aka’ula

Wow! Probably one of the most spectacular fragrances I have sampled this year. Haters will say this is Aventus clone, but it's actually better quality and more daring than aventus. Nowadays, every fragrance with pineapple it's considered immediately an Aventus clone. This juice is BEAST MODE on my skin. 12+ hours longevity and 5-6 of strong projection. It starts with a ginger, pineapple leave combo, with a hint of smoke. Then as the scent progresses you'll get more of the smoke with some oud, which is more of a woody, subtle oud, nothing skanky. The pineapple/ginger will still be present throughout the fragrance though. Vanilla is also present but not overly sweet, it's more in the background as well as the coffee note.In a nutshell, this is a fruit/smoke fragrance that performs beastly and gets me compliments. Quality is there, performance is also there and the scent as a whole is Devine. Check this one out guys, it's a new house but it will get bigger and bigger with time !

I bought a sample of this fragrance because I was intrigued by the ultra smokey and unique opening that I smelled when I tested it in store. I generally like to wear masculine scents, but as much as I love this fragrance, it's more for my husband than for me. I absolutely love the opening of this fragrance that is nothing like any other perfume I've experienced. Initially this has a very strong sillage, but within a couple of hours, it dries down to a smaller sillage and less smokey scent. I enjoy every stage of this unique masculine sexy fragrance...but for a man more than for me.

Finally, a smell with personality! It's a whole luau, reminding me of the annual Roast on the Coast my dad's Hawaiian coworker would invite his Intel buddies' families to. Starts off with a strong, woody bbq smoke, developing into a grilled pineapple sort of scent, then drying into a soft, spicy, and slightly sour oud/wood. Not a sexy frag, but that's fine because it's going for a friendly, approachable, but powerful vibe. If the coffee note was more dominant, this would be perfect for me.

I have an old decant and what I get is a dark aquatic scent, thats both breezy and smokey with hints of pineapple. Really great stuff. A bit fruity at times, a bit stoic, sometimes green and cool, but overall it gives a coastal vibe. Don't know if its been reformulated, their website now lists it as the "(2025) VERSION," which I can only assume it was unfortunately.

This is my go-to night fragrance. The self-described notes of "volcanic ash" come through. It's earthy, smoky, woody and has some tropical sweetness balancing the scent. Still, it's potent. This is a statement fragrance, and better for the cold-weather months and nights out. It's not right for every occasion, but when it is, man, it pops.

Notes per source adage: Spicy Ginger CO2 extract, Algae and Marine Accord, Pineapple Leaves, Vetyver, Agarwood, Vanilla, Leather, Volcanic Smoke notes I purchased the sample set. Dark & Smoky indeed.

This smells of pineapples grilling at a pit near the beach on a sultry summer day in the hot sun with an ocean breeze spraying in the air. A slice falls off the grill, rolls into the road and mushes into the gooey asphalt of the road as it gets run over by a car. It’s a very unique, somewhat challenging, yet quite pleasant and smooth fragrance with elements of oud, burnt wood, smoke, fruit and a mineral oceanic and river rock base. This is a “dark aquatic” type of scent somewhat in the vein of Oud Minerale and Sel Marin, but with the added dimension of fruitiness and very smoky incense, similar to that of the pineapple and incense in Aventus (that is where the similarities end, however). The complexity is compelling in this scent, and it is well blended and bold, dare I say delicious. The review below mine perfectly describes it, although I would posit that it is a bit more wearable than he describes. As with all aquatic and especially dark aquatic scents, the problem for me is the amazing longevity, as it sticks around long after I’m ready to move on. I would even say a couple of days and through a shower. These types of scents are a commitment, which is a trade off I’m not always willing to make. A really nice and well done niche find.

Starts out very Smokey and phenolic with a present twist of something fruity , sweet and green but there’s an oudy funk which is great. I’m also getting that marine feel which I’d assume is the aquatic touch they’re going for and a lovely spicy zingy bit. it becomes very wearable as time goes on despite the harsher opening. I’m also getting a papery dry woody vibe which is great. Hours into it it’s subtly smoky and fruity oud with a dry papery nuance. Performance is great too.

