Sova

Sova? SO GOOD. This is ... just extraordinary. Just some phenomenal beast from a different dimension where smell is the primary sense and 'marketing' isn't even a thing. It might as well be sold in tiny jewelled apothecaries' vials and labelled "Essence of Pure Niche". Sova is something other. Be prepared to go deep into the territory of weird - with uncompromisingly outdoorsy, botanical, oddball tangs of strange burning bushes and leaves and roots and buds you've never smelled before, and certainly not together. Be prepared to thrill to the usual shirt-bustingly robust Slumberhouse sillage and solid presence. Be prepared to be charmed by its mellow sweetness, and slightly disturbed by the dark, sticky bottom end, which reeks of molasses and treacle and burnt grasslands all at once. Be prepared to be disconcerted that at times it morphs into a bizarre alt-gourmand seemingly built of toasted coconut and maple syryp. Then let your mind boggle freely as it shape-shifts into the performance-art immolation of a raisin drunk on cognac which hurled itself into a blazing redwood fire to sizzle away to a caramelised crisp. Utterly strange, completely compelling. It's the stuff of my dreams and it's a privilege to own it. That doesn't mean it's right for everyone - and it's so violently individual that if you don't warm to it, you are probably going to hate it strongly. It won't leave anyone without an opinion - probably a pretty intense one. And for me that's yet another reason to love it. This is what art perfumery is FOR. The banal details : pricy, stupidly difficult to buy retail, rarely let go of by aficionados so equally hard to find secondhand. Though throwing like a lumberjack at first, its sillage bubble does shrink hard after the first hour on me, BUT, remains so robust at closer quarters that this isn't a problem. Up to 6-10h on skin depending on conditions, though its ghost will cling up to 24h and beyond. For me, it's a little too plum-pudding-rich and dense to be enjoyable (or even thinkable) on hot hot days, but on cold ones, this will warm you all over better than a nip of rum from a hipflask or the cosiest bear-trapper's hat. Lasts literally weeks on fabrics (not joking) - to me this is a bonus but it definitely won't be a win if you are - somehow - unconvinced whether you like it or not. Alternatives: well, there is none. BUT, for something oddly similar though gentler and airier, Hendley Mown canters around the edges of Sova's imaginary harvest-grassland-autumn acres. Sova's got a fair bit of shared DNA with its Slumberhouse siblings Jeke and Kiste, but is (to me) way odder than either. Not for beginners. For connoisseurs. The sort of scent which makes me wish I knew more botanical and aromachemical science, to be able to understand its amazingness better and say cleverer things about it. So forgive me but there's only one thing I can add: Sova is FRICKIN' AWESOME.

I only obtained a bottle due to the limited re-release this August via Fumerie Parfumerie of Portland, OR, and I was fortunate to nab a bottle, breaking my general rule of not blind buying, especially fragrances on the more expensive side. Sova's reputation, having been discontinued for a couple years, however, was the stuff of lore, and so I felt justified in going for it, and I'm not disappointed that I did. Like the other Slumberhouse fragrances I own (Jeke, Ore, Norne), Sova is powerful and provocative, but it's a bit more daring, spicy, and even borderline animalic. And like the others, while there is a woody commonality (woody dominance in the case of Norne, in fact), and a semblance of sweetness in Ore and Jeke, both qualities are present in Sova but are overwhelmed by the spicy, animalic mixture of hay, castoreum, and broom, giving it a sharper edge than the other fragrances in the lot. Still, Sova is anchored by tonka and vanilla, both of which keep it from flying off the rails as a wild spicy and dirty potion. Sova pushes the envelope from what I already considered bold, daring scents in Slumberhouse, but I'm pleased that it's still a sophisticated enough blend that I'd feel comfortable wearing it in a few situations. Yet at the same time, it's a bit too daring and edgy for a first impression or early date, but a little loud to wear privately, so it's hard to select an ideal occasion for wearing it, but no matter: I'll find the time to wear it, albeit sparingly. It almost doesn't need mentioning, but Sova has the same superlative performance like its fellow Slumberhouse dark juice brethren, on the extreme high end in terms of both projection and longevity, a testament to the juice's value at $160 for 30ml. If you come across this, do check it out! A staple of the line and one I'm glad to have added to my collection. 8 out of 10

