WHAT I SMELL: PHI goes on with a rather flattened apricot with tinges of cinnamon and almond. It’s kind of a muted sweetness in that when you smell it, it seems layered with the cinnamon hovering on top. At this point, I’m thinking PHI is nice (nice = just OK), rather personal and relatively close to the skin, and more apricot than rose which I think is a bit strange. Then at about the 10 to 15 minute mark, the rose begins to bloom. And bloom it does. It’s like the rose suddenly opens its petals and unleashes its glorious fragrance. I don’t think I have ever experienced a rose fragrance that literally unfolds on my skin that way PHI does and I love it. The rose is rounded and deep, and to me more masculine than feminine and rather gourmand. But wait, we’re not done yet, after some more time, the rose becomes creamy. Still further, PHI reveals its patchouli, making the fragrance a bit sweeter and more heady as its mixed with vanilla and amber gris. Hours later, add in some tonka for a bit of a growl that helps to take the edge off of the sweetness. In the end PHI ends up big, but not loud. This rose is no wallflower, but she’s demure enough to be a bit coy.
From Tauer Perfumes:
HEAD NOTES: Phi starts with a rich fruity line of apricot. An all natural apricot extract with its surprising richness enchants and blends into a cinnamon line and hints of bitter almond, softened by bergamot essential oil.
HEART NOTES: These spices lead over to voluptuous roses in the fragrance heart: Extremely rare rose essential oil with its unique scent of spices, plums and flower petals blends into rose absolute from Bulgaria and hints of Bourbon geranium. The rose petals melt on the skin into a dark tobacco fond, built around an amazing absolute of dried tobacco leaves.
BODY NOTES: The animalic, leathery and woody tobacco opens the ground for a generously dosed layer of patchouli in the base of Phi. Here, woody and gourmand notes melt into hints of animalic lines. Vetiver, vanilla and tonka add richness and brilliance. A generous dose of exclusive musk and amber gris round the body of the fragrance and encircle the roses.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A rose inside a box. As soon as you open the box, the beautiful aroma of the rose is unleashed as a wonderful fragrant present.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE PHI – UNE ROSE DE KANDAHAR: complex, rich, journeyed
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT PHI – UNE ROSE DE KANDAHAR: I Scent You a Day
BOTTOM LINE: PHI is one of Tauer Perfumes “Collectible” perfumes which means that product availability is tied specifically to access to the raw materials and as such, PHI is not guaranteed to be available at all times. And note that at present, PHI can only be purchased exclusively from the Tauer Perfumes website. So, if you want to experience this blooming rose, you may only have a limited time to do so. Pre-orders are currently being taken for shipment sometime in mid-November. That’s perfect timing for making this a Christmas rose!
- Bone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 possible bones
- Scent: Floral
- Nose: Andy Tauer
- Classification: Unisex
- Expense: $141 for 50ml EdP, exclusively available from the Tauer Perfumes website
The Scented Hound 
November 9, 2013 at 10:22 am
Hi Hound, enjoyed your review of this one. I was lucky enough to get a sample of it with a Tauer order last month, and I seemed to detect faint wisps of smoke along with the rose. I emailed the company asking about it, and they were kind enough to respond and let me know that it was probably tobacco absolute that I was perceiving as faintly smoky. I really enjoy the effect.
LikeLike
November 9, 2013 at 2:17 pm
FJ – I completely missed the smoke. But sometimes body chemistry, weather, etc. can make a difference. I’ll look for it next time I wear it though cause that effect does sound lovely. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
November 9, 2013 at 5:58 pm
Hello Houndy, you made this sound so appealing I thought this would get at least a 4 bone rating, but no matter…I will try to seek out a sample. Great review!
LikeLike
November 10, 2013 at 5:31 pm
Hajusuuri – Ahhhh, such a keen eye. I was waffling back and forth on this. I really love some aspects of the fragrance, like the blossoming and wish the middle notes hung on until the end. In the end, I really liked it, but something just held me back a bit. I am really looking forward to see what other have to say about this. It is different, and I love that fact that it does take you on a bit of a ride.
LikeLike
November 9, 2013 at 9:53 pm
Christmas Rose – very nice. A rose in a box – a very nice gift.
LikeLike
November 10, 2013 at 5:31 pm
Jordan – have you had a chance to try this yet? I would love to know your impressions.
LikeLike
November 10, 2013 at 2:21 pm
Ooh, between your and Samantha’s review, I am getting more and more interested in this one – particularly as I am a recent (surprise) convert to a couple more scents from this line. Samantha mentioned a certain prickliness which is always a worry for me in Tauer scents, but I love the way you describe the development of the rose note.
LikeLike
November 10, 2013 at 5:33 pm
Vanessa – the blooming aspect was my favorite part. Tauer perfumes can either be a love for me or something that just doesn’t work at all. In the end, this is really interesting and progressive, but I’m not sure if I would wear it all that often. But I do like the fact that it’s more of a masculine rose.
LikeLike
Pingback: Tauer Perfumes PHI Une Rose de Kandahar | Kafkaesque
Pingback: Andy Tauer Explorer Sets | The Fragrant Man
November 11, 2013 at 7:57 am
How can you not love a fruity rose from Andy? I think I will fall in love from the first sniff…
Though you had your reasons, I still do not get it why it doesn’t work for you?
LikeLike
November 11, 2013 at 8:28 am
Lyubov – I really like this fragrance, but am not in love with it. If the perfume would have stayed in the middle stages, I probably would love it more than I do. Sometime with Tauers I feel that the fragrances are like genetically engineered and don’t feel quite natural (I know that most fragrances are like that) which for me really works with my beloved Noontide Petals. Sometimes putting a reason on why you don’t LOVE something can be hard to put your finger on. I hope you do love this and please let me know what you think when you do give it a whirl. Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
November 12, 2013 at 4:14 am
Thanks for the explanation! Now I think I got your point. I have hard times with some artificial notes except for the muscs. Some are like fresh paint or the entrance of a chemical plant, and that is when my nose refuses to work properly. Loving is sometimes too easy for me, especially when it comes to roses – I’m a sucker for roses, I must confess…:)
LikeLike
November 12, 2013 at 12:24 pm
I’m a sucker for roses as well. But there are so many of them out there that i have to really love it. The closest I have come to really loving one as of late was Cinabre by Maria Candida Gentile. It’s so different from anything else that’s out there and it’s a wild ride of a fragrance too.
LikeLike
Pingback: PHI- Une Rose de Kandahar by Andy Tauer : Scentsate Perfume ReviewsScentsate
Pingback: Tauer PHI Une Rose de Kandahar EDP Perfume Review | EauMG
Pingback: Tauer Perfumes PHI Une Rose de Kandahar - Kafkaesque