Amouage have had a busy year in 2020.
A slew of new releases from the Omani royal brand have hit shelves this year.
Interlude Black Iris attracted quite some press, as a flanker to the popular powerhouse Interlude Man.
I sniffed it on paper soon after its release, but wasn’t particularly interested, and never covered it here.
However, I was sent some sample vials containing four more new Amouage 2020 releases, and some of these have very much piqued my interest!
There’s quite a range among these four;
all unisex, though some lean in one or the other direction.
All of them hover either in or close to the oriental classification.
Amouage Ashore
A name that inspires mental images of the beach on a hot summery day would lead me to think of a light, fresh and summery scent.
This one, however, I would find terribly cloying at said location.
A floral oriental, Ashore has a spicy and interesting series of top notes that remind me somewhat of the dry sweetness sported by the likes of YSL Caban or Dior Feve Delicieuse.
However, it becomes a bit of a cloying muddle in the heart and base, with several resins competing for attention with a creamy sandalwood and rose oil.
It’s not bad, but I find it a touch overwhelming on the nose.
And, if I wanted that character, I’d wear Caban instead.
Performance is very good and projection is notable.
Perfumer: Mackenzie Reilly
Amouage Crimson Rocks
Three words left my lips when I sprayed this one;
‘smells like Christmas!’
This is a good thing for me in the case of Crimson Rocks, as it’s quite a tasty blend.
It’s the cinnamon in the top notes that give off the Christmas vibe.
Notable accords accompanying it are rose, honey, pink pepper and a trio of woods for the base.
Performance was fairly good and projection was subtle;
enough for it to be cosy, not enough for it to announce your presence to the room.
I think that’s a good thing in this case, as it stops the scent from being cloying.
Categorical classification is, again, floral oriental.
Perfumer: Domitille Michalon Bertier
Amouage Enclave
Enclave gave me a pleasant surprise, with a unique opening that I can’t draw comparisons with.
I always like that in a scent.
Spice, resin and leather see Enclave’s drydown turn into something reminiscent of Penhaligon’s Halfeti.
However, unlike Halfeti, I actually like the smell of this one.
It’s easier on the nose, where Halfeti overwhelms me.
Top notes include cardamom, mint, pink pepper and cinnamon.
Heart and base notes are a mixture of resins, woods and leathers, including patchouli, olibanum, vetiver and labdanum.
The listed classification of Enclave is of an oriental fougere, but I disagree with that.
Oriental, yes.
Aromatic, yes.
Fougere, no.
Performance and projection are both good and will last the better part of the day.
Perfumer: Julien Rasquenet
Amouage Meander
Another pleasant surprise, Meander is a shot of freshness in the lineup.
With a bright, fizzy opening, the beginning minutes of Meander had me thinking of fresh lemonade or tonic water.
It’s a light and unique experience, leaning towards a traditionally feminine character to begin with but moving more towards blurring the lines in the drydown.
The scent is first characterised by green florals and spices including the top notes of pepper, olibanum and carrot seed and a heart of orris, rose and narcissus.
Base notes are similar to those of Ashore, which coupled with the perfumer of both scents being the same suggests that these two are sister scents.
I much prefer this one over Ashore.
Performance is the lowest scoring of the lot, giving around six hours, and projection is on par with the rest being quite good.
Perfumer: Mackenzie Reilly
Are They Bottle Worthy?
There are some interesting scents in this batch of releases, adding to an already large catalogue of Amouage scents.
For myself, three of the four were such that I would wear them again.
However, only one was unique, pleasant and intriguing enough that I would consider purchasing.
For me, Meander is the star of the lineup.
Men may find it a touch challenging to wear if there is a preference toward wearing traditionally masculine scents, but it is quite easy to wear in my view.
Visualise its atmosphere as holding a fresh, cool drink in a well-manicured garden.
A high society garden party.
Isn’t that a lavish thought, sport?
SamTalksStyle 