Chocolate: 25 posts

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Ganache is a mixture of chocolate and cream, which is blended until a soft, melting and decadently rich texture is attained. For the newest addition to Guerlain’s L’Art et la Matiere collection, which already includes Angélique Noire, Bois d’Arménie, Rose Barbare, and Cuir Beluga, perfumer Thierry Wasser took the richness of ganache as inspiration for an iris scent. If you are a regular visitor to Bois de Jasmin’s pages, you already know of my fascination with the iris note. I find the scent derived from iris roots quite beguiling—it is half way between flower and root, vegetal matter and mineral dust. Discovering Iris Ganache was quite an interesting experience. It proved that iris, when made overly sweet, can lose its elegant character and assume quite a flamboyant demeanor.

Continue reading →

Bittersweet and lusciously smooth, redolent of roasted nuts and foiled in delicate spicy notes, alluding to late August roses and ripe berries…. The contrasting and intriguing flavors present in a piece of fine chocolate are the reason for its irresistible allure. Those who love chocolate would not be surprised that more than 2000 years ago the Maya Indians not only created the first beverage from the crushed cocoa beans, but also built temples embellished with images of the cocoa pod. Michelle has vividly described the beautiful marriage of olfactory and gustatory pleasures inherent in chocolate. I would like to continue the discussion by offering an overview of perfumes that beautifully explore the idea of chocolate, whether they actually rely on chocolate aroma-materials or create the effect via other notes. I hope that my list will go beyond the usual feminine gourmand offerings and will inspire even those who do not have a particularly strong sweet tooth.…

Continue reading →

by Michelle Krell Kydd

Chocolate is proof that happiness can be bought and there has never been a better time to be a chocolate lover. As the gourmet chocolate market continues to grow, the emphasis on what makes a particular chocolatier’s creations haute vary. For some companies, the focus is on varietals and cacao content, and for others the addition of natural flavor materials is equally important to pedigree and strength. For those who love perfume, some of the most interesting creations available today come from Michel Richart, a chocolatier who incorporates floral fragrance materials in his chocolates…

Continue reading →

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

The contrast between the glitzy ornaments bedecking the Little Mermaid-like flacon and its voluptuous oriental contents is enough to make the newest fragrance from Lolita Lempicka, L, stand out in the crowd of placid summer editions and flankers (which, as I explained to my friend last night, are the perfume versions of movie sequels, and are usually just as disappointing). The burnt sugar and bitter herb redolent immortelle forms the main accord of L, which rests on the plush oriental base of vanilla, coumarin and sandalwood. The immortelle does not make it debut particularly often as the main note, and I can only think of a few fragrances where it unfolds in its sun burnt intensity, namely Annick Goutal Sables, Gobin Daudé Biche Dans L’Absinthe, and Christian Dior Eau Noire. Therefore, it was a surprise to pick up a bottle of Lolita Lempicka L and discover a bittersweet breath of dunes inside it. …

Continue reading →

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

The new Aquolina fragrance Chocolovers is already released for sale. Notes are bergamot, orange, lemon, lily of the valley, coriander, hazelnut, vanilla, malt, musks. The composition explores the gourmand theme of chocolate, just in time for Valentine’s Day. The initial impression of the fragrance is Bacio, an Italian chocolate and hazelnut candy, which is contains a love note under its wrapper—a romantic variant on the Chinese fortune cookie theme. The sweet and nutty creaminess is foiled with the tinge of bittersweet darkness which slowly melts into the rounded oriental base of woods and musk. The chocolate richness underscores the base, attaining a sweet caramelized edge. Chocolovers would appeal to those who love sweet gourmand fragrances; it is a sophisticated and nicely done composition.