Baque

After trying the latest iteration, I can finally put BAQUE from Sulmberhouse in my top favorite tobacco-based compositions. I have long abandoned the Slumberhouse train for many reasons. Mostly because I felt the house had lost its magic and the charisma that got me hooked many years ago. I only kept one perfume, KISTE, my favorite from the house. BAQUE, to me, always felt like a diamond in the rough. A tobacco perfume of great potential which was never fulfilled. The opening part and the heart were brilliant, only to fall apart in the base with a generic vanilla and ambergris combination, a major departure from the theme and the initial boozy-moist tobacco affair. It felt like Josh decided to create an amazing and unique tobacco-based perfume but got lazy in the process and left it unfinished. But now, justice has been done. A fellow enthusiast contacted me, asking if I was interested in acquiring a bottle of this new version of BAQUE. I have to admit, I was intrigued when I heard that a new version came up. Could it be? Final redemption? I decided to try for myself. After receiving it, I first applied it to the blotter. It reminded me of the older version immediately. So far so good, as I always loved the first half of this perfume. The same brilliant opening blast where dried fruits, whiskey, and moist tobacco leaves dance together to your sense's delight. Unique and captivating. I think the use of davana in this perfume is really smart as it coaxes all of that dried fruit, booziness, and edges of the tobacco accord, cementing them together. Such an amazing ingredient when properly used. In the mid, it still went as I remembered it, with the drunken fruits slowly backing down to allow more of the moist tobacco to come forth. Finally, it had reached the point where the previous version turned for the worst. But now, surprisingly, it continued in the direction it should have from the beginning. Yes, the vanilla and the ambergris are still there, yet I feel the ambergris is toned down, and what dominates now in the dry down for me is an amped-up woody quality as well as a prolonged leafiness and the tobacco accord that has been stretched to last forever until the perfume consumes completely on the skin. No more cracks in the flow of the composition, and finally, it feels like a finished product. The leafiness and the woodiness now overtake the vanilla-ambergris combo that follows just as a supporting player. I decided to wear it on the skin, hoping for the same experience as on the paper strip, yet still bracing for that uneventful dry-down I knew well and had me scrub it off mid-way. Only that this time, it never came. Pure delight from start to finish. I wore it over and over again with the same result. I am happy that BAQUE got redeemed at last, and I will be keeping this bottle even though I was skeptical at first. I can finally say that BAQUE is one of my favorite tobacco-based perfumes and most certainly one of the most unique. Moist tobacco leaves from start to finish, adorned with dried fruits drunken on whisky, and supported by vanilla, woods, and patchouli in the base. There is nothing quite like it out there. IG:@memory.of.scents

The real deal when it comes to boozy tobacco perfumes, heavy duty, brooding, damp stuff. To me the opening blast is an extremely harsh (but amazing) photorealistic whiskey note that calms down relatively quick but definitely remains prominent. Beneath the opening blast is an infinitely dense and sultry damp tobacco note, possibly the most realistic I've ever smelled which is placed directly in the centre of an old school cedar base. The vanilla in here definitely comes in the form of (again very realistic) waxy vanilla pods, slightly sweet but verging closer to a bitter vanilla. While I can detect a sweetness which I assume is the apricot, it is closer to a chocolate smell for me, however when I focus on the chocolate smell it quickly turns to green herbaceous smell that makes it inedible! I am a bit disappointed that I can't detect the apricot in here as it excited me amongst the other notes but admittedly I have little to zero experience with apricot notes :( The amber in here reminds me of the ACDD backbone, the only difference here is its less of a detectable note and more of an effect running through the fragrance resulting in an extreme sweet/salty balance that is very addictive and fascinating. While ACDD is very dry due to its use of amber use Baque definitely maintains a damp/rainy quality. I cannot stop smelling my self this is incredibly addictive and soothing for the soul, amazing. I can see however how this may be too intoxicating and cloying for some or even if worn in the wrong mood. This stuff is green, brown, yellow, sweet, salty, edible, inedible, herbaceous, woody, warm, cold, damp, dry all at the same time. Every time I focus on certain aspects of the fragrance I can switch my nose to contradict itself and reinvent what I'm sensing, its quite difficult for me to make a concluding comment on how this fragrance smells as a whole singular smell! Definitely one of the most unique fragrances I've ever tried and the quality of the ingredients is absolutely undeniable. This and to be honest all of the Slumberhouse fragrances are how the Maison Margiela Replica line should have been carried out. While I do love the Replica line and I understand the price-points are entirely different, Baque is the kind of thing that truly roots out memories and vividly encapsulates moments in time :D I would love to see a blue/marine or even fresh type interpretation next from Slumberhouse! EDIT: I was expecting this to be linear all the way through but a few hours later I’m detecting a huge coconut type smell and the chocolatey smell I was getting earlier is now a much dustier cocoa. This stuff keeps getting more interesting, but I prefer the initial few hours a little more. Also after a bit of research on how apricot is often interpreted in perfume and meant to smell I think I have been picking it up all along with the bitter sweet thing I had mentioned earlier mixed with the waxy vanilla pod smell!

