Red Colorado
Micallef (2023)

RedColorado opens like a burly fougère from sometime between 1978-1985 — like a distant cousin of Caron’s Yatagan perhaps. But it is also a bit sharper and has a certain mineral aspect I cannot recall existed before the early naughtiest In a few minutes heart notes very reminiscent of Interlude opens up, but rounded with balsam, fir and sandalwood instead of amber. Very, very nice touch that makes the heavily smoky/coniferous/spiced, dry heart to be a lot more easygoing than Interlude. All in all, I am led to think about the way the French polishes foreign cuisine to make it more palatable, like someone said “take the central idea of Interlude and make it more sophisticated and wearable.

RedColorado is suitable even for the office if you spray lightly. It will never be loved by everyone, but it behaves civilised as opposed to most Amouage scents.

Red Colorado, with all its "old wild west" captivating "prosopopoeia", represents the Micallef's more recent proposal of a take on a wild, sultry, grassy and commanding type of olfactory concept (conceptually something a la vintage Charro Pour Homme, Old West cologne by Tru Fragrances, D.S. & Durga Cowboy Grass or Fort & Manle Late Harvest). Rocky mountains, red sunsets, scary canyons, desert Joshua trees and dark mountain-forests,....that's the wild scenario assumedly evoked by this Micallef's masculine mineral-woody-spicy-leathery fragrance. Red Colorado is a deliberately virile, botanical and bold creation. It is a sort of Amouage Interlude Man's close parent imo (due its piney-mineral spicy/resinous deep soul). There is actually a super spicy and piney kind of mineral and resinous fresh fluidity as the main feature of this vibrant leathery fragrance in a way it ideally seems like a sort of combination of scents as Amouage Interlude Man, Jacques Zolty by Zolty and Costume National Homme (due to its fresh woody-spicy side). I wonder how could not be quoted notes as cardamom, ginger, fresh frankincense and something properly mineral in the list of notes, unless the mineral leafy vibe is effectively afforded by the note of "green leaves" and mysterious "woodsy notes". There is definitely a general woodiness all around, which is tamed and sweeted on by soothing notes and fresh spices/resins. Red Colorado is a manly freshly spicy/warmly woody fragrance which is wild and woodsy. While the first stage is kind of hesperidic-aromatic (really "wet" with its bitter/lemony, intoxicating and slightly apothecarian bergamot) and herbal fougére (with aromatic herbs and spices) the final rose-leather's presence (over a central mineral-resinous piney stage) perfectly matchs with woodsy-piney notes, fresh aromatic spices and soothing vanilla. Along dry down the piney vibe (cypress, pine, fir, woodsy notes) slightly recedes (though being still present in a drier less resinous way) and a woody (mostly cedarwood-oriented)-leathery more alluring spicy rose/patchouli keeps emerging and exuding a quite classy and virile kind of status. Red Colorado is indeed a status-declaration fragrance olfactively depicting an idea of well dressed confident macho-man who loves commanding attention and being always in the middle of the stage.

The combination of bergamot, cypress and pine as top notes in Red Colorado by Micallef creates a singular spicy impression--as if of an unknown spice. And yet, there is no spice per se. The leathery, woody notes are almost agar-like, but the bergamot and pine lift it up in a light, spicy, ever so slightly sweet bloom. It is ultimately for me as if soprano and bass notes were being hit at the same time. Either one finds it a little fascinating, or discordant. Admittedly, the name and the bottle add to that game of recognition. Pine green, or rock red? Leather, or lime? I find it more than worth the curious sniff-fest; but I'm just as happy to have purchased the travel size rather than the full bottle.