Got this as a sample. Initial vibe is a light sweetness, the pineapple leaf present with an underlying charred, earthen aroma that is deep and resinous. It settles quickly into a gently sweet smoke with a long duration and moderate sillage. There may be a fleeting acknowledgement of Aventus but this is a different beast at the end of the day. I think I'd like it on specific occasions but not as part of my ongoing rotation.

OK, very challenging?!!! So I’m undecided but this smells like someone coated their tyres with a pineapple version of Cool Water and did a burnout lol! Seriously! That said read on - you may want to try it. 1) Ignore absolutely any reference to Aventus and any review comparing it - it simply has nothing to do with anything. 2) a lot of reviews talk about the pineapple. One suggested pineapple with bacon - hmm - at a stretch at some point but that is not a good reflection of this perfume at all. 3) Performance wise this is huge. I powers away 12 hours no prob with enormous projection.I had an awful night and tossed and turned - all I could remember is the smell all night! That could be a problem for some... This perfume is IMHO about a smoky tarry oud. Very smooth - thanks to the vanilla and wood. Not that the vanilla stands out - like the coffee, ginger and vetiver it is complimentary and really requires nose to skin to really analyse the content. What you get eventually is a deeep deeeeeep deeeeep Blue almost black scent. Again - smooth. It has a cooling vibe sans the smoke so like smoke over a beach on a cool night? At first a sweet, bright - not tart at all pineapple but in fact a bright clean ginger - oily even like in a Thai dish. It dries down and 30 minutes to 120 minutes the ginger fades leaving a smokiness and the sweet blue creaminess starts to form. 2 - 12 hours in and the deep sweetness is prominent - the pineapple - just enough to sit over the vanilla and wood radiates at a constant loudness - people would not know what it is but if you suggest it’s pineapple they’d go “okay I get it now but what on earth is the other stuff?”. The “other stuff” - yeah that might be a luau with some charcoal and salt spray from the surf. For me it is quite strong and pungent - sometimes it reminds me of a charred leather jacket with a drop of vanilla and pineapple to dilute the charred stink just enough. I would agree with some suggesting it’s a bit more mineral as the fruit isn’t the pulp rather it’s just a highlight like from a weak diluted concentrate juice. So why do I still own the bottle when I “disliked it”? Well, firstly I should point out I have a tolerant nose as you can see from my collection - and I usually call a spade a spade. Secondly I know this is a challenging bottle and whilst I am not a fan of making bold statements as if I am the end all in fragrance opinions I will make it clear now - this is not a daily wear perfume to work or to wear amongst some as it is not pleasing to the masses. That all said it is interesting, EXCEPTIONALLY well made and quite frankly a talking point. For me this just tips over into the “why!?” basket. The reality is most will just find this a head scratcher and Would give you a strange stare smelling this coming from you. I know I will want to try this more - I certainly am interested the brand and excited to try the other two... maybe thats the point???

Smells like a grilled pineapple. I guess the question is, do you WANT to smell like a grilled pineapple?

I can't really identify the notes, however the accords are what stand out; sweet but not overly, smoky but not campfire (I don't recognize it as birch tar or cade that I've smelled in other frags probably the most interesting thing about the composition). Another reviewer said mineraly I would agree. Fruity? minimally so but present, aromatic/fresh spicy not so much which is not a bad thing considering everything else going on.. I don't notice any Oud as either a note or modifier it must be very minimal or lying under the smoke.. same goes for the vetiver though there is somethiing there.. perhaps the vetiver and ginger are blended well together making them both not very recognizable. All in all unique if not a little clumsy, some decent blending but far from the refined hand at Creed, I enjoy the smoke note but I probably wouldn't wear it very often, this one's a neutral for moi

aka’ula smells delicious but not edible. I get a lot of tarry oud with a tropical sweetness laced through the mineral and smoky vetiver. This perfume smells truly exotic, (nothing like Aventus) and its experimental character does not interfere with its wearability. I do think this should not be applied near ones face, however, because the sweet tropical fruits juxtaposed with dark smoky mineral qualities could become cloying if they don't have room to breathe. Captivating, strange, and friendly. Great stuff.

This smells closely to 1805 Tonnerre from Beaufort london; that one though can be overpowering with the smoke, maybe because of the gunpowder note. AK'KULA is balanced with the fruit and smoke aspects and probably more season friendly than Tonnerre.

Weird smoky pineapple into a smoky, aquatic drydown. Not for me, extremely niche.