Sarmate

I really like this rather quiet scent. Leather, resins, balms and oud are wonderfully blended and everything develops in beautiful harmony. In the end a warm, woody and slightly animalistic base develops and stays for a very long time. Reminds me a little of "Galaad", which was also composed by Delphine Thierry, but darker, softer. Thumbs way up!

Lubin Sarmate is my sixth and final try from the Aristia Collection, and it seems like the spiciest of the lot but without any pepper, the spiciness coming from a mix of davana, angelica, nutmeg, saffron, and styrax, over the remaining notes of myrrh, leather, atlas cedar, and oud. It’s highly spicy, a little woody, and a bit resinous, as well. It might be one of the more provocative of the collection, along with Gajah Mada, very spicy yet still very workable, friendly, and versatile, though much more apt for cold weather than warm or hot weather. My favorites from the line remain Galaor and Sinbad, but overall, the collection is deep and interesting and high-performing, generally apt for colder weather as there is a spicy, resinous vein consistent throughout the sextet. Sarmate, like the rest of the Aristia Collection, is priced at $290 for 100ml in parfum concentration and is sold at only a handful of boutiques like Perfumology, where I obtained the neat discovery kit, and while the collection is shown as “sold out” online, for the time being, they’re still available (given the shutdown) but you’d just need to e-mail the shop. 7 out of 10

Spicy cedar and sticky myrrh, with a touch of a leathery oud in it. The leather is kind of a horse stable with a kind of hay feel over the top of the cedar (it reminds me a touch of Zoologist Rhino 2020 there) but then it has a spicy and smoky cover over the top of it. Smells elegant from the cedar with a bit of a rougher edge with the other elements. Solid masculine scent for a classy feel with a bit of an edge.

Finally got a sample of this Sarmate, was very much looking forward to it. First thing to mention, it is a dense and musty fragrance. Nothing fresh or suited for summer here. Secondly, it is not a very natural smelling perfume, unfortunately. When i spray it, i dont really get much of top notes, it seems i am right away introduced to the heart of it and this heart is slightly sweet, with a touch of nutmeg and leather, synthetic oud/horsehide. I have a molecule called "pretty oud" and seems like a good dose of it is present in here. Very fake oud thats neither horsey enough, nor oudy. Additionally, this heart is slightly bitter with green shade to it, i would assume from herbs that are mentioned at the top. No saffron. Closer to the end density of a perfume cloud softens up making this easier to live with, but no new nuances appear. Stylistically, it is in Diors Leather Oud territory, but much more butch. Longevity is around 5 hours. Projection is around 30 cm. Not to my liking unfortunately, wont be buying a bottle.