At last--a foray into Slumberhouse. I have spent a few days wearing this perfume. Longevity is easily +12 hours. Each time it leaves me with many interesting impressions. I respect it as high-quality artwork. Sova is extremely gourmand, and yet it is not. The notes are polarizing, and at times they blend together to create accords that I did not expect based on the pyramid. I thought this would be an herbal green perfume, but it is far from it. The first time I sampled, it smelled like the darkest chocolate. Just days earlier, I had the pleasure of eating a roasted cocoa bean for the first time. Its taste was like my initial impression of Sova--somewhat sour, a little bitter, and nutty. I was intrigued. There was a lovely dark and smoky incense note along with strong dried coconut and ebony wood. Whew! That is a lot of impressions! Upon my second sampling, my impressions of the top notes were entirely different. I smelled intense gingerbread--not the mass produced hard sheets that people build gingerbread houses with, but the soft, moist cake made with freshly grated ginger and spices. Then there is this persistent dark, bitter note that is quite enjoyable actually. During all wearings the heart smelled like pure ambery maple syrup, which reminded me so much of the wonderful Tabac Aurea by Sonoma Scent Studio; but on the whole, Sova is far more complex. I also perceive a tobacco accord in the base. At some point, way down into the drydown it becomes a bold and very dark Italian roast coffee with a touch of sugar and cream. This is one perfume that takes time to get to know well. This is a longer review than I like to write, but there was so much to say! I love Sova's complexity and would definitely recommend trying it out to see how it unfolds. I am intrigued by Slumberhouse.

This is a review of the 2014 release, in the new 30ml bottles, where I believe Sova has been tweaked a little since its earlier incarnations. Sova opens with a green-sweet, almost tarry blast. Herbacious, balsamic, spicy and deep. This wears a lot lighter than many Slumberhouse offerings. The first half of the experience brings to mind rum soaked christmas cakes of Northern European origin. The mix of bitter hops, sweetly waxy beeswax and dry hay add up to something surprisingly similar to an expensive, rich gingerbread. The animalic notes combined with the creamy tonka only further amplify the gourmand notes on my skin. The latter half of the drydown stretches on for damned near eternity. The frag itsself is rather linear, and hums away as a dusty skin-scent for literally days if you don't wash it off. Longevity is phenominal, sillage however, leaves something to be desired. At this kind of price point, I want the whole damned room to know I'm wearing something. Unfortunately, after the first 20 minutes or so even I have trouble smelling it, except for an occaisional craving for gingerbread I can't smell much of anything without inhaling my wrist. It's a shame, the poor sillage, (for its price point at least), is the only thing bringing down an otherwise beautifully crafted and astonishingly complex perfume. Completely unisex, if you can warrant the high price, low volume and sub-par sillage then this truly is a beautiful creation.

This is just so strange. I've tried to review this for some time but I can't make up my mind about it. It's unlike any fragrance i've ever smelled. Opens up thick, smokey and boozy (what a shock coming from slumberhouse!). This is paired with a bizarre, slightly tangy fruitiness that I'm lead to believe is the hops but it certainly does not smell like any IPA's i've had. When I focus I can make out a little bit of dirty sweetness that is almost definitely tonka. But there is something subtle in the opening, lurking underneath the cacophony of strangeness. A salty, savory, somewhat acidic bile that reminds me of vinegar. This all combines in a manner that reminds me quite a bit of barbeque sauce. To be frank, I am left scratching my head at the opening. But things start to 'click' as it dries down. I start to get the thick and entirely unsweetened beeswax note. The hops lose their "fruity twang" and smoothes out into a raspy, pleasantly bitter grassiness. This all still has the tonka sweetness that I enjoy and hours after the fact I find myself appreciating this. If only I could past that tangy sweet baby ray's opening. All in all this gets a like from me, definitely unique and undoubtedly daring but also somewhat off putting. Longevity and sillage are comically over the top (once again, no surprise coming from slumberhouse).

It probably says everything that could be said about my childhood that I will run a mile to avoid any of the smells I associate with it, my mom’s rose bushes, my dad’s Irish Spring soap or Old Spice aftershave, my sister’s nivea crime, even the vanilla scented body lotion I chose for myself. So Sova is not the smell of the childhood I had. And yet, it conjures memories of childhood. The one I had, not in reality, but fantasy. If I really think about it, Sova reminds me of one of my favorite stories as a child, a book I read to rags - Little House in the Big Woods. Specifically Sova is the smell of the loft where Mary and Laura play in the long cold winter. The dusty woodsy smell of the rough planed floor, the smoky scent of cured meat and woodsmoke, dried herbs and grasses. Ma made a gingercake yesterday and the scent still pervades the house. It’s cozy, safe and snug. The smell of a world that makes sense. Wearing this affects me on an almost spiritual level. It cocoons me in a bubble of peace and simplicity. The world outside is as chaotic, noisy and needlessly complicated as ever but inside, I am still.

