Ponderosa
Pineward Perfumes (2022)

This fragrance could give Fille en Aiguilles a real run for its money as far as my favorite compositions to wear around Christmas Festivities go. I remember sampling it back in 2022, expecting a total wreck, since I dislike both pine-heavy and sweet-gourmand perfumes. And it turned out to be a brilliant discovery.

It is both a pine-dominant and a gourmand perfume, but the balance (and this is the key word here) of the two parts is so finely tuned that people like myself who struggle with both could find plenty to love about Ponderosa. Now, I never had the chance to smell Ponderosa Pine trees in real life. Supposedly, they do emanate these sweet vanillin, butterscotch, caramel, and cinnamon-like facets. What Nick did with this composition is to create a cozy and enveloping pine scent built around this unique-smelling coniferous by amplifying the innate “gourmand” and sweet facets of the tree. Therefore, you’ll get pine, and loads of it. However, it smells incredibly comfy and warm, delicious, and sweet, without ever becoming obnoxious or falling into the gourmand category (at least for me). My main issue with most pine-forward perfumes is that they lack warmth. When it comes to woody materials, I prefer the warmer, more exotic varieties. Hence, for me, coniferous notes have never presented much of an interest. But with Ponderosa, the warmth is present, in heaps. It works so well that you could feel it enveloping you. It is the warmest and coziest pine perfume I know, while always staying true to its identity, without succumbing to excessive sweetness. Just enough to convert even an unbeliever like me. Now, imagine if you were a die-hard Conehead. Fille en Aiguilles is my quintessential choice, while Ponderosa is the one that keeps me warm.

IG:@memory.of.scents

I hate to be the one to hate on this blend, but it doesn't work on me at all. The Ponderosa top notes come up very urinic on me, while underneath that is a gorgeous warm soft blend of the other notes. I would love to have the other notes without the pine, but the incredibly realistic (well, it IS real extract, so yeah) Ponderose makes me smell like my incontinent cat has been in my lap. Sad, but obviously successful for others, so sample this! For a cleaner crisp Forest tree, I prefer the lovely White Fir.

Sampling Pineward Perfumes Ponderosa, a resinous pine blend with prominent gourmand notes of strawberry, cinnamon, butterscotch, and beeswax, to my nose, still with the green/sharp pine accord, also, and a bit of a dark resinous quality to it. It overall feels about 50% gourmand, 50% pine resin, a very pleasant balance that makes for a really useful cold weather offering that handles a transition from daytime to nighttime. I’m wearing it at work today and I estimate that it would be just as fitting out for a social event, personally. Most importantly, it’s of the same quality and craft that I’ve come to associate with this great line. I’m really overdue to retry much of the house, in fact.

Ponderosa, like most of the line, performs very well (in extrait concentration), and its pricing is standard for the current line, at $205/135/80 for 57/37/17ml, so not cheap, but reasonable for a high-concentration, high-performing niche perfume.

7 out of 10

I feel like it’s a green sibling of Cotswold, maybe less sweet. Also, some fruity-smoky-resinous nuances have been replaced with nutty and even more woody elements. That nutty aspect is quite prominent on my skin. Generally - green and spicy. Good longevity, moderate sillage.

Quite okay.

I'm honored to be the first to review this very special fragrance that was also created by a very dear friend of mine. Ponderosa is my new favorite fragrance and that is saying something as I have many fragrances that I dearly love.

The opening of this treasure is ponderosa pine resin in all it's brilliant glory. Coniferous and beautiful. There is also an almost pine nut note lingering that lasts further into the wear as well that I love. The vanillic sweetness along with the butterscotch and cinnamon might make Ponderosa sound interesting to some, but the blending here is impeccable and makes the fragrance as a whole work on every level for me personally. I am first and foremost a conifer fan. Fir, Spruce, Pine, Cypress, Cedar, Juniper, etc. are where it's at in my wheelhouse and Ponderosa delivers big time. BUT, I also love some gourmands. Ponderosa has some sweetness like a gourmand, but it doesn't delve into complete gourmand territory and I believe the sweetness is perfectly executed in this composition. It's purpose is to create the sweet nature of ponderosa pine resin while also making this an actual perfume and not just a ponderosa pine essential oil. No, this is a full on, perfume, and what an amazing journey it takes you on. If you are familiar with the beautiful ponderosa pine resin then you know what this smells like, only Ponderosa the perfume smells even better. It is the surrealistic ponderosa pine scent of the perfect dream.

If you love coniferous notes and also love good perfumery, then Ponderosa by Pineward Perfumes is worth at least a sample. Perhaps you'll love it as much as I do. So very grateful to have this heavenly fragrance in my collection! Bravisimo Nick!!!