Journeyman

I believe this was released in 2009, first as an extrait then as an absolute. Then unfortunately it was discontinued a few years later. Liz said that she'd be releasing it again as an oil sometime in 2016, but doesn't look like that's going to happen.. First application brings across a very smoky wood and leather incense accord. Initially I thought of Sonoma Scent Studio Fireside Intense, but this is smoother and not quite so dry. Actually there is a touch of sweetness to Journeyman. The oud is supposed to be there, but I don't pick up much of it. It serves more as a background note to support the formulation, rather than being prominent. Among the spices I do sense some cumin/caraway, but not so powerful that you'll be knocked over as with Caron's vintage Yatagan. This is a truly wonderful fragrance. But given such a relatively small release and then discontinuation, few people may ever get to know it. Very sad. Fragrance: 8.9/10

A gorgeous ambery animalic delight, this is a "non-sweet" version of Leather Oud. The perfume blends a central note of leather with amber, oud, incense, pepper, and vanilla for a truly smoky juice that recalls rugged men wearing leather jackets and sitting in front of a fire lit in the woods. This is not an easy perfume by any means but so beautifully blended and evocative that it deserves to be noticed. It settles on your skin and the drydown sweetens the leather and oud out to primarily a vanillic ambery incense. Unisex if ladies can stand the smoky loud leathery oud opening. High marks for craftsmanship here!

Smoldering campfire. Smoky. Suede. Incense. Cinnamon spice. Camping trip. Fall hike in the woods. Masculine. Close to skin. Beautiful fall. A simply lovely scent if you enjoy a very smoky, spicy incense and a touch of suede. This is definitely way more on the masculine side to my nose, and sits very close to the skin, but lasts for hours.

Pravda48 jumped the gun. I talked to Liz Zorn and Journeyman is not coming back anytime soon. She doesn't have all the materials needed for it and there are other priorities. So... unfortunately, looks like it will be a long while, if at all. Continuing to savor this one SLOWLY! ;-)

Ooooh my this is delightfully dirty! If you've tried other natural brands' ouds, such as House of Matriarch's, you'll immediately recognize the smooth woodiness of it in Journeyman as opposed to the harsh/medicinal/chemical varieties that abound. To me it is very similar to the intoxicatingly dirty smell of a lover's sweat. Combine that with a very dry spice set and an opening of (yes, kind of oily) leather and voila!: Journeyman absolute. Will try to review more with further wearings. Suffice it to say as a lover of leather/quality ouds/so-called skanky spices, this is a wrist to nose kind of scent for me. [1/6/15]

P.S. it's baaaaack! ;) on Soivohle's website, yay!

This opens smoky and spicy with a lot of pepper, cumin, and what I want to say is fenugreek tossed in for good measure. You also get a very big blast of buttery, rubbery myrrh with slightly boozy overtones. All of this is sitting on top of a deep and sweet incense/amber and dry wood/oud/leather base. As it opens up a bit more it begins to sweeten up ever so slightly with a the warm amber and vanilla notes becoming more prominent in the mix. The intense spice kick you initially get begins to subside and blend smoothly with the smoky leather and woods, but that being said, the cumin is very persistent and stays the entire duration of Journeyman. There’s also this subtle “burnt/scorched” accord that sits alongside everything that gives it this warmness that reminds me like what your clothing would smell like many days after sitting next to a campfire. This is a very natural and earthy fragrance that’s perfect for someone looking for something that’s intensely spicy with a smoky sweet vanilla/amber/resinous bass complete with dry wood and leather. It has decent projection at first, but becomes a skin scent with excellent longevity.

Discriminating perfection. A suede/spice/oud scent that is almost peerless. The notes are balanced in such a way that each one compliments the others so smoothly that it's like drinking the finest whiskey. Pepper is the strongest on my skin. Fresh cracked peppercorn, its aroma a piquant seasoning. In contrast the leather is soothing, calming the hot, and grounding the saffron and amber. Journeyman's overall blend has a hidden sophistication, so complex that it seems deceptively effortless. I've been sampling several Soivohle fragrances, and each is its own masterpiece. Zorn's inspiration for this, is one of the traveling artisan, wandering the world, searching for meaning. As Tolkien said, not all who wander are lost, and every note is refined. Expensive ingredients - oud, saffron, myrrh, expert composition, and a scent that will take you to a place that is urbane pleasure. Where subtleties are intricate, and comfort is cultivated. Perfect accompaniment to a sip of single-malt steeped in an ancient cask, and matured for years. Both have a complexity that belie their easy consumption.

A hard-core smokey cedar and charred-leather biker-style scent that’s perhaps a little too over the top. It’s spicy and somewhat warm, but it really does smell like a smoldering wood pile with a tractor tire thrown on as well. Picture a more linear Jeke that ramps up (yes, really) the smoke to the point where that’s really what dominates, then add in a sort of motor oil kind of note and you’ll get the impression. Butch leather, for sure, and persistent as hell, but not an easy wear. This is the kind of scent that wears you rather than the other way around. For fans of the smoky leather genre only, I think.