Hubba, hubba, hubba. Booming, blooming, beautiful stuff. Thanks to the astonishing generosity of a fellow Fragrantician, I've spent most of 2020 so far cushioned in pillowy billows of the sheer joy of Slumberhouse. (I'm sorry but this is going to get gushy ... disclaimer: absolutely no sponsored or biased comment here.) And with Baque I've journeyed to the sweetest of sweet spots yet, stumbling into a whole world of rich, spicy, damp, botanical, woody, REAL tobacco brought to an absolute peak of deliciousness with apricot that's just sweet enough, yet real enough, to round it all out. It's got that same thick, bouncy, bass-heavy quality and performance which always make the house products so worthwhile. Almost goes without saying - it's a Slumberhouse, so sillage is solid, projection bossy, longevity scarily good. It's perfectly unisex and despite being recognisably niche, it's not so quirky that anything get hostile; the artemisia and ambergris add brilliantly almost-bitter, almost-dirty notes to cut the sweetness, without getting so edgy they scare you. Baque is pretty perfectly triangulated between the barnstorming tobacco of Jeke, the fruitiness of Kiste and the sun-scorched hay field of Sova, so those are some truly heavenly acres to stroll through. (The lovely authentic apricot at times vaguely reminded me of Serge Lutens Lutens Daim Blond, which is a longtime favourite of mine, but Daim Blond seems somehow SMALLER to me, in every way, after smelling this: a cute little ginger house cat, now that I've met a rugged mountain lion. ) Baque's moody colour - in the vial, and in my mind - and immense forcefulness per drop are just breathtaking. Almost overwhelmingly pleasurable, to my nose; there's literally nothing about it which I do not love. (except maybe the risk of staining a garment with it). THANK YOU, my fragrance friend - it's hovering around zero in London right now and still the aura of Baque has warmed and brightened up my whole weekend. No star rating in the world could do this justice. ADORE. ETA: Finally got a bottle and even more in love with it as autumn dark draws in - but be aware: this lives almost FOR EVER on textiles. I don't find that much of a problem (its afterlife is just as lovely as when it's on skin in full force), but be warned - if you get this on a coat or jacket it's going to stay there for a very, very long time. (It's still hanging around after upwards of a fortnight on a wool/cotton mix jumper). For me this is just added value, but if you DON'T like smelling old perfume on worn garments and want to smell completely different every day it might be a hurdle.

