The Taste of Fragrance A*Men

Pure Chili was retired to my off season shelf yesterday along with Pure Havane and Pure Leather. It reminds me of a really tasty sausage that I used to buy and cook for breakfast. Of all the Angel Flankers, Taste of Fragrance or Pure Chili is to date my favorite. I really love the spicy chili in your face blast of spice that gives a clear contrast to the sweet and beautiful traditional dry down that all Angel Man flankers have. Its a broken record talking about performance with Angel Man. All of them that I have tried have excellent quality, longevity, projection, sillage and lasting power. You do not need many sprays of this fragrance and when you put it on then you will be wearing it and noticing it when you go to bed and probably the next morning. You can almost say that it lasts until you shower it off. Pure Chili is no different and it lasts and lasts and lasts and can stand toe to toe with 99% of niche and parfum strength fragrances when it comes to quality and performance. As for my usage this past year, it wasn't much. I only pulled it a few times this season. And the reason is honestly price. I own probably a dozen bottles of Angel Man and its flankers and a good amount of similar fragrances. I have 4 from the Mugler line that I have opened and am working on. Of those, I clearly like the overall scent of Taste of Fragrance the best. And yet, I do not own a backup bottle of it and the only place that I know to get one is the Mugler website and its $90. There are a few that I do not own and now they have Pure Tonka as another new fragrance in the line. Mugler lists Taste of Fragrance as a limited edition and we all have seen favorite Mugler fragrances disappear from backstock. And of course there are many fragrances from other lines that cost less that $90 that I have on my buy list and would like to try that seem to make more sense than a backup bottle. I consider $20 an ounce my reference point for designer and at $30 it commands a steep 50% premium to what I like to pay. Overall, I am going to grade this fragrance out at a 84 or a tick below a solid B. It gets perfect scores for performance. And it gets very high marks based on smell as it is my favorite of the Angel Man fragrances. Unfortunately, I have to dock it quite a bit for price and availability. It costs 3X more than Pure Leather and as a result, I own less of it and I treat is more of a niche special occasion scent rather than a daily wear fragrance. I bought my bottle as a tester but I was lucky. If this cost $40 or less like Pure Leather then I would insta buy a backup bottle, wear this 5X more than I do and it would creep into the territory of an A and it would be a favorite fragrance. I've never had a compliment with taste of fragrance and this might be a result of lower wear frequency and it might be the strength of chili on top. I recognize that this is a gourmand fragrance and there are a lot more people that will respond to baked goods and cookies and the many sweet Angel Man fragrances over a spicy peppery chili. I marked my grade down a point because of lack of compliments but it is a small complaint when this is my current favorite of the line. Angel Man is a very sweet fragrance and it is easy to find fault with cavity inducing fragrances. But what they do is to contrast the sweetness with distractions so that you get the sweet lovely foody dry down but different looks at the top. Traditional Angel Man has the famous tar note, and pure leather the harsh rawhide. Pure Malt has a boozy feel, and Pure Havane delves into notes of the cigar. But I think Pure Chili is the one that works the best. It takes the sweet but goes in an entirely different direction. I realize that many of the people who wear fragrances are elegant and refined and would consider themselves the top 2% that get talked about in the press. But I am a person that can appreciate a really good bowl of chili as well as a plate of Lobster Thermador and the spoon feels better in my hand than the seafood fork. I own so much Mugler and so many flankers that sadly I almost have to try to find reasons to pull this one when I own an excess of juice regarding others that are also quite good and more available to find, buy, and wear. I really would like to move this to the front of my shelf but I do not want to run out of this one and it is too pricey for a backup bottle so I use it gently. And honestly, I am happy with Pure Leather and others in the line. I love a good breakfast sausage but sadly I rarely have it anymore. It costs a fair bit and is harder to cook than just scrambling up some eggs. It is messy and sizzly and it leaves a sausage smell in the kitchen and the house which is nice for awhile but then you kind of want to smell something a bit more clean and fresh. But on those rare occasions that you have a taste for it, sausage is a treat on your plate.