Gorgeous, one of the most complex fragrances I have ever smelled and one of my favorites from Slumberhouse. Sova is such an eclectic and interesting mix of spices, beeswax, hops, castoreum and hay. It's a heavily rustic and transportive blend, wearing it I'm taken to a dusty little farmstead with hay drying out in fields and dozens of beekeepers boxes around the periphery. Seems like this newer darker green iteration is a bit less honey-sweet than the light yellow versions, a sharp immortelle-like facet has been turned down, and the hay and woody aspects have been amplified. There seems to be a better balance overall. Sova lasts for a full day easily on my skin, and the most prominent notes oscillate between the honey and hay. While I don't smell any curry in Sova whatsoever, that was the first thing that my wife said when she smelled it, for what it's worth.

Okay, so this is very complicated stuff. Off the bat I get a lot of dry tobacco, which then becomes rounded out by hops and a little bit of sweetness thanks to the beeswax. It then becomes a woody-sweet scent, almost maple like, but NOT maple syrup. This is the way it stays for a while, supported by vanilla (but more vanilla bean than traditional vanilla, very interesting). There is definitely the roasty-toasty goodness of tonka bean, but it is an enigma of a fragrance. Every time I wear it I discover something new. This is a fragrance masterpiece by the nicest businessperson I've met in my life, Josh Lobb. 100/100. Just stunning. Oh, and this lasts 19+ hours with one small spray from a sample. I now own the bottle and presume it will easily last 24+ with one spray.

francamente non conosco molte delle note che compaiono nella piramide di questa meraviglia già fuori produzione. eccone alcune: pioppo, robinia, luppolo, fieno, trifoglio, ginestra, vaniglia, ambra etc etc. la sensazione complessiva è sorprendente e molto gradevole. si tratta di una composizione che sa di tabacco, quello da pipa, molto aromatico, con ginestra e rum (per quanto io riesca a riconoscere qualcosa di familiare!), un tocco di chiodi di garofano, che si assesta su sensazioni più secche, di terra e di fieno, con punte affumicate. sensazionale, austero, elegantissimo, dandy e gotico, insomma una cosa speciale! ne ho una quantità minima e, ahimè, sta già finendo!

Sova, like all Slumberhouse scents, is from the “fuck yeah” school of perfumery, all potent concentrated syrups infused with herbs and spices. Very much like Serge Lutens. In fact, Sova reminds me very closely of Serge Lutens Chergui. Like Chergui, Sova is supposedly a hay or tobacco scent, but I smell is *cloves* above all, as if all the Havdalahs in all the world were distilled into one drop of perfume. Except Sova, unlike Chergui, is a *salty* scent. The saltiness and animalic skank comes from castoreum, and really elevates it for me. Great fun; very satisfying. Warming spice and furry mammalian dirtiness.

Sova has tobacco, smoky sense to it. It has an underlying coat of quite subtle sweetness. Top notes like alcohol infused Greek grape vine leaves, slightly balsamic in a resinous way. Hops and cloves come through the haze of smoke. Unique. Sova is Kathleen Battle singing Mythodea - Movement IX [Update] Smoother and less so smoke than Jeke More smoky than Baque (RIP: wish you were here and still made) Longevity around 8 hours compared to Jeke at about 18 hours 4.5 / 5 Try layering Sova with Vict. Delicious.

Sova is a beautiful fragrance that I would love to have in my collection. It smells like slightly burned, or singed buttered caramel corn. There is a particular burning rubber smell in the opening that disappears quickly, and then I found Sova to be very linear from there on out. I should say that there are also some spice notes present, but they never took the forefront and were bit players to the sweet caramel buttered popcorn. The longevity and sillage are impressive. Very enjoyable!

Formulation has changed from old round bottle with beads to new flask bottle when doing a side by side comparison. More honey evident in the older version. Prefer the older. Its slightly smoother.

