A*Men Pure Malt, Thierry Mugler

I have to be honest here. When I first heard that Thierry Mugler was launching another A*Men flanker called Pure Malt, I was hyper excited. Why? I adore the smell of Horlicks and am one of those who wouldn't mind smelling like milk and cereal. I can definitely bathe myself in 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline and homofuronol and be a happy man. Alas, when I found out there is not going to be any cereal, I was devastated, but only for a moment. I happen to love whisky and the smell of aged oak casks.

Pure Malt starts out sweet and diffusive and reminds me of this Asian malt candy that is mainly maltose. The first time I tried it, I didn't wait for the alcohol to evaporate and what I got was an ethereal sting up my nose. Perhaps this is why many people find the top note very boozy. As it settles, patchouli and coffee becomes very evident. I do enjoy how the cedarwood note performs in this fragrance tucking nicely between patchouli and the sweet notes. I also get a bit of tobacco which is most suitable.

This is not a complicated fragrance at all so don't expect it to change dramatically over time. It will only get softer and earthier and that's when you can find the vetiver. The sillage and tenacity is nothing compared to A*Men which is not a bad thing considering you'd be able to wear this daily without choking anyone in the elevators. It is presented in a black rubber flask with the star in transparent glass and comes in a lovely black and gold box which is, well, very limited edition looking.

Rating: ****