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More Apoteker Tepe reviews today!
Pale Fire opens as a fairly conventional boozy chocolate gourmand scent but quickly gains complexity and depth as a charred note settles in. It's a bit sweet, like barbecued corn on the cob. It's never harsh and it's smoothed out by vanilla amber. Along with Anabasis, this is probably one of the easier wears in the house and the most conventional, though I'll note this was released before woody ambers took off big time. Particularly if you are smelling from afar, it's nothing special. Closer up though, the burnt grains makes it odder than usual.
By contrast, Karasu is probably the most difficult from the house. The opening is particularly challenging, the starchy costus root having a more than a hint of unwashed hair. This mingles with smoky woods which tempers that unwashed vibe but it's present well into the dry down. This is an intriguing incense perfume. I will note though that while costus is used in some Japanese incenses, but the "hair" note doesn't remind me of any Japanese incenses I've tried. Definitely test this one.
Tried Apoteker Tepe's After the Flood today. An interesting scent with a hyperrealistic opening of waterlogged soil. The kind you'd find in a forest. There's flinty stones but unlike scents like Coven or Bat where there's a focus on geosmin, this one is full of organic material. It's very vivid. You can almost see the wet bits of organic matter in the dirt. The mushroom accord that emerges is lighter and starchier than I imagined. So much so that if I hadn't read mushroom, I would have described it as more rooty and starchy. At one point it becomes positively creamy. But there's this hint of dankness that keeps it from being pretty. Not for me even though I like earthy scents but really interesting. I'll definitely test this one a few more times.
On my other arm, I tried Anabasis. This one is a terrific cooling fragrance. But very beautiful and not your typical citrusy freshie. You're immediately struck by pine and a shiso leaf so fresh and realistic, it's like it's just been sliced. Backed up by cedar. Imparts a sense of cleanliness while being gentle. There are no harsh or sharp edges here. Not as challenging as the other scents I've tried, but it's not boring. Versatile and sophisticated enough for a hot summer evening.
