail, because I couldn't decide which sounded more like what I wanted (a fruity, woody scent with tobacco, smoke or tea). In the end, it was Blackmail, and I think these two are very different, to be honest. The top notes of Sacred Memory remind me a lot of Olympic Orchids' Tuscon (formerly Arizona) and Olympic Rainforest, with an almost-briney, Castelvetrano olive vibe...sour, but not in an unpleasant way. Very savory. There is a little of the same "90s plastic toy" smell that Le Labo Baie 19 gives me (again, I enjoy this smell even though it may not sound immediately attractive to many). The oak is there from the beginning, and as it dries, I get an ambery musk and some fresh tobacco, but I don't get the sweetness I expected from the "red berries" note listed here.

This is Apres from Ellis Brooklyn, or Cape Heartache from Imaginary Authors - but stronger. It's a lovely boozy-berry layered with smoky woods, and if you like this type of smell you will love it. It smells like camping in the forest, but I don't get any tobacco or the depth that I've come to expect from Kerosene. It's lovely... but not for me.

Somewheres between 😐 and 🙁. The burnt plastic or putty opening rounds out into an inauthenic / attempt at a campfire amidst greenery scent with a touch of red berries. More like plastic fruit burning in an ethylene fire. There's a strong chemical fire thing going on here. Anyway, crap.

Good but not really my style. When I tried it, I instantly got something sweet, fruity, maybe feminine shower gel from it. It's a little bit quiet but doesn't project bad. Plus, it lasts pretty well. It just seems soft and clean to me, unlike a lot of other Kerosene frags. I tried Broken Theories at the same time and think these two would go well for a working couple, or at least that's what I imagined in my head. The guy who works hard with trees and has this strong smell of tobacco, wood and incense and her wife with this very soft, clean and refined smell. I know, it's a stereotype but it's just my imagination! I like this one but I don't think it'd suit me. I'd imagine a shy, yet somewhat confident person to wear this. Someone who knows what he/she is doing but doesn't really like to interact with people or doesn't want too much attention. Someone who doesn't want too many compliments because he/she knows that the smell is nice and people like it. Good stuff, just not for me! Or at least not one of my favorites from this fantastic house.

Very mature. Oak and whiskey combined almost bordering animalic accord feel. *Generally speaking of Kerosene: - Development is phenomenal; aside from the opening, you have to be patient cause some might dry down to something you hate/love - Better spray on clothes; performs and lasts more, rather they die quicker on skin. - Never try on paper.

@Whateverwhocares You have 1090 reviews. How many of these fragrances have you actually tried? Or is trolling your game?

Guys this is being discontinued as of 9/1/23 - get a bottle if you love it