12 Eau D'Epices

One of the most-brilliant compositions I have ever smelt! Definitely orange-blossom dominates (with a hint of tuberose?), but it is bent and molded into something quite-different and unexpected with an overlay of spices (Ceylon cinnamon is, to my nose, strongest, followed by cloves, and then coriander seed), while the lower, "wood-like" facets of the flower's essential oil are entwined like loving roots into vetiver and frankincense- it is hard to find where orange-blossom begins and ends, it is that well-married... I also sense a hint of linden-blossom bonding quite well with the "green-grassiness" of vetiver, expanding, diluting the sweet nature of the white-floral heart. The effect is striking, with a definite character of its own. It reminds me a little of 'Poeme', but is not so "round and soft": there is a "masculine", assertive edge to Eau d'Epices- despite it's strong floral character- which makes it, in my opinion, fairly unisex... and, also, quite oriental. Anyone with a modest attar-collection would probably not be shocked so much by this fragrance, but I can see many women of mainstream-western taste being put off by the rich, resin-backed spiciness, and just as many men being put off by the bold use of a sweet white floral. It toys with gender. It is not a crowd-pleaser by any means; it retains its unapologetic integrity throughout its long evaporation, and could be a strong, unmistakeable signature for a self-assured person.

I think that this one is a slow burner - i.e. you need to give it a bit of time or a few tests. Of the 10 x Tauer samples I tested this would have been in my bottom 3 but as I think his perfumes are legendary I decided to give this another test last night. I sprayed this on the other half first and it smelt so delicious on him I couldn't believe it. It was rich, warm and spicy but in a softly sweet way. So I sprayed it on myself as well and it did smell different on me - the opening had a lot more citrus and smelt slightly sharp. However 5 minutes in and it had settled down to a fragrant dream and while watching Django I couldn't help but sniff my arm constantly. It's the following morning now and this scent is still on my arm and smells amazing. This is a powerhouse of longevity. Just goes to show that sometimes perfumes need to have a second or third try and / or maybe tastes change as well. Another Tauer great but maybe give it a bit of time. I tested LAADM on the other half but he much preferred this one.

I didn't think I liked this when I first tried it. I got such a blast of 'spice cabinet' that I couldn't smell anything else and while that's a fine scent while baking, it's a bit sharp for wearing. It settled down fairly quickly though and while it retained some spice, the underglow started to brighten. It's a warm and lovely scent, not too floral, not too citrus-y, not food-like, despite the spice/tonka, which is a plus for me. My only regret is that I found it in late February, so soon it will have to be put away until fall. I must say though, out of the six Tauers I have tried so far, (#'s 1, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 12), the only one I wouldn't wear is #8 Rose Chypree (too sweet for me), so maybe I am Tauer-addicted. I was very surprised at the number of negative votes above.

I bought this one yesterday without knowing anything about it. On me it seems to smell like a linden tree in bloom. Imagine my surprise when I discovered there is no lindenblossom in it. At all 0_O Works for me though. Mr. Tauer must be some magician if so many people have such different experiences with this scent. I was really wondering why it was named "Eau d'Epices", I'm totally baffled. Maybe I ought to have my friends have a sniff and ask them what it reminds them of... I love it and will be sampling more Tauer scents. Such a nice touch that there is a little card inside the box saying "Enjoy!" signed by the man himself. I'm sorry I wasn't able to meet him during his visit at the perfumery. The salesgirl said he was a very pleasant man.

Still pondering Eau D'Epices... I don't care for it for the first 1/2 hour or so. But given a little time, this fragrance mellows out, and becomes an interesting spice market smell. It is a bit sour initially, but that aspect doesn't linger on me too long. I do enjoy the coriander (which seems to be the strongest note to me). EDE is a unique spicy... I might like it better on a man than on me. But still evaluating. I would at least like to have a large decant, as it is special and has that certain Taeur "power".