Constantinople
Penhaligon's (2021)

This is really good. I find sandalwood dominates but the longeviity has to be appreciated. However I am handing it over to my daughter.

Any other brand that came up with a perfume named after the Queen of Cities would have at least done their homework on the city's history before coming-up with Constantinople as a name for this genre of fragrance. But as it is a Penhaligon's scent, this is no surprise.

One would expect at least some notes of the time to be in the blend - thyme, nutmeg, some amber or even something resembling the many waters surrounding the great city. Penhaligon's however, had to provide us with yet another rose-oud combo (because the world clearly could do with another!) and give it a name of a city that has no connection to the notes.

At least if this had been constructed to resemble modern-day Istanbul, perhaps a spicy scent that represents the infamous Egyptian Bazaar, or an aquatic resembling the Bosporus and Golden Horn, or something simpler than that reminiscent of the rich cuisine the City has inherited over the centuries - rahat lokum has been done in the past, for example.

Unfortunately, this is a scent from a brand that lost touch many years ago. It hit rock bottom several decades ago. Now it has started to dig. A total disappointment.