Kote

Josh Lobb does what he does very well. Kote has the hallmarks of Slumberhouse: sweet, clove, immortelle plus leather, tobacco, bigarade, tonka(?) and maybe a lutensesque lavender. This one has no jarring notes (like grev, rume, and vikt), which is less challenging but so COMFORTABLE. I sometimes feel I should sell my 100+ bottles (at least thefall/winter ones), go to Oregon & buy everything this guy's made.

I was incredibly fortunate to have been given the chance to sample this hard-to-find, rare and obscure Slumberhouse gem. The first thought that crept across my mind was 'Sova' -- the same tobacco that Sova uses, right up to the honeyed-hay aftertaste and lingering trails. Even though this is looong discontinued, once-mooted-to-return, though may never see the light of day, it is an ABSOLUTE masterpiece of a scent. Unquestionably tobacco from the get-go, lightly-honeyed, less so than Sova, but along the lines of Mond with it's sweet-fruity elements and nuances. Entirely its own beast, nowhere near a flanker, it does occupy the same vectors and properties as the aforementioned scents (Sova and Mond), though a completely different beast. Drier, a little more severe and much more woody than either -- in fact, the woodiness is not a 'teak' per se -- at least I think it's not, I once has a teak dresser thingy when I lived in China, and it does NOT smell much like that -- it's a bleached-blond woods, possibly an oak, maybe even beech. Regardless, all these elements blends seamlessly into a unified scent. Definitely for fans of Sova and Mond -- no question. I see people who are 7 or even 8 out 10 on these scents really getting a lot out of this scent. Maybe even liking it more than these two, but at the very least appreciating it and all it has to offer. One minor gripe, however. The tobacco elements go come across as a little 'moist' and unripe. It could possibly stand to be toned down a notch or two as this is the jarring aspect of the scent that stands out for me. Also, it comes across a little leathery in parts, too. Not entirely caustic-rubber leather, but moreso a leather couch / sofa. That's how I would describe this scent. This way, in addition to all that mess I also typed out. It's a leathery-tobacco honeyed woodsy scent. If that makes any sense... ***EDIT*** Three or so hours in, the leathery-tobacco elements calm down, and what remains is a WONDERFUL buttery-raisin cookie, reminiscent of pre-marbles Sova -- OMG this is a WONDERFUL transformation. Lovely transition and evolution right here -- spectacular, even. What a wonderful scent this grows into!

If anyone wants to sell, please hit my message box.

ISO of a bottle of Kote, will purchase or trade