Mini Reviews – Xerjoff

Here are some bite-sized mini-reviews of a selection of scents from the Italian niche house, Xerjoff.

Xerjoff Uden – Hello Chanel, is that you? 5/10

Xerjoff Uden released in 2009, about a year after Chanel Allure Homme Edition Blanche. The similarities are uncanny, vibrant citruses over a creamy, vanilla gourmand base. There is rum in Uden, but I have a hard time picking it up. The base does have a roasted coffee accord to add a touch of interest. However, it’s hardly the sort of stuff I’ll be shelling out the big bucks for when the Chanel is a vastly more affordable and superior option. As with most of the Xerjoff scents I’ve tried, this one lasts forever (10 plus hours) and projects with moderate intensity for the first couple of hours.

Xerjoff JTC 40 Knots – Sailing the seven seas in unusual fashion 7/10

40 knots is an atypical take on the aquatic genre. There is an underlying feel of salt and seawater, but it remains in the background. Cedar and other woody notes dominate the scent. An amber accord runs alongside the woody notes. This woody-amber combo, much to my chagrin, seems to be the go-to favourite of modern perfumery. Fortunately, it’s well-judged in 40 Knots, and the whole comes together to give the fragrance a polished wooden furniture/floor feel, or perhaps even the wooden deck of a seasoned ship. It reminds me of Ambre Nuit from Dior without the rose note. I enjoy superior longevity from 40 Knots, consistently 8-10 hours for a summer scent, which is pretty good. It’s well worth checking out.

Xerjoff Cruz del Sur II – A mango milkshake gone wrong 3/10

I had high hopes for this one. The reviews were glowing. The notes were interesting, mango, milk, guava, dried fruit, apple blossom. It just didn’t work on my skin. It made me nauseous. The milk turns sour and sticky, and the fruits become cloying. It’s all yours for the bargain-basement price of 400 Australian Dollars. Yikes.

Xerjoff Dolce Amalfi – Quince, vanilla, bubble-gum deliciousness 8/10

Quince is not a note you come across often in perfumery, or at least I haven’t. I enjoy it in a couple of scents, Mark Buxton’s Dreaming With Ghosts is a particular favourite. The quince in Dolce Amalfi, is joined by cloves, apple, cardamom, and vanilla. It has an almost bubble-gum sweetness to it at first, but becomes more complex as vanilla, balsamic tolu balsam, cloves and a touch of smoke from incense come through in the mid and base. The sweet, vanillic base works better with the spicier/citrus notes in Dolce Amalfi than in Uden. It begins to evoke baked apple pie and Christmas while still retaining a summer freshness. A warm-weather gourmand that lasts for 10 hours with excellent projection, the amalgam of notes capturing the essence of the Amalfi Coast. Excellent work. I also love that this line comes in the smaller 30ml size, a godsend for those with an extensive collection.

Have you tried any of these Xerjoff? Which is your favourite by the brand?

Note: Bottle images courtesy of Google.