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