Rook by Rook 2020 Edition

Rook perfume was launched in the year 2018, but the perfumer Nadeem Crowe decided to reformulate his fragrances because of the changes imposed by IFRA. So, this review will address the current version, relaunched in early 2020. Rook's fragrance has 17% essential oils in its current composition, which carries notes of tobacco and birch tar in output. In the body, notes of cardamom, ginger, oud, castoreum, and civet were combined. In the base of the olfactory pyramid, we have incense, ambrette seeds, ambergris, guaiac wood, and musk. A note: it is worth remembering that the notes of castoreum, civet, and ambergris are currently reproduced in the laboratory. The word Rook can mean, in Portuguese, terms such as smoke (if translated from Dutch) and trickster (if translated from English). Here, the perfumer's inspiration came from the figure of a diplomat dressed as a punk rocker. He likes to explain that Rook was a perfume created for him, initially. However, with a little conviction, he decided to share it with everyone. Rook's fragrance is brutal in several ways. As soon as it touches the skin, it has a strong tobacco content with rich herbal and alcoholic nuances, in addition to being slightly sweet. In the original fragrance, much was said about the strong birch content (with its leathery nuances) together with a lot of incense. In this current version, the smell of leather remains, but the incense facets are not as vivid in the beginning. There is also a huge presence of the ambergris note during evolution. Here, more than a warm and oriental effect, it gives a salty aspect. At this stage, the fragrance behaves like a modern fougère, with an odor reminiscent of burnt moss, as if the leaves and branches were not completely dry when thrown over a fire. Over time, Rook changes its personality and becomes a kind of classic chypre, full of musk and animalic nuances, plus a slightly citrusy accord. This time, it is not the good and old bergamot, but the ginger. There is no way to criticize the power of this fragrance. Everything about it brings what the public seeks to find in the perfumery that does not yield to commercial appeal: quality, impact, differentiation, and durability. The problem is: does your personality matches that of the perfumer? If the answer is yes, then Rook is an indispensable item in your luxury collection. Extraordinary creation!

A very pleasant perfume. It is strongly incensed and smoky, with a very powerful birch tar, in the line of perfumes like hyde by Hiram Green, but much more wearable. In addition, the spicy part takes weight off the burning smell, giving it, in my view, a more personal character to the fragrance. The animalistic part produced by the civet, the castoreum and the oud is present throughout the duration of the perfume but always in the fat one, in the distance, without ever being intoxicating. Although it is a very original scent, sometimes it feels classic, like with small bursts that remind me of the typical barber shop scent. Although I think anyone could use it since it is quite rough I see it perhaps a little more oriented towards the male gender. Due to the type of aroma, I would see it more suitable for cold climates and nights but, since its intensity drops quite a bit after the first minutes, it can be a valid perfume for day to day for those who are looking for a signature perfume with which to differentiate themselves rest. I am looking forward to trying more Nadeem Crowe creations. Scent: 8 Longevity: 9 Projection: 8 Quality / price: 7 Versatility: 7 Originality: 10 Overall: 8.5

I never had the opportunity to try the 2018 Rook, but I must say that the 2020 is extraordinary. On me, it opens with a very herbal-green smokiness, then it moves into an animalic spicy tobacco that I can't quite relate to anything else I have ever smelled before. It's interesting that others interpret the opening as tarry, because I get this deep, herbal-green vibe instead; I guess more like cade oil so I can assume that must be the birch tar in action. But it doesn't stay dry and tarry or smokey; the journey into the spices and the way it warms up into a glowing wood ember that's semi-sweet makes me think for a minute that this is everything that I'm looking for in a fragrance of this category. Supposedly, there's agarwood (oud) here, but I wouldn't consider this a typical oud-dominant fragrance. Regarding any misgivings that this unisex fragrance may lean too masculine, I have this to say in response: if men can wear Bandit, then women can easily wear Rook.

This is one phenomenal scent. The birch tar is the first noticeable note although this is a well blended scent. Yes it does have animalic notes but they don't stand out but are a low key supporting act. I'm usually wary of the animalic notes but these furry critters are not too wild. It's a potent scent rich in resin, tar and zing. I can see in my minds eye a raging t Rex stuck in a tar pool fighting hard to break free. Thank the gauiac wood and birch tar. There is a lot of amber gris, tobacco, incense and yes oud. The oud sits towards the back though. What makes this potent scent really sizzle though is the addition of the cardamom and ginger. Love it! Great longevity and sillage even in a cool room. For me it's unisex but I suspect others might consider it a touch masculine. If you love Zoologist T Rex then do try this!

Smokey, incensey tar and leather. Even i was younger, my town was funding a shipbuilding project that recreated a viking ship using traditional methods. This is how the shipyard smelled during that time. Tar covered woods, smoke and some resinous sweetness. I love the smell, but I think you have to be a certain kind of man to pull it off, and in a certain context. This isn't an office fragrance or a date fragrance. It's a fragrance for going on cabin trips, hunting, and fishing. Considering getting a full bottle just to bathe in it when I'm out in the woods. I still prefer Rook's forest to this - it's fresher, more wearable, and evokes the great outdoors even more, but if it wasn't for that, this would be their best fragrance in house.