I was looking to purchase a sample of this or a bottle blind but as I was cleaning my closet yesterday I found a packet of samples that I ordered in 2013 from luckyscent. To my surprise one of the samples was Sova! Funny how the universe works sometimes... I immediately applied TWO dabs of it on my wrist. The scent quickly bloomed into something monstrous. I have norne and jeke so trust me when I write that Slumberhouse fragrances are a POWERHOUSE in sillage and longevity. The sample I have is clearly from the old(er) formulation/batch when the fume was still in the tapioca bubble bottle. First impression: In your face animalic honey, as though a beaver (castoreum) rubbed its entire body across a freshly extracted honeycomb. It's so incredibly potent it almost makes my upper lip rise in a animalistic grin. This blend of notes is very sensual, primal and carnal. You can't exactly put your finger on it but it's there and it's either love or hate, black or white, no neutral or gray territory. Once it starts to relax a bit it turns into a fruity, musky raisin scent- yes, raisin as many have pointed out. But it's not your typical dried up grape sprinkled with a bit of random oil. This is a complex raisin that has been sitting around in a tray for months in a room where people smoke pipe tobacco, eat overripe fruit and have ferrets as pets. Soon enough the hay pokes through - dry farm straw during a hot day. The hay melds with hops to create a lightness to the fragrance. What you're left with is sweetness, hay, raisins, booze, honey, and the carnal sensuality of a furry beast lurking underneath it all. I picture a beaver in a wheat field surrounded by barrels of hay eating honeycomb. Absurd, right? Just so weird, so potent, so unique. Worth a try for any fragrance enthusiast...

This is a bit of a strange creature. On me, this smells of baked apples, and something watery and syrupy (like canned fruit cocktail) and the lit end/ashes from a cigarette (burnt and dry). The ashiness is pretty prominent and is quite strong, but after 30 minutes it dials back a bit. Don't get me wrong, it's still the main thing that I smell...but at least it doesn't smell quite so much like I've been rolling in an ash tray or covered in paper that's on fire. In the back of it I can smell this metallic fruit cocktail (complete with juiciness of the syrup) and a hint of baked apples. It's also starting to develop a soft "boozy" quality, I think maybe brandy? All in all, I like this weird little scent adventure! It's not very high on my purchase list, but it's something that I will enjoy the sample while I have it.

Aaah what a strange wonder this is. It's rich with tobacco, herbs, honey, beeswax, amber. Different, for sure. A very modern fougere, I find myself thinking about it when not wearing it and noticing the whiff when I open the cabinet it's stored in. Has a strong presence for sure. A warm, enveloping fragrance. The tobacco verges on cigar, so be prepared for that, but it is layered and complex, no one element dominates. It's all about Fall, changing leaves, turtleneck sweaters, pacific northwest gray skies, chilly evenings. I got a little sample vial from LuckyScent, but it seems full bottles and samples are sold out for now. Apparently it's a very "niche" niche fragrance!

I've had this for about a year now and it's not something I pull out often. It's perfect for a cool, damp, kinda gloomy day. It's warm and soothing, filled with a sort of fermented fruit cake sweetness. I don't like the the taste of fruitcake, but the smell is another thing entirely. I have a decant that I suspect is from the first batch as it is all dried fermented fruit. I also have a newer bottle (middle batch) and the hay comes out more in that one. All in all, I'd say super cozy, kind of a Christmas or Harvest scent. I really enjoy it. If you aren't into foody scents though, I'd stay away.

A strange and surreal fougere that in many way defines this unique perfume house. The perfume opens with strange herbalish notes of clover, hop flower and hay. The heart is beeswax, broom and black locust. The perfume settles into a powdery slightly musky base of castoreum, vanilla, slight amber and tonka beans. The utterly unique scent has moderate to strong projection, sweetens after a roughish opening and good longevity. Truly like being transported to the Grimms fairy tales type of setting like most offerings of this line. Enjoy!

For me Sova was very confusing. The opening scents were clashing for attention. At first I got a hay herbal fourgere, then heavy cloves and tobacco, then a hint of woods with sweetness. A very complex elixir. But then it happened ... Sova started to settle into a gorgeous blend of sweet tobacco with a fourgere /hay background. This fragrance is very dense, raw but the dry down is perfect for a cold night out. I've notice with most Slumberhouse fragrances the secret is in the silage ... the whiff as you pass by.