I have to tell you that I almost always contemplate buying a perfume and test it several times before I make a buy. This one is the exception to the rule for me. I visited Nordstrom's a few days ago and saw this limited edition on the shelf and quickly sprayed a sample on a card. I was impressed at the first sniff. The SA approached me and throughout the conversation (where she tried to sell me other things) she told me it was a limited edition and they only got 6 bottles, all still on the shelf. I asked for a sample so I could wear it that night, got my sample and left. For the next half hour I was smelling the card and kept getting more impressed with this unique fragrance. After a few minutes the pepper really came to the front! I quickly went back and bought a full bottle. In the half hour or so while I was walking around one of the six bottles was sold, I bought the second. On the skin this one performs just a little bit differently for me. The initial blast presents mostly a nice lavender with mint with a touch of bergamot and coriander. It does not take too long for the pepper to come to the front, very noticeable and well blended, yet not as strong for me as when I smelled this fragrance on paper. The slight citrus/bergamot smell is soon overwhelmed by the pepper (which to me smells more like freshly ground black pepper than chili pepper) and a vanilla and/or tonka bean smell is added to the chorus. Soon thereafter I get the smell of cacao which must be a combination of coffee and vanilla, maybe with some musk based on the notes listed. Throughout this fragrance's life I get pepper at every stage except for maybe the first minute or two. Pepper with vanilla and coffee. And I can't help but think of cacao or dark chocolate with hot pepper, something that the Mayans used together. Chocolate and hot pepper is a favorite food combination of mine...the Mayans knew how to use cacao and pepper so this combination seems like a natural for a perfume. Needless to say, I love this combination. (A good friend makes habanero fudge every Christmas and it is my favorite holiday treat.) I always have a problem determining how long a fragrance lasts and how it projects to other people. I tend to get fragrance fatigue and don't smell what I am wearing after a couple of hours and have to rely on others to tell me. But it seems to last several hours for my nose and I would guess this lasts at least 5-6 hours for me, maybe more. I will have to ask others and report back. This one is an unique gourmand with so much pepper, coffee and vanilla. Definitely in my rotation for the cooler months. I love it! A limited edition so if you like it and want it, get it while it is available. UPDATE: On drydown the pepper goes way to the back (but is still there if you search for it) and it ends with a nice, close to the skin cedar accord.

Launched in 2011 as part of a long-lived fragrance, The Taste of Fragrance A*Men represents a sensory and intense interpretation of A*Men's family and, most importantly, it is back that but leaves me and conquers me within the collection. A fragrance comes with an aromatic and fresh aroma, mint, lavanda and bergamot, with a light herbal and energizing sensation, which is the logo of space and the green DNA of A*Men: especiarias and doçura envolventes. No heat, a pepper aquece and an acre cent of a spicy toque marcante – a difference between the two sides, while patchouli and virginia cedro call for a terrosa base, amadeirada and solid. O grand espetáculo, no surprise, no fundo: a delicious mistura of encorpado coffee, baunilha cremosa, fava tonka and a toque of almíscar formed a assinatura viciante, quente e gourmand, com um certo amargor sofisticado que quilibra a doçura. The spicy chili pepper chord has been made to become almost edible, returning to a spicy chocolate dish or an espresso with exotic flavors. Fixation: excellent, lasting 8 to 10 hours easily on peel. Projection/Sillage: Our primes are strong for 90 minutes, constantly visible for varying hours, depending on the raster marking, which will be invasive from now on. Ideal for nights out, romantic encounters or occasions that you want to have a personal presence. You can use the weather in winter or out of doors, but not in moderation in climates but for a short time. Its gourmet vibe, especiada e sensual or torna perfect for special occasions or moments of sweet pesoal — almost as a dress that is what you want. Out on and in winter it is perfect for its bright fragrance. The intensity of the notes and the heat of the composition are perfect at low temperatures, such as an aromatic blend. Among the various verses of the A*Men line, this is one of my favorites, you have to try to balance the DNA of Mugler with a unique, playful and provocative assinatura, only to be accompaniment. The spiced hat is that but the difference is different, tornado-a quase “greedy attitude”. Final Rating: 9.6/10 A brandy perfume, used and deliciously stale. The Taste of Fragrance A*Men is a rare joy and a little comment from the Mugler house, but that's what it's all about... it's simply inesquecível. Se busca um A*Men com tempero, calor e alma, essa é a pedida certa.

