Bread in Chestnut

#1703 in my “Tour de Fragrance” Got this as a decant from Scentsplit. I would say this is similar to Scents of Wood “Praline in Maple” but without the sweetness, so much more likable for me. Kinda surprised no one is bringing up Armani “Stronger with You” in comparison to this scent. The SWY line and all its flankers and imitators say a lot about the popularity of chestnut as a fragrance note. I have every SWY, most of the imitators and a few fellow travelers like Givenchy “Gentleman Reserve Privee” and Maison Margiela “Replica By the Fireplace.” This scent is pretty much equivalent in potency to the SWY EDPs in performance. Where this wins out over the other scents is that olibanum note (the rosemary also helps). A hint of frankincense (not as strong as I would like) sets this apart from the very large crowd of scents that do everything else this scent is doing. If you tossed in some leather and whiskey this would be a grand slam for me and worth the price tag. But, while I think this is a great, versatile scent worth wearing, $240 will buy a lot of fragrance these days, so I’ll set buying a bottle of this aside for now. Good Luck and Good Hunting!

Scents of Wood Bread in Chestnut is aptly named, a moderately-spiced bready, nutty blend, rounded out by tonka, olibanum, rosemary, sandalwood, and patchouli, a heterogenous woody, resinous, spicy mix that doesn’t lean too sweet, even slightly savory, with the rosemary oil and patchouli, albeit not fully a gourmand, particularly given the resinous aspects. It does not have a single aspect that’s as recognizable as say, the maple sugary in Praline in Maple, but it keeps in proportion an artful balance of distinct accords. Overall, I find it quite lovely and enjoy it as something gourmand-suggestive while not being too heavy, sweet, or spicy, but rather quite elegant. Like most of the line, Bread in Chestnut is priced at $240/38 for 75/10ml, sold via the house website and great boutiques like Perfumology, where I bought my 10ml bottles, a great option to try (or have travel sizes for) a greater number of scents at once. 8 out of 10

If you like Mineral Cedar by this same brand, you'll like this. It's a soft, woody-spicy scent, quite comforting and mild. This one is a little bit spicier and sweeter than Mineral Cedar– leaning toward gingerbread. I'll be honest, I don't smell any wheat or chestnut, though, and I wish I did. They're what piqued my interest in this in the first place. Edit: Okay, maybe it's the colder weather, maybe it's suggestion, but trying this again a few months later and I am starting to get the chestnut note. It's a very mild, soft one, more mont blanc than the almost burnt caramelized smell you'd get from a roasted chestnut street cart. I think I'm upping this from a like to a love. It really is like Mineral Cedar's gourmand little sibling, without the powderiness. I think it would be amazing layered with something smokey and leathery, too, to really get that fresh from the street cart effect.

Wow, just wow... I had never tried a gourmand that wasn't overtly sweet, and maybe that's why I'm finding Bread in Chestnut so special. I get a super realistic roasted chestnut: gunbam if it was made in a home kitchen an hour after bread had been baked (crackly crust cooling and yeasty bubbles sighing), instead of on the street where it's usually prepared and sold. I usually find irl gunbam flavor underwhelming compared to its aroma, so this is such a treat for me. There are some spices and woodiness in the background but I can't really pick them out, except maybe the tonka bean. My husband smells a smoky element but I don't get that, only rich, smooth, bready, dreamy, chestnutty goodness. It's fairly linear and I can smell it on myself for hours. This fragrance makes me feel contemplative and cozy, very zen, perfect for cloudy days.

Wow, totally unexpected. I didnt know what I was getting into with this one, it smelled so much different than I thought it would, but it smells GREAT! I am a woman who generally goes for sweeter vanillas, or florals, but this.. I dont know what it is, it feels cozy, comforting, warm. My boyfriend said it smells like church (he meant it in a good way!), I can see why he would think that, it definitely has a hint of incense, maybe from the rosemary? Otherwise I get some spice and warm sweetness. Im not sure I'd call this gourmand tho. Anyways, I think its a true unisex scent. I dont think it pulls masculine OR feminine, it sits perfectly in the middle.