First impressions: Prunes & raisins soaking in booze. Sweet, rich honey dripping from the waxy comb. Metallic burning - the smell of sparklers on a cold winter’s night. Birch tar, old leather coats, warm cats. Hay, hay, hay. Like getting stickily drunk on Sazeracs & Bees Knees in a London gentleman’s club, then trying to sober up with a chamomile tea.

It smells to me like a gingerbread allspice/mix of spices - this mixed with a strange hay-like aroma. All together it is wrapped in like a oakmoss coat. Organic to the bone. Realistic and natural. Stays on the skin for ages and stains clothes, especially white shirts. Very interesting but eventually I am not sure wether I wanted to smell like this.

The tapioca balls in boba/bubble tea. This smells exactly the way they taste when you chew on them. A funny thought that the bottle is also reminiscent of the boba/bubble tea drink. :D

Rich, warm honey, amber. Agrestic. Herbal, spicy. Different. It's fantastically good. But I can't afford more than a 1ml sample. I'll have to look elsewhere.

Candlewax, a touch of honey and Grev. Not bad. Unique.

I'm on a sativa and when I smell this I can feel a tingly sensation in my tongue, almost like the cent is getting on my taste buds.

I'm testing sample from LuckyScent right now. Read all the below reviews & I'm trying REALLY hard to discern anything pleasant or compelling whatsoever. I understand & LOVE unusual scents but this smells just awful on me. Masculine. Reminds me of something from years ago. Oh....Waking up to burned out candles everywhere, full ashtrays & morning breathe after drinking all night @ the clubs! Maybe it's reminding me of a hangover?? which is why I'm currently nauseous. LOVE SH Sadanne & Zahd but not this one !!

So, I love most slumberhouse creations I've tried. This however, just doesn't do it for me. I smell like a giant boozy raisin. And it lasts forever. Pass on this one for me. So after wearing this for three days now I've managed to figure out what it really smells like. A granola bar. That's it. I smell like a giant granola bar.

Huge drunk California Raisin (thanks, Livelyup_URself!) with a generous dusting of allergenic pollens. Awful but compelling, like a supervillain that you love to hate. I have my decant in an airtight Ziploc bag so that it doesn't stink up the rest of my sample box, but I'm not strong enough to get rid of it.

This is some THICK JUICE. I painted the brown liquid on and still can't get it off without turpentine! This viscous liquid smellis of warm wine and heavy fermentation...as if you left wine out in the sun a long time. Killer longevity.

69) do you want to try an honey of hay? it was not my intention too but now I know that it's quiet close of the smell of a burning plastic bag. Ouch, it's not pleasant at all...sometimes I like to think I'm a Perfumistarior!

Slumberhouse perfumer Josh Lobb has said that he doesn’t work with topnotes. Most of his perfumes smell layered, as if materials with similar consistencies or densities were creating a ‘wall of scent.’ Materials meet each other head to head on a level playing field. The democracy of materials urges you to find your own understanding of the perfumes without being steered along a particular course. By contrast, a traditional top/heart/base has a momentum that guides your attention more explicitly. If you favor traditional perfume, Sova might seem as if it lacks movement. On the other hand, if you prefer the ‘wall of scent’ approach, a traditional pyramidal structure could seem programatic, like a theme-park ride that, for all its thrills and drama, is still a passive experience. I have no horse in this race and think that both approaches can be effective. The issue is how successfully a perfume accomplishes its goals. Sova is an excellent example of Lobb’s method. It has no topnotes per se and questions the premise that a perfume without a top-to-bottom structure is “linear”, that is to say, static. By asking the wearer to participate in order to make sense of the perfume, Lobb’s perfumes tip the balance from observation to interpretation. The perfume is less an artifact and more the entry point to an adventure. Sova appears gourmand at first sniff and aromas come into focus as flavors. The herbal moistness of tobacco and hay. A bitter honeycomb made from hops and clover. Cold/hot spices like clove and allspice. If I try to chase down the specific gourmand facets, they take me somewhere vaguely inedible–woods, bitter herbs, resins. Sova’s imagery is elusive if you squint too hard to bring it into focus. To paraphrase a new age expression that used to make me apoplectic, Let Go and Let Sova. The imagery works best as a gestalt, not zooming in on the flavors, but the picture that the flavors suggest. I have a sample of the discontinued Slumberhouse Baque (also 2012), which has a similar profile to Sova. The similarity of aromas is there, but Sova suggests baked goods while Baque suggests booze. Lobb riffs on an approach that Christopher Sheldrake honed to precision in woody Serge Lutens perfumes like Arabie, Chergui and Five O’Clock au Gingembre. Framing woods with resins and spices brings out roasted tones. Sova is far less sweet than these Lutens though, as if Lobb paraphrased the Godfather cannoli meme: Leave the syrup. Take the woods. Sova reminds me of the most delicious part of gingerbread, the scorched edges where sweetness gives way to smokiness. Lutens might have built a gingerbread house. Slumberhouse burns it down.

