Coffee or Tea

Are you a coffee or tea drinker? I drink both, and I love them in fragrances. In today’s blog post I’ll take you through a few of my favourite fragrances that feature coffee and tea notes. I’ve tried to include a mix of designer and niche, so there’s something here for everybody.

These are in no particular order; I’ll start with coffee.

Penhaligon’s, Endymion – This 2003 release from Penhaligon’s features a prominent note of lavender, but it’s backed up with a good dose of coffee. A great balance between fresh, spicy and sweet notes. Old school barbershop, meets modern day cafe. A great all year-round coffee scent.

Armani Attitude – Armani discontinued this gem some time ago. It can still be found though. I think it’s one of Armani’s best, at least in the regular men’s lineup. It was created by an all star team of Annick Menardo, Alberto Morillas and Olivier Cresp. Lemon, patchouli, coffee, lavender and cardamom come together so well in this composition. A warming fragrance, perfect for cooler days. If you can’t find this go with Polo Double Black.

Mugler, Hot Cologne – I could have included Pure Coffee from the A*Men line but decided to go with Hot Cologne from the Les Exceptions. I love the inclusion of the coffee note mixed in with the fresher citrus notes. A wonderfully inventive release from the house of Mugler.

Killian, Intoxicated – I’m not the biggest Killian fan, but I love the interplay between the cooling cardamom, spicy cinnamon and coffee in Intoxicated. Linear, sweet, and maybe a little overpriced, but an excellent niche upgrade for fans of Mugler A*Men.

Atelier Cologne Cafe Tuberosa – I’m not the biggest fan of tuberose, but in this Atelier Cologne release from 2017, the coffee and cacao dominate, with tuberose playing more of a supporting role. Beautifully balanced, and great for a man or woman.

There’s plenty of great calming tea scents out there also, here’s a few of my favourites.

L’Artisan Parfumeur – Tea for Two – As with most L’Artisan Parfumeur fragrances the magic happens in the dry down, and in the case of Tea for Two when the sweet notes come into play. Spices, tobacco, Lapsang tea, gingerbread, cinnamon, honey and vanilla combine to provide an irresistible brew that never fails to impress over its 6-8 hour course. Smokier, denser and longer lasting than Gucci Pour Homme II.

Gucci Pour Homme II – George Costanza’s father could probably have used a spritz or two of Gucci Pour Homme II, when he was searching for his “Serenity Now” during the late 90’s Seinfeld episode. Sadly, for Frank Costanza, this tea and cinnamon gem came out a good decade later. Introspective and meditative, a better designer tea offering I have not found. I think it is now discontinued, here’s hoping Frank was able to snap up a bottle before it was too late.

Bvlgari Eau Parfumee au the blanc – White, clean, laundry fresh linen, with tea. Transparent, cosy musk, and just a perfect option for a warm day. This whole line is great, but I can’t go past this gem from Jacques Cavallier. If you like your tea darker go with the Eau Noir from this series.

James Heeley Menthe Fraiche – Watery green spearmint that eventually dies out and leaves behind a beautiful peppery freesia and green tea aroma. After 20-30 minutes the tea really starts to dominate. Menthe Fraiche is just made for summertime.

Jovoy Paris Remember Me – A milky, vanilla, tea with ginger and cardamom. Quite unique and long-lasting. Warm, spicy and sweet. A beautiful chai tea perfume that’s sure to please lovers of gourmand scents.

What are your favourite coffee and tea scents?

Note: Bottle images courtesy of fragrantica and basenotes. Coffee image courtesy of Zachary Cohen, unsplash.com. Tea image courtesy of Laverna Journey, unsplash.com.