Before I get into my impressions of Akro’s latest tea scent, Infuse, I’ll give my quick opinion of their East. East, previously a Harrods exclusive, now has worldwide distribution and mixes Tom Ford-style raspberry-tinged leather with faux Arabian oud. It’s a cover version of a carbon copy of a duplicate of a recurrent theme we’ve smelled a million times before. Sadly, this stuff seems to do well, so I imagine the iconic department store’s halls reek of this type of clichéd tripe. Skip it!
Infuse impressed me more—and certainly more than their previous two what I would call “radio-friendly” releases, Bake and Rise. Every brand needs pop hits, and I can see why everyone loved singing along to Bake’s easy-to-digest, albeit high-pitched lemon/vanilla chorus line. But with the tea-inspired Infuse, Akro gives us something a little more on the alternative side.
I like it when Akro pushes the envelope with their perfumes, à la Ink. For mine, though, they might have pushed the boundaries further with Infuse. In the opening, I get a substantial fruity blast of osmanthus. It smells more of apricot than it does of leather. There’s a concentrated thickness to the fruit at first, but it never gets syrupy sweet. The osmanthus stays floral and fruity and lingers throughout the whole wear. However, much to my chagrin, I never noticed any leathery characteristics that osmanthus sometimes exhibits.
Infuse revolves around two types of tea: maté and oolong. The contrast between the bitter herbal maté and the softer oolong brew is compelling and perhaps divisive. The oolong smells more to the fore, but I like the bitter astringent dimension that Cresp introduces with the tea accord. Gradually, Infuse becomes woodier, drier, and herbal. Vetiver, guaiac, and a nicely judged dose of Ambroxan cloak Infuse in a leafy brown autumnal blanket.
The woody, herbal backbone and dry-down of Infuse set it apart from citrus-style tea scents such as Wulong Cha and milky vanilla gourmand teas like Tea for Two and Remember Me. Furthermore, its bitterness distinguishes it from osmanthus/apricot perfumes, such as the watery Osmanthe Yunnan from Hermès and the powdery suede of Daim Blond from Serge Lutens.
Still, there are aspects of Infuse that I would change. I wanted the smoky and leathery elements to roar with more intensity. Arguably, though, Cresp has shown astute restraint here. Indeed, by nature, tea and osmanthus scents should never be loud and in your face. A more heavy-handed approach might have seen a more unbalanced affair. Perhaps it’s best to leave the guitar smashing to the likes of the tattoo-inspired Ink.
Infuse feels like a middle-ground type of perfume for the brand, a commercial compromise between Bake’s pop sensibilities and the darker harshness of Ink. It’s a very good floral tea scent, and it’s well worth trying. Yet, Gucci Pour Homme II remains my favorite tea scent, and Ink is still my pick from Akro. However, I could see Infuse working for some, even if it isn’t quite my cup of tea (pun intended). One thumb up.
Have you sampled Infuse? Do you have a favourite Akro?
Note: All images other than the image of Infuse (Akro) are my own. My impressions of East and Infuse are based on decants I purchased.