It's hard to capture this one in words, partially because of how layered it is. I could describe it aspect by aspect, but it's a little like the story of the three blind men and the elephant - I could describe an elephant's leg and compare it to a tree, an ear to a fan, a trunk to a snake - but to say that an elephant is like any one of those things is misleading. It captures parts, sure, but not the whole. Likewise with this. I could state that the overall impression this fragrance gives me is of a well-made honey apple pie - rich, buttery pastry, stewed apple and spices, recently removed from the oven and still steaming - but that misses the touch of hay and tobacco that runs throughout, and makes this sound more pedestrian than it actually is. I could state that this reminds me of a warm autumn night on a farm - a fire pit off in the distance giving the tiniest suggestion of smoke, while the warm earth radiates back the day's heat, a hint of animal, vanilla flavoured tobacco - but that misses the smoothness of this, the rich buttery depth. And I could state that this makes me think of a hug, of being bundled up in blankets outside and laughing with family, of hovering in the kitchen while dessert is cooking - but those are all personal experiences, and don't translate well to actual descriptions. It's rustic. It's cosy. It's snug. It somehow conjures up both a country kitchen and the country field after a harvest, like tucking in to a homemade pie after a day of baling hay. I really do like this. It's unfortunate that it's hard to find (especially in my corner of the globe) else I'm sure it'd become a go-to for autumn or winter. I wouldn't wear it at work - this feels more like a personal, casual, intimate fragrance - but it'd be perfect for weekend jaunts. I'll be guarding my 1ml sample verrrrry carefully, down to the last drop!

Sova was the gateway into Slumberhouse that, for me, changed how I view perfume forever. There's niche perfumery, and then there's Slumberhouse. The latest versions (19-20-21) are a little different to the 2012 - 14 iterations I have fallen in love with, but for me, the magic is still there. Almost like watching a master athlete years later. Or a musician who doesn't have the same pizzazz as they once did. New Sova actually feels a lot drier - not as much drunk raisin as I mentioned five and a half years ago. Not as much sweetness. The tobacco in this is MUCH drier. This smells a little like the cigarette packs I used to steal cigs from when I was young and dumb. The resin is turned up, too. As is the hay. A lot of the components in this (broom, poplar, clover, locust, acacia, etc) I have not tried in their essence form, so unfortunately, I cannot speak to their prominence or otherwise, but for mine, whilst I prefer earlier Sova, I still love what Sova is now. Whilst the juicy-sweetness is gone, the DNA is still there, the bones and sinew as well, it's just a little different. More mature. Refined. Sharper. And even though I prefer the earlier incarnations, I still think this one has a place in the Sova pantheon, just off at the side. For me, this is the order I prefer. 1) 2012, 2) 2014, 3) 2019. I know there are more versions, but these are the ones I'm more familiar with... All in all, this is one HELL of a scent that needs to be tried to be believed. It's so indescribably different to anything I have ever tried, and still perfumey enough to be worn. I love that Sova exists and I love that I have been given the chance to experience it...

It’s interesting not many people note the tobacco accord that plays out in this scent. I would be weary of classifying this as a fougere as well. The interplay of notes suggests an herbal, tobacco’d amber more so than a green fougere but it is a bit odd how my perception is so completely different from the many reviews below. What I get is warm, baked goods. A touch of molasses and thick globs of resinous pipe tobacco. It reminds me of the way the crust smells on a freshly baked apple crisp. The hops and clover work in conjunction with spices, amber and hay to bring about a wonderfully gourmand tobacco experience. There is not a rough edge to be found here. To me this is more tobacco forward than Kiste but not as rough and cigar nuanced as Jeke. It sits firmly in the middle of the Slumberhouse tobacco spectrum where Jeke is one side and Kiste is on the other with Baque being a close sibling in structure and tobacco’ness. Overall this is wonderfully gourmand. You can smell hints of Norne, Baque and even Kiste. As a lover of tobacco it’s hard to not notice the cloves and fresh unlit cigarette tobacco reminiscent of smelling a fresh pack of Marlboro Reds. Maybe my nose is off but this is all about gourmand tobacco to my nose. It’s beautiful. It’s autumnal. It’s vibrant yet dense. Perfection.

