Les Eaux Primordiales
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
That apple-honey-sesame triumvirate hits immediately, reading as roasted and almost nutty—imagine baked apples glazed with honey and scattered with toasted sesame seeds, then given a liberal shake of cinnamon that borders on Hot Cross Bun intensity. The bergamot flickers in and out, providing momentary relief from the sweetness without ever fully taming it.
The fir balsam emerges as the star here, wrapping around a peppery cardamom-rose duet that transforms the composition from gourmand into something more resinous and contemplative. The sweetness recedes slightly but never disappears, instead becoming integrated into a balsamic framework that smells like church incense mixed with Turkish delight.
Rum-soaked tobacco leaves meld with vanilla and benzoin into a skin-clinging amber that's warm, slightly boozy, and thoroughly addictive. The amber accord finally reveals itself fully, sweetened by vanilla but grounded by tobacco's earthy bitterness—superfluide indeed, as it seems to shimmer and shift between gourmand indulgence and resinous sophistication with each inhale.
Ambre Superfluide reads like a medieval manuscript dipped in spiced honey and left to cure in a cedar-lined cabinet. Arnaud Poulain has crafted something that hovers between patisserie and incense burner, opening with an arresting apple-and-sesame accord that's roasted rather than fresh—think caramelised fruit drizzled with tahini and dusted with cinnamon bark. This isn't your typical amber composition; there's an almost savoury quality to the opening that keeps it from tipping into sugar-coma territory, whilst the bergamot cuts through with just enough brightness to prevent the whole thing from collapsing under its own opulence.
The heart reveals Poulain's real sleight of hand: fir balsam threading through rose and cardamom creates an effect that's simultaneously High Church and souk spice vendor. It's resinous without being heavy, gourmand without being edible. By the time the rum-soaked base emerges—tobacco leaves steeped in vanilla-laced benzoin—you're firmly in the territory of liquid amber that somehow maintains fluidity rather than becoming treacly.
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4.0/5 (91)