This one, as my other A*men flankers, was also a blind-buy. It is a very rare one, i had a hard time finding this. So, when i first sprayed it on my wrist, i was a bit dissapointed, i didn't like the blast of pepper and ground coffee. It was intoxicating. But, after like 10 minutes, that spicy feeling is a bit mild, at this moment, first thing that came to mind was "hm...Pure Havane". Yes, it has that cherry vibe from Pure Havane. Only this one, is like a sour cherry with pink pepper and coffee. After 30-45 minutes the fragrances becomes very pleasant. At this moment i get a nice vanilla cappucino smell with a touch of that sour cherry. After a short period of time, comes the sad part: the projection drops dramatically, but not at that level that you have to stick your nose on the wrist to get a whiff. Let's say, if someone will be very close to you, or hug you, it's there. But it doesn't have a scent trail. I was expecting a better performance considering that it is after all, a Mugler fragrance. Overall, it was a good blind-buy, not as succesful as Pure Malt and Pure Havane, but i like it. After 3 wearings, i will give this one a rating of 7/10 (i could give a higher rate if the projection was better). So is it worth buying this? Well, if you are a Mugler fan and a collector of the A*Men flankers, you should get it.

Finally got a sample of Pure Chili (this thing is so hard to find nowadays) after years of anticipation. The idea of a prominent chili note was simultaneously intriguing and scary lol. I was pleasantly surprised! The chili note is definitely noticeably there, and is very realistic, but doesn't smell harsh or off-putting at all. I think it works really well because the rest of this fragrance is on the lighter side for an A*Men flanker. It's smooth and reminds me a lot of Pure Havane, as opposed to the denser, heavier scents like the original, Pure Leather etc. It smells like a sweet creamy coffee with cayenne chili powder. You really have to smell up close to get the full potency and details of the chili, when you're just catching a whiff of the sillage it's more just like a delicious warm spicy accord that blends in smoothly with everything else. I can safely say this is one of the most unique fragrances I've ever tried. Adding a chili note to a fragrance that already has a reputation for being bold and challenging must have taken a lot of courage and the final result is done masterfully. Opening: 9.5/10 Dry down: 9.3/10 Uniqueness: 11/10 Versatility: 3/10 Presentation: 9/10 Sillage: 9.5/10 Longevity: 9/10 Sprays: 2-3 Season: Fall, winter Occasion: Cold weather signature, date, casual Overall Rating: 9.3/10

This house really gets it! The Taste of Fragrance starts off peppery but not the strong or harsh pepper you would find in Very Sexy or Bang. This pepper is smoother and a bit sweet. This combination evokes a licorice feel reminiscent to Lolita Lempicka’s Au Masculin or Body Kouros. Soon after or midway through the fragrance it starts to turns into another A*Men dessert. This dessert is bitter sweet and has a minty-herbal and slightly earthy-dark base to it (lavender & patchouli). Once all the notes find their comfort zone, the scent turns into a vanilla coffee treat, and this is where you find yourself in the infamous A*Men gourmand dry-down. The Taste of Fragrance definitely has the DNA of the A*Men collection but this one is different as it stays close to the skin... and that’s ok! Because it will work great in complimenting the other A*Men. *Longevity: 8-10 hours. *Projection: stays close to the skin. *Silage: scent will follow/ not a noticeable trail. *Versatility: cooler days & nights and a ‘spritz’ on a breezy summer night is going to be AWESOME ! *Occasion: Any... casual/formal, and anything in between. A*men has done it again folks and this time it’s somewhat discreet and equally impressing. The A*Men saga continues...and when is this Pure Shot coming out !?

When Thierry Mugler announced “The Taste of Fragrance” I was very curious what new we can find in another A*Men limited edition... I’ve made a test, so I can say – this is another original TM oriental scent and a true masterpiece. The start is VERY strong – I was a little bit shocked, but later it became more pleasant and smooth. The real pleasure is drydown – creamy, spicy, warm...Yes, there are some similarities with Pure Malt, Pure Havana and the original- A*Men, but at the same time it is a little bit different. “The Taste of Fragrance” is spicier, manlier. I can sense coffee as well. I love that Red A*men because it is a gourmand scent like Pure Malt, Pure Havana or A*Men, but on my skin “The Taste of Fragrance” is the most serious and dark scent of all limited editions - not so unisex, not so sweet, not so delicious and carefree. On my skin, that pepper A*Man is closer to Pure Malt. About longevity, projection and silage - longevity is similar to the other limited editions – more than 7 hours. Projection – excellent! Silage-exellent. Final words - “The Taste of Fragrance” is pure perfection! It has everything to make a man feel comfortable, modern, sexy, and the same time - serious and chic. Well done Thierry Mugler!

