Bracken Man
Amouage (2016)

I think a lot of perfume critics, perfume enthusiasts, and Amouage-philes, like myself, raised an eyebrow when Amouage announced they were giving us a massive 70's-style fougere. Amouage tiptoed over the line into Western perfume styles a few times in the decade or so prior, but this seemed to be a full-on leap; the preeminent perfume house of the Arabian region and personal perfumer to the Sultanate of Oman "is going to do what now?" I think most of us were well-onboard with it though, curious to see what this beloved house could do, and they did not disappoint.

Lemon, an oily lavender, pine resin, and woody seed spices open up Bracken Man. Sour, citrusy, herbal, a touch floral, roundly camphoraceous and green, and some pleasant woody spice for a bit a depth - so far so good; this is an instant trip down memory lane with the luxury and gravitas that are part of the Amouage aesthetic. Coming up from the depths, quickly and confidently, is an illuminated and loamy patchouli. I can hear the Bee Gees singing in the background and see John Travolta dancing his heart out. Setting itself apart from the pack of big, heavy patchouli perfumes, Bracken Man doesn't present us with a sticky sweet, camphoraceous, nose-blinding pepper, or dank and dirty patchouli-bomb. The patchouli here is like fertile, brown topsoil, life giving and rich. But make no mistake, the patchouli is still a bit of a bomb; you better love patchouli to get anywhere near this perfume. The green aromatics are represented by a smooth and floral geranium, and the spice and woodiness by cinnamon, slightly peppery but very aromatic cedarwood, and creamy sandalwood.

All of the materials are of superb quality, and they are seamlessly harmonized together at near-perfect timbres and volumes. Bracken Man is wonderfully well done, one of the best fougeres I've ever smelled. Here's the thing.... It smells like the 70s, unapologetically and unashamedly so. Yes, the accords harmonize as well and as beautifully as the Bee Gees did, but the volume and the swagger is more like Jimi Hendrix; you're definitely going to get noticed while wearing this (and from a few feet away). I fear Amouage have backed themselves into a corner here since many will likely be immediately turned off by its massively retro/old-school revelry. What Amouage, Pellegrin, and Cresp have done is not an attempt to update the fougere, but to present it in a uniquely Amouage fashion via luxury, richness, and precision the genre has never really had before. I think it's brilliant.

Now discontinued and only available for super high prices. I had a very small sample left over from a few years ago I decided to try recently. The opening is nice, similar to the Fougere Royale Reissue with spices, greens, and a slight creamy sweetness associated with some of the nicer barbershop fougeres.

However, whatever accord is used in the base, likely a synthetic oakmoss accord, is harsh, overpowering, and lingers way too long (24 hours or so). If it weren't for that, this would be a thumbs up.

Beautiful spicy fougere, which opens with a slap of cloves and nutmeg accompanied by cinnamon which tend to dominate the cypress, lavender and carnation creating a unique, extremely pleasant and masculine smell. The perfume is undoubtedly well made, beyond the so-called "chemicates" which are the norm even in "niche" perfumery, and you can still perceive a good quality of the ingredients used. It is very reminiscent of Gualtieri's Viride with the difference that Bracken is more complex, stronger and less linear while lasting less but ... to say that bracken is a chimicone and then praise the Gualtieran counterpart ... it's like declaring yourself vegan and having lunch at Mc Donald, an unprecedented contradiction since the perfumes of the Italian Alessandro are VERY chemical, much more than amouage probably and have almost no evolution remaining among the most linear of all (which I appreciate in some ways, mind you). Definitely? I like it a lot and I really enjoy using it; certainly not for everyone given the very spicy opening that not everyone can like.

Best Fougere I ever smelled in my 6 years in the fragrance hobby. It's a classic Fougere base with spicy oriental notes sprinkled in. It's my favorite Fougere and is now easily a recommendation by me for anyone looking to buy something to stand alone to represent this genre in a limited wardrobe. It smells so good that I don't think you need any other Fougere. Yeah, I said it. It's that good.

The top notes must be subtle and well blended because I immediately detect the crisp piney, woodsy notes. All other notes are just fresh, airy and green. I could imagine this worn by someone who hikes the Appalachian trail or Switzerland in summer. The patchouli and musk are beautifully blended so as not to be sickly or overpowering. A small amount of this would go a long way.

Classic barbershop scent in the lines of bois du Portugal, gentleman, heritage, aramis havana and such. If you like what you read so far, bracken is right up your alley. Well made, well done.