I've got a Sova from 2012 on my other hand and this, too, is my favourite version. The hops and beeswax are in perfect balance -- perfect -- and there is this wonderful raisin aspect, as DeadIdol mentioned 10 years ago or so. I remember reading the review in 2015 and wanting to try it out. Sometimes, I take other people's words a little too seriously, and what ends up happening is that I get disappointed -- not this time. It was exactly as majestic as I expected it. Where Jeke utilises the dry elements of tobacco, Sova takes in the juicy moist elements, and where Jeke showcases the smokey elements, this showcases the sweet and fruity elements. This one is otherworldly, really it is. Imagine what the conquistadors would've thought of tomatoes, capsicums and corn, this is what folks coming over from Sauvage and Versace must feel like! That's what I felt like -- I was like "What devilry IS this???" -- I remember finding someone on Basenotes (from Taiwan, no less, when I lived in Hong Kong), and he was keen to swap a sample for an Amouage sample I had -- I am so happy that occured. After that, I was hooked. This one has started it's own little branch of perfumery and I'm so happy it has. It's majestic. Not only is this in the pantheon, the pantheon is in THIS.

Sova by Slumberhouse Mt fragrance journey took a different turn after I smelled Kiste from Slumberhouse back in the days and the tobacco note freak in me made my try from the house. However I realized during my journey with Slumberhouse that there are niche fragrance houses and then there is Slumberhouse fragrances. Your nose would never feel the same. Slumberhouse fragrances are more of a personal experience than crowd pleasers. They are what you perceive, not what notes suggest. Sova starts with a dry, ashy tobacco, right off the first spray. A bit of strong hay and hope makes it boozy, kinda spicy for ones liking at the beginning (some cloves, hops, castoreum) but it shifts majestically with your body temperature where amber, beeswax and vanilla starts to take over slowly. Fragrances are volatile, they behave different on wearer skin (depending upon your application, season even your mental health) but Sova would always be a winner in my eyes. I have different presentations of this beauty but the DNA is always the same (tobacco, hay laced in ambery vanilla). I hope Sova would keep coming back to us. It's a masterpiece 😮💨

This is probably the one Slumberhouse I would choose if I was forced to choose ONLY ONE -- which would suck, given how many of them I really love -- but mostly because it is so unique and legitimately DIFFERENT. Definitely seminal, possibly imitated and a source of inspiration for a lot of perfumers, and without a doubt an olfactive reference point for many. It is just SOOO unique -- there were indications of something like this in a few Serge Lutens scents, but nothing that went THIS far and did it like this. This is pushing scent into new terrain, and every time I wear this, I get a new aspect that reveals itself to me -- recently, it was the smoky castoreum or hydrocarboresin, or something along those lines -- it pairs PERFECTLY with the whole oaty, tobaccoey and hopsy elements. It's just amazing, either way you put it. I love wearing it, and occasionally catching them Sova wafts as they work their way upwards towards me. Definitely a love -- in the pantheon.

wow...this is like nothing i've ever smelt before! i too get the "big drunk raisin" vibe (love that definition), there's almost something christmas biscuit about this one. like a milk rum n raisin kinda thing. dark sugary and really REALLY nice on me... i feel a lot of balsam fir in this one. also, there's a sweet hay in this, not the dry, chlorophyll-hay i've smelt elsewhere. might be the accord struck with the honey, hard to tell. but overall, i get the feeling that it's a unified scent, a scent that has a unifying theme and one that has a story behind it. it's quite compelling and extremely relevant. i'm gonna keep trying my sample and maybe i'll buy a bigger decant some time soon. i really like where this perfume goes and how it gets there...

I have had a sample vial for almost two years now and had been saving for a full bottle. Each time I wear the sample, I catch a different note. It is everything listed, but somehow I can't explain the scent in notes. Sova starts off as a resinous cacao with hints of smoke. As it melds with my flesh undertones of caramel, vanilla and hay poke through. Hours later I can smell it on my clothes and it brings back memories of early love, working in the stables and there is an animalic comfort I have not found in another scent. Sadly, what would have been my signature scent is now discontinued. I have scoured the Intraweb in desperation, hoping to find a long lost bottle. Like childish dreams, this too seems to have faded into a distant memmory.

