High Jump 47
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements (2016)

My initial impression of the opening (having not read the notes list) was “Italian barbershop” but with an interesting “warmth” added. The bitter orange and bergamot contribute to the former, and the amber - I suppose - contributes to the latter (though I wouldn’t call it an ambery scent).

The mid is where, I think, the “breu branco incense” note comes to the fore. The PAA website describes breu branco as a resin from an Amazonian tree that has a talc-like barbershop effect. That has to be most of what I smell here: there’s an almost soapy (neroli?) iris-like effect. It’s quite interesting.

As High Jump transitions to the base, I get the impression of white musks a la Jovan’s White Musk for Men. Regarding the listed animalic note: There isn’t anything here noticeably animalic to my nose, but PAA notes that it’s just “a thimble full of animalic musk to heighten the primal, natural musk already present in the resin, to give shape and to anchor it.”

Sillage is polite and longevity is in the 4-6 hour range. Performance is probably about what one would expect from an “aftershave/cologne”, though it left me wanting more.

Overall, the scent is familiar and safe. It’s inviting but not sweet or boozy. I could see High Jump 47 as a 1990’s Burberry masculine release. It has the sort of restrained dandy vibe of Touch or Brit (though they don’t smell similar, to be clear). What it does remind me of is Moschino’s Uomo?, though High Jump 47 falls quite a bit flatter.

Overall, this is a very easy wear, but the ho-hum base, relatively poor performance, and unfortunate comparison to a much more lively fragrance bring it down to “what could have been” territory for me. For these reasons, I’m going with a thumbs down here, even though it smells pleasant. Stick with the Moschino, which as of this review can be purchased (4.2 oz no less) for even less than the $25 High Jump 47 aftershave/cologne (speak nothing of the $50 edp).