This is actually a great A*Men flanker and due to the popularity of Pure Malt and Pure Havane, I believe it is somewhat overlooked. The Taste of Fragrance is not as aggressive as A*Men (it lacks the tar note and the patchouli is turned way down) and it's not as sweet as Pure Malt. Nevertheless, it does its job very well. What you get is a strong coffee and chili pepper combination in the opening that sweetens over time as the vanilla and tonka start to kick in. The patchouli plays the background, never making much of a scene, though its presence is felt. As the chili pepper gradually fades you're left with something of a cafe-mocha/vanilla-latte vibe. Longevity is anywhere from 8 to 12 hours and the projection is good--solid but not overpowering or cloying. I would consider this my favorite in the A*Men line just after Pure Malt and just in front of the Original. It's definitely worth looking into if you are considering an A*Men option or looking for a unique, quality coffee-based scent. Edit: By the way, this smells EXCELLENT on clothing. I threw on a shirt a few days after I had worn this and was shocked at how great it smelled.

I have always been in love with Thierry Muglers gourmand fragrances. Which as we all know a gourmand fragrance is a scent that seems it can be consumed. This time however, Mr.Mugler has not only made the fragrance less delicious and sweet, but at the same time he has made the "flavor" that of something one can find in or on a plate of food. The ground pimento chili paste added to A*men completely changes the entire feel of the fragrance and i'll admit, I didn't like it at first. We're all grown adults here, so i ask this question. Have any of you ever been to an Indian persons house? If so, then you know exactly of the scent i am trying to pull from your memory. Coffee and chilies, beautiful and earthy, spicy and dry. If you're looking for the sweetness from A*men, look to one of the other flankers, this one is DRY baby! I have this odd feeling that this fragrance wasn't ment to last more than a few hours. Rather it was to be used only for examination and appreciation.

Wow - talk about a complex scent... I've been wearing this for a week now and it's been different each time. The first time I wore it, all I could think of was chili paste and dark chocolate - sensual, seductive and truly gourmand. The second time I wore it, it smelled like chili paste and pure malt. The third time I wore it, it reminded me of the waxy-sweet-pink pepper top notes of Spicebomb, and today, it smells like a delicious cup of mocha cappucino. The weird thing is, the people who've complimented me over the past week have described this scent in so many different ways e.g. my lab partner told me I smelled like starbucks, whereas another one of my friends said I smelled spicy and manly (but not like chocolate or coffee). With that being said, I think this A*men flanker is my favorite right now (can't/won't stop sniffing myself) and I can't see myself getting bored with it like I did with Pure Malt... 9/10

I don't know why, but each time I wear it I have a feeling it has more in common with Burberry London than wih classic Thierry Mugler's A*Men... The opening is very spicy. I really can feel the chili, however it's not listed in the notes... Then, after about 2 hours(during that time the fragrance is very dry and spicy on my skin)it's getting a lot warmer and sweeter. The chololate comes in. A lot of chocolate. It mixes with the chili, smells incredibly beautiful. It reminds me of Burberry London, but only just a little bit. At the end I get a hint of coffee added. That's the second A*Men's flanker that I know. And I have to say that it's far better than Pure Shot, although it's completely different from PS. Longevity is only a little bit smaller than A*Men's - about 8 hours. Sillage and projection are comparable to its "father". I have to admit that I love it. And I regret it's only a limited edition :(

No one will ever say that you smell like peppers. If i hadn't been told that this has pepper in it, I would have never guessed. The pepper comes off as a very sawdusty, spicey, transparent wood smell. Like a spicier, dustier, more transparent, and edible cedar. I also picked up on the vanilla big time before looking at the note breakdown. I love that vanilla is here because that note doesn't seem to be very common in the A*Men line, but it should be. It goes so well with the coffee and patchouli DNA. This smells incredibly tasty, but it also doesn't smell familiar. No one will say "you smell like coffee" or "you smell like caramel" or "you smell like maple syrup" or " you smell like pumpkin spice." Mugler seemingly created a brand new dessert that can only be smelled. Perfect for the colder months and it could easily be a signature during those times of the year. Screams "cold weather holiday"

I'm going to give a brief synopsis after spending a day with it...This scent isn't infinitely complex or perplexing; it's basically chili pepper, coffee, patchouli, and cedar. It's a beautiful scent if you love these items as much as I do, otherwise, this may not be your scent! This fragrance is still of the same magnificent quality that all Mugler scents have along with the projection and longevity to boot! I'll give this one a "spicy" 8/10! On a more personal note: It seems like Mugler is taking it easy these days...this just seems to be a mash-up of things he knows already works! All he did was add chili to his coffee/cedar mix and "BAM!" a new, expensive fragrance! I feel like I might have bought a lesser creation of the limited editions...At least it smells similar to my beloved B*Men, so I have a swapping buddy if I get tired of one or the other!

