Scentrack:
Richard
Cheese – Gin and Juice
By Kilian company in their portfolio has
several fragrances dedicated to alcoholic beverages. Interestingly, a company
once owned by Kilian Hennessy, never released a fragranced dedicated to Cognac,
while Frapin did it. Vodka on the Rocks was, to my knowledge, a Moscow exclusive
dedicated to vodka of course. It was released in 2014, and perfumer was Sidonie
Lancesseur who created famous tender gourmand 1270 for Frapin. For By Kilian Mrs.
Lancesseur already created several great compositions like Single Malt, Apple
Brandy or Black Phantom.
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| Source: By Kilian |
Good vodka is odorless and devoid of any
taste, thus in my opinion, creating a vodka-based fragrance is a challenging
task. One has to recreate the essence of this East European drink without obvious
ethanol smell that consumers rate as cheap. It seems, the perfumer solved this
problem by introducing some spicy and herbal element to the composition. Vodka
on the Rocks opens with the pale whiteness of aldehydes accompanied by some
pepper, strong coriander and herbal cardamom. The initial blast tenders
gradually to washed flowers accord, delicate by design yet strong in performance.
This fresh, futuristic bouquet is paired to very nice rhubarb note. All the
interplay notes morphs to gray base of Ambroxan and something similar to white
musk, which gradually lose their intensity. Does Vodka on the Rocks remind me
of real vodka? Yes, but just on one brand. Polish vodka Žubrowka, infused with bison
grass, and very distinct herbal qualities, which was prohibited by the FDA until
2010 due to its coumarin content. Additionally, the herbal aspects of this composition
reminds of several G&T-inspired fragrances. The performance of the
composition is average (5-7 hours) with moderate sillage.
In conclusion, Vodka on the Rocks, is a
solid recreation of vodka atmosphere. However, it lacks distinctiveness of the
other By Kilian offerings. Personally,
it is not my cup of tea, but one who wishes to wear a fresh herbal/alcohol
combo could appreciate this fragrance even more. Still, the main question
remains - is it proper to drink vodka with ice?
Longevity / Projection
Average (5-7 hours) / Moderate
Suggested wearing
Spring and summer / Daytime business
Alternatives
Hermes Voyage, Penhaligon’s Juniper Sling,
Maison Francis Kurkdjina Gentle Fluidity Silver – just a similar herbal aspects
D&G Pour Homme – similar clean
whiteness in one stage
Laura Biagotti Roma Uomo Cedro – just a slight
similarity in use of rhubarb in a fresh creation
Pros
Fresh and easy to wear
Quality of materials
Cons
Not impressive and distinctive as other By
Kilian fragrances
Possible performance issue
Rating
6.5/10
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