On the Road

I ordered samples of On the Road and She Came to Stay with an order from Twisted Lily, knowing that She Came to Stay really put the Timothy Han Edition Perfumes on the map with a lot of critical acclaim, yet I was more intrigued by this second release, On the Road. On the Road is a wintry mix of galbanum, benzoin, labdanum, birch, patchouli, and cedar. The overall experience is of a resinous woody fragrance, strong but not cloying, that I envision mainly as useful for fall and winter nights. It's not woody or oily in a pine tar sort of way, but much smoother, reminiscent of the smoothness of Tom Ford Italian Cypress while not having any cypress, and instead seeming like a less harsh version of D.S. & Durga Bowmakers. On the Road doesn't have much evolution, which is fine, as the opening is not so overwhelming as to necessitate a diminution of intensity. Its longevity isn't spectacular but it's more than sufficient for an EDP, especially with a few healthy sprays as opposed to the dabs of a small sample. Sold only at Luckyscent and Twisted Lily for $160-180 for 60ml, it's expensive enough that you'd really need to like it a lot in order to want to purchase it, and I believe I do. 8 out of 10

I tested one or two Timothy Han scents at random in a boutique, not having heard of the brand previously, and I'm quite impressed with the quality. On The Road is a rich, balsamic amber scent with a nice aromatic opening. It reminds me a lot of Le Labo Patchouli 24 thanks to the vanilla-patchouli accord in the base. OTR opens with an aromatic lavender note and some citrus. So far, so barbershop. Galbanum, one of my favourite notes, adds a hazy greenness. As it develops, the amber accord emerges. Rich and balsamic, it is complemented by woody notes. It becomes increasingly leathery as it progresses, with earthy patchouli becoming very prominent. I get vanilla in the later stages, creating that balsamic Patchouli 24 accord. It fades to a mossy, balsamic skin scent, with a hint of leather remaining until final fade. Sillage and longevity are moderate. Unisex to my nose, this is a high-quality, satisfying balsamic leather scent with a lovely mossy undertone. Best worn in autumn/winter, OTR is comforting as well as slightly edgy. Excellent. 4.5/5.

Quite original without being alienating (as Han's "Against Nature" can be) - it's both unique and easy-to-wear. Beautiful work. Love it. As others have noted, it literally smells like a highway at first... hot tar, rubber tire friction on asphalt, a hint of exhaust... Then there's citrus going on - I get bergamot more than lemon, and there's a hint of vanilla rounding it out, taking the sharper acidic edge off. Really well-balanced stuff. The pointed lack of any floral notes gives it a stoic, masculine quality, but that citrus and wee hint of lavender keeps it from being too self-serious. It's like a big bruiser pulling up outside a bar on a motorcycle, and you think maybe he's there for a Budweiser and a fight but then he orders a hipster microbrew and chats you up and it turns out he's a professor of English Literature, and he and his wife run a Bed & Breakfast on the weekends.

This is right in the same exact vein as Tom Ford Italian cypress, but a little more dirty and smoky. Day or two after a camp fire on clothes, not too heavy and wearing Italian cypress to cover it up is exactly what this is. Surprisingly I like this stuff, it's very challenging to me. Very niche and the ingredients seem very upscale and of quality. Like a very wealthy man under cover wearing down to earth clothes and always out doors. Very nice juice, gots me wondering "how much?"

I don't understand everyone who says this smells like burnt tyres and exhaust fumes - on me the opening is all lavender, then the palo santo (guaiac wood) kicks in a makes it smoky. After a while the patchouli picks up and the vanilla gives a warmth, but overall on me the lavender and palo santo are the main players. It's gorgeous, lovely for brisk, sunny Autumn walks.