تنباکوی شکلاتی شروع بسیار تند اسپایسی گیاهی و به مشام من فوران زیره و گلپر و دارچین در کنار تنباکوی خشک بسیار کلاسی و شیک ، شروع عطر و جنس تنباکو یادآوره له ژو سون فه جووی هست به خصوص حضور میوه های خشک و لواشک زرد آلو به این شباهت دامن می زنه اگرچه باکو بسیار پخته تر و خوش برخورد تره ، هر چه از عمر کار می گذره از اون فضای ادویه ای و گرم و خشک فاصله می گیره و با اضافه شدن وانیل و شکلات شما رو با وجهی دیگر از تنباکو در این کار روبرو می کنه که بسیار دلنشین بوزی و گیاهی و خوشمزه اس ، فوق العاده است تغییرات این عطر و کاملا حساب شده ، شخصا از بوییدنش روی پوست سیر نمی شم ، محفلی شبانه و گرم ‌از ویسکی ، تنباکو ، میوه خشک و شکلات ، اتاقی نیمه روشن نیمه تاریک ، حضوری ناآشنا و چهره ای غریب که گویی لبخنداش را بارها دیده ای و به حافظه سپرده ای ، وانیل تلخ و کمی سنتتیکه ولی از هارمونی بسیار خوبی در کنار سایر نت ها برخورداره ، فضای گیاهی عطر هم تغییر چهره می ده ولی همچنان محسوس و ملموسه به شکلی که به مشام من از ابتدا تا انتها باکو بر روی بستری کاملا گیاهی که تنباکو تنها بخشی از اون هست اجرا می شه برای من قسمت ناراحت کننده حضور مصنوعی امبروکسان در بیس هست که شخصا علت حضور ناهماهنگ و مصنوعی اش رو نفهمیدم البته چنان کمرنگه که می شه نادیده اش گرفت ، در ادامه رایحه شیرین و شیرین تر می شه و کمی حالت انیمالیک و عسلگونه ای پیدا می کنه همچنین از قدرت تنباکو کاسته می شه و برای مدتی طولانی رایحه شیرین وانیلی میوه ای و شکلاتی ادامه پیدا می کنه باکو پخش بسیار هوشمندانه ای داره ، انگار یک سری نت های خوشایند انتخاب شدن تا پخش بی نظیری داشته باشن و اطرافیان رو در رایحه ای محشر غرق کنن و بعضی نت ها تا انتها بر روی پوست باقی می مونن تا خود شخص به صورت کاملا شخصی از حضورشون لذت ببره ، ماندگاری هم عالی و نزدیک به یک روز 7.5 از 10

Boozy, Smoky, Ashy. The edge of rotting fruit at the beginning. The middle of smoked dried fruit at the end. Like looking down into deep dark lake of tobacco cured fig water. This is Billie Holiday singing Strange Fruit, This is Sarah Blasko singing Flame Tree from Little Fish Broader and smoother than Jeke. Doesnt have the harsh ash dry wood of Jeke (the balsamic notes in Jeke keeps the love affair alive). Baque just beautiful. [Update 1] The more the revisits, the more the love. After a few hours, everything settles down and I get a soft buttery nutty hue. Smoke is very soft now. Just lovely. Agree that projection drops down somewhat. Longevity is around 4 hours compared to Jeke with approximately 18 hours 4.5/5 [Update 2] I'm relagating Baque to the House of Unobtanium Tried buying a bottle of Baque - waste of time - unfindable even via Slumberhouse. And no response from Slumberhouse when emailed multiple times. Has Slumberhouse lost interest in Baque ? Has Baque (like Mozart) fallen into the grave of Creative Commons ? The hand written label indicates Baque was an early exercise. But still the want goes on. Open message to Josh Bring back the love Bring back Baque I'd be willing to pay to get this happening again......

Pure tobacco heaven-- much better than TF T.Vanille without that one's powdery fluff dry-down. It's deep, dark, somewhat resinous with a sweetness that does not shout apricot to me, just the entirety of tobacco, sans ash and smoke. I love it. For some reason it reminds me of Teo Cabanel's Alahine. I can also see the resemblance, a similarity in the DNA to Serge Lutens' work. It does have that stewed fruity quality. Great scent, and a must try- sexy and comforting.

I wanted a deeper syrupy type of tobacco cent. This one is quite nice! I get the dusty books with the syrup tobacco. Almost as if you’re reading in an old library with an old-fashioned with stone fruits. I did buy my bottle secondhand. It has macerated a bit I will say this does stain my skin which I think lends to the deep depth of this tobacco. It projects while in the heat if sprayed correctly.

this is beautiful. it starts off smelling like dense damp tobacco soaked in high quality cognac. stewed peaches and apricots appear in the background mixing with cedar wood. as with a lot of Slumberhouse releases, the hay/straw note is present for the entire duration of the fragrance. haven't kept track of performance but it does last a long time and has good projection to my nose.

