Nirvana Bourbon
Elizabeth and James (2016)

I don't get the soft feminine version others seem to. I get mostly smoky cedar wood and a smidge of vanilla. The smoke is birch tar smoke over cedar, with a tuberose vanilla way way WAY in the back. Mostly I get the birch tar with not much else, so it’s that plastic-smoke smell over wood. (Birch tar often comes up like plastic smoke on me.) The dry down is a much nicer clove/wood vanilla, but it's still primarily oak wood with metallic tinges from the cedar feeling, with the vanilla and spice much more in the background. Not sweet or warm on me in any way, but aggressively woody. Still, for all that it's an excellent smokey wood for most of its life, barring that middle bit with the plastic smoke taint.

The playful innocence of Bourbon here is like a young girl wearing her mother's things while she's out of the house. She's parading about, pretending to be luxurious like that older Dior woman she once saw. It's a decent scent, really; soft and warm, comes across as fairly natural, and the tuberose is just a brush of rouge in the mix - it is not part of the outfit, but helps complete the 'look.' I might even give this a wear or two myself if I tire of the thickness of Bath and Body's Oak or vintage Obsession. I seldom wear prominent vanillas, but this really has just enough dry wood to soak it up.

I could have just said, Unisex Corduroy by Zirh," but that would be little fun.

This reminds me of how EXCEPTIONALLY ready I am for fall.

Vanilla and bourbon are warm, without the alcohol sharpness, and incredibly cozy. Tuberose is a faint hint in the background. Oakwood is beautiful and acts as a cask that ages and melds everything together. I love that the woody notes are not dry, but add a depth and warmth that give a fire-side aspect.

Silage is on the edge of soft/moderate, and longevity is moderate at about 5 or 6 hours.

Day or night, for comfort or allure; this will be a welcome fall staple.