The Angel of the House

Another absolute stunner from this hidden gem of a house—probably among the most beautiful ouds in my collection. The bergamot that cuts through the opening is divine. Very limey, and in combination with the patchouli seems to cast a green-blue hue over the whole affair. I tend to be a little averse to patch, but here it’s qualities are applied with masterful touch. The smokiness of the gaiac and Malaysian oud is perfectly tempered and smoothed out, the resinous, leathery and damp forest tones of the oud being conveyed gorgeously. Gurjun balsam, labdanum and leather provide the perfect sweet, resinous, spicy-smoky foil in the base, with the keen addition of some deer musk to round things out—also very deftly dosed. I continue to be reminded of why it first called out to me each time I put it on... It automatically registers as a scent of confidence, power and sophistication, and for some reason, reminds me of something George Washington would wear, or perhaps a Habsburg. And though I’m not the biggest fan of said characters historically, my reflexive association of this scent with nobility and commanding personages should speak for itself. If you haven’t just yet—check this house out!!! Dear Mr. Adam is a modern day saint. Not only is the sacrifice he puts into each scent incredibly evident—the price per quality ingredient when you compare to other brands like Elixir Attar, is out of this world! Truly a very generous soul. Monoliths & Dimensions is my other favorite of his, but virtually all his works are worth checking out. I will certainly be keeping apprised of his increasingly prolific portfolio. Bravo, good sir, bravo!!! - H

Patchouli bomb. You have to love patchouli to love this which, luckily, I do! The bergamot hits first, as you'd expect. The patchouli is the star of the show, with the musk and oud giving it some background animalic. You only need 2 sprays and this thing will stick around all day. A cloud of patchouli will follow you for about 6-8 hours. I wore this to work, and a coworker asked for a squirt of it too, so we really patchouli'ed the place up between us.