My goodness. This is one of the best fragrances I ve ever smelled. Many fragrances with apricot smells artificial in this one it smells like literally dried apricot, the tobacco gives a smoky vibe without being too much with some quality nice ambergris. Smells great, you will get noticed just it is soo hard to find and soo expensive, get your hands on it if you can :)

That’s veeeery unique: smell like one of these sweet and bitter aperitif liquors with lots of herbs and balsamic notes. Also beautiful dry tobacco is present here. It blends well with other herbs and sweeter ambery base. Love it! Follow me on IG: scent.guide

I adore this line. Kiste, Jeke, Baque, all of it. They are similar in many ways. Rich, boozy, dried fruits, gourmand. I absolutely love it. Using up my sample! (Don't get a lot of tobacco, just a rich chewy dried fruit with tonka and rum)

The most gorgeous resinous syrupy tobacco I've ever smelt. Imagine Jeke but with a lighter more fruitier playful vibe, same maple syrupy base just amplified 10x, truly a gem of a fragrance.

Update after a few years: this is actually a wonderful sweet but not too sweet boozy scent. Pasty dried fruits like plums or raisins. also very dark juice that can stain your clothes

If you desire a swap or sell your Baque even a sample Maye swap for another Slumberhouse I have Zahd, Vikt, Jeke, Rume, Norne or Ore and others. PM me

This is a masterpiece and probably the best release from Slumberhouse.Second hand prices are skyrocketing for Baque.

All my scents and feels. Comforting every way. Journey envelopes.

Basque Goopy alspice-y infused sweet fruity tobacco artemisia amberine malto played on repeat. Goopy fans unite! Smells of high quality isolate blends and absolutes, bready root calamas-y lovage-y notes and sweet boozy davana -apricot jam-not my always my jam ( due to them wearing a bit thick and sticky a bit like jam) &-like Jeke or others they smell like you could go to your and pantry and be two sheets to the wind make delicious nose satisfying Basque Slumberhouse perfumes-spices, stone fruit accords throw a rustic farm house in, whisky, tobacco notes...always with the amberine & let it simmer and reduce down to a sweet, sweet reduction. Perhaps Josh is just bored of it all too. It’s just too easy to satisfy our olfactory sweet tooth now with these simple pleasures. Slightly tweaking formulas that been made of his. But the simple pleasures, satisfying a sweet tooth, olfactory visiting rustic farm houses, we picture ourselves in the perfume-pipe smoke, apple orchards and haystacks that IS what makes life sweet. So, jam on Josh -jam with those sweet though often goopy jams. Basque is making us happy.

I was glad to obtain Baque via blind buy after it was reintroduced in 2017 and while it's not up to the very high level of most the house's perfumes, it's still strong and leaves an impression. I echo the reviewer who likened it to stewed fruits, as I repeatedly turn to this analogy. Genre-wise, it's boozy and woody more so than fruity, though, and while I get hints of tobacco leaf, it feels wholly dominated by the apricot and vanilla that render the final product so sweet. It's slightly creamy and spicy as well but these are lesser descriptors. Baque's longevity is still excellent like most Slumberhouse fragrances but its projection is certainly slightly lower than most of the house's other offerings. Certainly this is one I'd recommend fans of Slumberhouse trying as there's a thread in it that connects it Josh's other creations, but for those new to the house, it does not represent its best, in my opinion. Still, a bottle I'm happy to hang onto and occasionally use. 7 out of 10

Coffee with vanilla syrup and booze-cherry tobacco in a cedar wood humidor. Italian plums, the kind they dry for prunes, and wormwood dust underneath. Another scent I'd find cloying on a man but delicious on a butch woman. Lighter than Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille, but no less intriguing.

This is the scent of stirring your Manhattan with a peppermint stick when you could still smoke in bars. It is a *strong*, whiskey, tobacco, apricot scent that people will probably either love or hate.