In a word? Outstanding. Sova is something else. Think of hay stacked in an old luxurious barn (if there ever was such a thing). Add in a pack of freshly opened cigarettes, the medicinal quality of Burt's Bees beeswax chapstick, a touch of smoky incense, and the nose of a high-quality bourbon. Wearing this is an experience. The quality of Slumberhouse is immediately apparent. Be warned that this juice is concentrated and thus quite powerful; one spray is more than enough. You will be noticed while wearing this with just a single spray. The scent profile mellows out a bit over the first hour while it mixes with skin chemistry, but the power and longevity behind this frag stays.

Childhood memories: Sunny Carolina afternoon, the storage room of the stable - rough hewn walls, hay, a bin of sweet oats, linaments on a shelf, saddles and tack. This scent conjures those memories for me so intensely and like no other fragrance I've ever experienced. I was close to not ordering a sample of this because generally green scents aren't a favorite, but I feel a full bottle coming on soon! Edit - as much as I love the drydown of this, it too faint for me to justify spending the money. It becomes a very close skin scent all too quickly - a shame.

I get a smoky hay scent with a sweet hint of cured tobacco. Not pipe tobacco sweet, but more that, than green leaves. It does wear a bit barnyard-y on me, but the tobacco tempers the barn yard hay. Full dry down is a skin scent, but it's a almost fruited tobacco delight, like flavored pipe tobacco. It is a little sweet, but it's nothing bad and since my skin amps sweet like MAD, this is high praise. Really enjoyable. I'd call it fully unisex. I'd love it more if the hay was a bit less recycled and more simply dried hay. But it's a great journey.

A Herbal Shop somewhere in the Mediterranean. If you ever been to a country like Greece, Italy or even Spain you know we have a lot of Herbs and little shops around the tourist streets! All kinds of goods im tellin ya! Thyme! Oregano! Mountain Tea! Basil! This smells like those go to pine honey goods they are selling on the streets of Crete! Imagine walking in a small shop, the Mediterranean sun breeze hitting your face and all kinds of Herbal smells and a lovely pine honey to round things up! That's Sova! And its Amazing! Bravo Josh! 9/10.

Sova is a stunning scent that I neither need nor want to wear often, as I get immense satisfaction just smelling the atomizer. Dry oatmeal and molasses mixed with green forest notes at dusk. Someone mentioned some Slumberhouse creations remind them of a world like a fairytale, a wooded place in a brother’s Grimm short story. I think that’s exactly right. Sova is very long lasting yet is versatile and non intrusive. Concept and quality is top notch and Sova gets extra points for smelling beautifully "American" to me.

this is a sillage bomb on me-i smell coconut, sandal wood, and possibly candy corn-or candy popcorn-sort of buttery/salty mix i am not into gourmand or overly sweet-so this isn't for me-however-i will say you only need a small amount-i just put 2 dabs on-i could smell it in 3 rooms....and it lasted for several hours... to me there is too many competing smells-too busy-feels like it isn't blended very well.

I'm sampling this today for the first time, and straight off the bat I get a strong burnt sugar caramel note, combined with tobacco, woods and smoke. First impression though is definitely the smell of burnt toffee. Almost gourmand, but there is enough smokiness in there to pull it back from being sweet. I really like it and I think it would make a unique and interesting winter fragrance.

GINGERBREAD with a hint of smoke. Almost gourmand. At moments I think it's a tad too sweet. (almost molasses or maple syrup) Other moments I get the barn/hay note. But once I identified 'Gingerbread', it was challenging for me to get past that. I could see someone loving this, esp. if one finds JAKE too smokey.

It's like a Godzilla-sized California Raisin repeatedly punching you in the face for 16 hours. If you made raisin schnapps, this is what it would smell like. I legitimately hate it, but I still keep putting it on from time to time when I know I'm not leaving the house.

hahaha,,, man this perfume is quite interesting in away that it smells like soya sauce on a pickled baby onion sometimes, teriyaki sauce on other times, and as the top note it smells like balsamic vinegar. but mostly like banahana's chicken teppanyaki :)

Love it! Gorgeous clean herbal hay smell. If you have ever been in the country when they are baling new hay - this is the scent! Looked at the reviews after my first impression, and I can kind of get the rum raisin scent too. Really nice!