It doesn't smell like the original A*men at all, ToF lacks the very essential caramel note, but instead there is a lot more coffee. This one, however, is much spicier and charged with a better longevity and sillage compared to the original. I think the opening is a little foody due the pepper; I can almost taste it!! The original A*men is much more smoother than this, it smells more balanced; ToF is just an explosion of spices mixed with vanilla (This fragrance should had been Spicebomb by Viktor & Rolf). Also during the last hours ToF gets reaaaaally soapy and it really irritates me. Musk simply doesn't fit in the composition. I've got a lot of compliments with this one, one girl said once that I smells like cloves and christmas. Sillage 10/10 Longevity 9/10 Smell 8/10 (I prefer the original)

It was a blind swap for me. Upon first applying, I am brought back to my childhood years when cayenne pepper was placed on my tongue to punish my smart mouth. To me, the scent is linear for about two hours with a strong, red-chili-paste spiciness. Afterwards, in the drydown, I am reminded of...general chicken! Yes, the chinese dish. I smell the sweetness of the honey glaze but simultaneously taste the pepper kernels that are sprinkled on top! At this point, it is laid back and much more smooth than at the start of its life. Two sprays max. Lasts 6+ hours with great projectioin the first 3-4, and my skin EATS fragrances, so that is outstanding! I love it! P.S. My nose may not be sophisticated enough, but I do not detect any coffee.

This is nice stuff. When I first sprayed it I thought it smelled like cherry cough syrup. The more I wore it, and the more it bounced off my skin, I realized it smells like a spicy cake in the opening (also almost like gingerbread). Once it dries down it reminds me of hot chocolate, it's really nice. I don't mind the thick pepper that is present for the first hour or two, and it seems most of the hate is because of that thick pepper in the opening. I was told I smell scrumptious by a member of the fairer sex, and I think she nailed it; it's very nice. (it was an unsolicited comment, if you ask it's not a compliment).

If you’re familiar with A*Men line you’ll know by which brand it was made. There are similarities with Pure Havane, they were made in the same years and IMO Taste is reworked PH, which I absolutely love. About the famous pimento note- you can smell more of it in the opening and the mid part ,in the dry down it’s still there but it is in the back. Very authentic note of peppers. It doesn’t smell like a “desert” to me, it smells more like fancy dish. Very very very interesting parfum, I got it for good price and it’s totally worth it. Do I want to smell like it ? Maybe, in rare situations, only in colder months.

This has been really overlooked, after trying all the Thierry mugler line this is easily the most wearable and pleasant. Yes it does have a blast of pepper paste but it goes and this turns into the best semi-sweet, cherry, chocolate, coffee, touch of licourice, smell ever. Its the only one people have really complimented on at work and i think has drawn people in to smell more after a whiff. Pure malt does its thing but if people don't know about it they really don't think much about it. This has now been totally discontinued and the last few are selling through. It'll be a gem in a few years to come.

I really do dislike the first 20 minutes... very spicy, disturbing and distracting. It has this rough unpleasant texture that you can feel at the back of your throat. But the dry down is beautiful! I agree to the "jelly" remark from a reviewer below, but thats not a bad thing. Anyway I tend to wear this one the least from the line because I can't stand the opening but ignoring the opening I think its a beautiful fragrance. To put in line from most to least fav from the like I put the original, Havane, Malt, Leather, BMen, Wood, TOF then Shot. Edit: This one grows on ya! Yes it does!

About a year ago, I bought a tester of this cologne. Now...I don't know if the theory that testers are more "concentrated" is true or not, but I am starting to believe it, since this one, lasts longer on me than Amen, PH and PM. All others been standard ones. This one is very spicy at the top, sweet spicy food...as the name implies. Then it dries down more similar to PH than the others, but there still spiciness there. PH is my favorite, but this one is a close second, with PM next (extremely over hyped in my opinion), and Amen takes the last place (that opening is way too much).