BPAL: Lupercalia Pt.3

[gwydion]

The Frimps:
DRAGON’S CLAW (Ars Dtraconis): (Company says: Smooth, polished and lethally sharp: dragon’s blood resin and three sandalwoods.

In bottle: Dragon’s blood dominant with soft sandalwood support. Wet: Still dragon’s blood dominant but the sandalwood comes out a little more giving it a slightly more dry feel than the other Ars Draconis blends. The sandalwood is a good compliment to the heavy incense floral feel of the dragon’s blood. Huge throw. Dry: It balances out better as it wears with the sandalwood coming clearer as the Dragon Blood softens.

Ordered:
LITHE AND LASCIVIOUS REGRET 2013 (LE, Lupercalia, Our Lady of Pain, BPTP, Bath Oil): (Company says: Blackberry hops, blackened raspberry gum, purple chypre, and myrrh.)

In bottle: Very, very fruity. The raspberry gum is strongest, but the blackberry hops provide strong support. The myrrh is soft, but adds a solemn sort of elevation to the scent. According to the Internet, Chypre is ancient world perfume from Cyprus and there are multiple formulas. As a result, I’m not sure exactly what’s in it. I’m guessing a touch of citrus and maybe wood, and likely more incense. It’s comparatively soft and is mostly filling out the stronger elements and adding a little complexity.

MIAIPHONOS 2013 (LE, Lupercalia, Confections, BPTP): (Company says:
Clove, anise, mandarin, and cumin.)

Clove is the first taste to hit the tongue, powerful and dominant, well supported by the cumin and anise. Seriously, it never occurred to me that cumin would be brilliant with clove and anise, but it is. The mandarin orange is pervasive, being second strongest, and is the canvass on which the spices paint and dance. This is delightful, and I say this as someone who doesn’t like orange sweets for the most part. The difference real orange makes vs. artificial flavours is profound. This reminds me of good wassail, spicy, tangy, and sweet all at once.

NYMPHIA 2013 (LE, Lupercalia, Confections, BPTP): (Company says:
White rose, apple blossom, mango, cucumber, coconut, and lavender.)

In bottle: Fascinating. The cucumber is surprisingly strong and blends with the rose in a way I didn’t expect. The mango is next strongest with the apple and coconut supplying fine support. The lavender is an unusual counterpoint to the other notes. This isn’t something I’d have thought of to combine, but oh is it lovely. The coconut is very soft at first but eventually passes the mango to become almost coequal with the rose and cucumber.

RASPBERRY THUMBPRINT COOKIE 2012 (LE, Yule, BPTP, Bath Oil): (Company says: Sugar-dusted butter cookies with a squish of raspberry jam.

In bottle: slightly burnt sugar dominant. The butter cookie aspect is a close second. The raspberry is a soft, but yummy counterpoint. It’s pretty realistic and quite decadent.

THE SHRINE WHERE SIN IS A PRAYER 2013 (LE, Lupercalia, Our Lady of Pain, BPTP, Atmosphere Spray): (Company says: Deep purple Syrah, calamus, myrrh smoke, hyssop, opoponax, bitter clove, burgundy pitch, opium poppy, and violet leaf.)

In bottle: Syrah is a kind of grape and calmus is sweet flag. I’m not that familiar with either so this review is a touch tentative. The strongest notes appear to be syrah and pitch. The calamus, opoponax, opium, and violet leaf are strong seconds. The myrrh smoke is soft and clever. The clove is sharp and plays in fascinating ways with the violet leaf, syrah, and hyssop. The hyssop is understated, more an accent than a scent on it’s own. The scent is fundamentally grape dominant with incense as a scent impression.

THERE YET SHALL BE SORROWS 2013 (LE, Lupercalia, Our Lady of Pain, BPTP, Illuminations): (Company says: White sandalwood, black cypress, wormwood, creeping willow, and rue.)

Unburned: The first impression is bitter wood. My note impressions are tentative, as I only know about half of the well enough to be sure of identification. Either the cypress or the willow or both are dominant. The wormwood and rue form a second strong faction. The sandalwood is soft, tying them together. Burned: Fairly delicate, slightly sweeter though still essentially a bitter wood. The wood mix shifts a little as the sandalwood comes out a little more, and if it was cypress dominant before, it’s now willow or vica versa. Meanwhile, the thing I suspect of being rue moves in front of the thing I’m pretty sure is wormwood, but it could be the opposite. It’s pretty, but I wish there were more throw.

THE THIRST OF UNBEARABLE THINGS 2013 (LE, Lupercalia, Our Lady of Pain, BPTP, Illuminations): (Company says: Lavender, white fig, and Atlas cedar.)

Unburned: Lavender! Lot’s of glorious lavender with fig for sweetness and cedar for backbone. It’s beautifully designed, perfectly blended. Burned: Perfection! Each of the elements separates more as it burns while still playing together beautifully. It’s still lavender dominant, woth a simpliar balance as it had unburned. The heat is only making it richer and better defined. I’m utterly happy with this and with it were general catalog.




Winners: Thirst of Unbearable Things
Runners UP: Raspberry Thumbprint cookie