Nanban
Eau de Parfum, Arquiste (2015)

The opening stages of Nanban are undeniably intriguing to me: I am detecting woody, resinous materials and bases that I collected for my perfumer's organ a number of years ago. Dry, peppery, saturated, it stirs and wrinkles my nose all at once. Do I like this? Do I reject this? I can't decide if it's too harsh and pungent even for my adventurous taste. There is this dank, antique quality—dusty, ashy. I think I am getting into it.

As it progresses, the blurring between organic and synthetic becomes more apparent, and I am left feeling challenged even more so.

Unfortunately, I begin to realize it is a woody amber cortège that leads me out of stimulating bemusement to dread. Oh no, what an unfortunate turn of events. I could've stuck with this and maybe even fell in love if it were not for this corrosive and coarse coda. Why, Rodrigo, why? Ahhh well, I am at least thankful that he spared his formula for Sandor 70's of these irritating "tools" of perfumery.

This one is not a love, despite the notes and what other reviews suggested. I get warm resinous notes with sharply woody edges that don't soften ever, and a pronounced incense. I adore incense and incense notes but this is a bit harsh to my nose. It's a dark, incensey goth fragrance. I would normally have a place for that in my collection, but that harsh wood chemical makes it slightly painful to my sinuses, so I'll pass.

Rodrigo Flores-Roux is a remarkably talented perfumer, especially when he is given sufficient freedom to play. Arquiste has given him a lot of slack, resulting in such accomplished creations as Èl and Anima Dulcis. Arquiste Nanban is yet another success, a dense, complex shapeshifter built primarily around creamy woods and incense.

Nanban opens strong and animalic. Those familiar with the "Spanish leather" accord in Carner Barcelona Sandor 70's (also by Flores-Roux) will certainly recognize it here, infused with florals and ornamented with peppery spice.

There's a bit of a "classic perfume" current running through this opening phase (as there is running through much of Flores-Roux's work for Arquiste), but as the myrrh comes to wrap it all in a gentle cloud it shifts into a space that feels more modern, both in material and aesthetic.

At the heart of Nanban is a milky balsam-sandalwood effect (synthetic-feeling, but not shouty), and in its reliance on that it could almost be an upscale, stranger equivalent to the more pleasing and sweet Pasha Parfum. Refracted through that milky heart is smoky tea and roasted coffee and incense, which will appear one moment and be gone the next, as if phasing in and out of existence. As the incense becomes more significant it develops the feeling of an old church or library: books, wood, and incense.

The late drydown lays bare some of the woodyamber materials used to create its effects. It's not punchy or sharp enough to be unpleasant, but it's disappointing in its lack of depth (especially given the more interesting phases that precede it).

Still, all in all, this is a success.

Flattened cargo from a paper thin metaphor

Nanban has an uplifting peppery citric opening that's weighted with resins and a lovely gentle animalic touch. It starts out quite vibrant despite the richer and heavier notes and it's quite enjoyable at first.

Unfortunately, the dry down's heavier notes of smoke, tar, leather and tea, as well as a more velvety gourmand feel, flattens the scent out instead of deepening and shading it. There's still spice and texture but it's like a pastry chef accidentally squashing a dark and sumptuous layer cake with the heel of their hand. Honestly, the best word I can use to describe the scent at this point is smushed. It smells smushed.

As the scent wears on, the scent gains more definition again but it's only because the smoke becomes more dry and enters burning tires territory. I suppose that's par for the course with the smoky fragrance genre but it smells too heavy handed.

It's not awful, but it's not great. Finally, this back story about some sailing ship with a hull full of spices in the seafaring days of yore, it's been done. Throwing the word Japanese in there is a bit rich when there aren't any Japanese ingredients or anything linking the scent to Japanese culture.

One of my most favorite fragrances (but if I admit to that then I must also admit to all that this scent implies regarding the wearer lol). This is a relatively heavy, sweet but very spicy, smoky, bold and *DARKLY* complex fragrance for sure - especially among fragrances marketed as intended to be “for men” (objectively, though, I'd have to agree that this is actually a unisex). Sillage and longevity are at LEAST moderate. A VERY well done, professionally blended product - more like a work of olefactory art (and I am VERY stingy with that particular label). Nicely done for the type of men's fragrance that it is. 4 out of 5 stars - would be 5 if the brighter notes were just slightly more pronounced (as it is they become drowned out with the dry-down).

Nanban is a very dark tea, tar and smoke scent that is much more livable due to the complex interweaving of various spices, leather, incenses and woods. Instead of falling into a black hole Nanban retains interesting character crafted from very many bold and positive elements. Nanban smells darker in warm weather and the biting spice comes out of the darkness in colder weather. Rated: 3 of 5 stars.