Le Canotier
Rogue Perfumery (2018)

I am reminded of the Tobacco presentation in a sample of Vintage Tabarome certainly, however this scent has been composed to highlight the layered notes of Citrus Bitter, Sweet and Acid in opening. Folded in is the Floral heart of a beautiful feathery Jasmine and light Tobacco. It is hard not to be Wowed by depth of the Bitter Moss counterpointing the Sweet Air of the Ambergris.
The Tinkle of Candied Violet provides the Mounting to what I view as, Crowns to this Succulent Feast.

The scent fades into a melange highlighting some of the most elegant notes of Vetiver.

Lovely orchestration.

I get an opening of (1970s) floral gums, the really tiny perfumed kind, citrus and violet, slightly soapy, geranium, artemisia/tansy. I don't get the vetiver, but there is a green tobacco. The violet note lasts throughout.

I really like this.

I've worn Le Canotier on three consecutive days (sample now ended) as I wasn't sure I was getting the full picture. Day 3 confirmed this - let me explain.

On the first two days of wearing, I was getting some citrus and violet but not a lot else. Nice quality, but that's it. On day two, a hint of some dry woods, perhaps guaiac or even oud. Today, though, I at last perceived the vetiver and I think the concept became clear. First, though, I'm at a loss to explain the different experiences on these three days. Perhaps some of the heavier notes needed time to settle after decanting? Plausible, I think, but I've never had this before.

So from reviewing the Day 3 version, by far the best rendition, it's a vetiver with pleasant additions, very much as Jack describes. On this basis, it puts me in mind of my favourite Root of all Goodness, by Parterre, but LC, good as it is, is not going to displace that any time soon. And I have to say, for a scent that lists ambergris, moss, and tobacco, they're extremely subtle if there at all. I do wish I had a large bottle with a proper atomiser to continue testing, as when the vetiver makes an appearance, it's really very good, but I doubt that will happen in the foreseeable.

Le Canotier opens with a slightly bracing, bitter-green orange bergamot and violet leaf tandem before transitioning to its heart. As the composition enters its early heart, the sharp-green violet leaf recedes but remains, now joining dulled orange in support of an emerging lemon-like woody vetiver that takes the fore. During the late dry-down the composition development stays relatively linear as the vetiver remains the star, only softening slightly as time passes as the violet leaf vacates to reveal an underlying mild, natural smelling tobacco leaf in support through the finish. Projection is outstanding, as is longevity at well over 15 hours on skin.

Le Canotier is somewhat of a departure from most of the Rogue offerings by talented perfumer Manuel Cross. While most of the line focuses on compositions of the past, with many the *distant* past... Le Canotier feels quite modern in style and structure by comparison. I can see how one going into smelling the composition expecting a more classical structure based on the others in the line could walk away surprised and disappointed by the perfume, but this writer finds the sharp, lemony vetiver-centric modern perfume to be quite compelling and intoxicating regardless. The perfumer's deft use of the supporting blonde tobacco to take a bit of the edge off the vetiver as time passes is a particularly interesting and wholly successful choice, with the combination working well when sniffed up close on skin, but even more effective in the sillage. The bottom line is the $110 per 60ml bottle Le Canotier may be a stark departure for perfumer Cross, but in no way an unwelcome one, earning an "excellent" to "outstanding" 4 to 4.5 stars out of 5 rating, and an easy recommendation.

From the top I get a citrus infused vetiver that is also woody with hints of tobacoo, violet and ambergris. You get this interesting blend of notes straight away all blended and intertwined very smoothly. It smells very nice and it also has a good dose of oakmoss with a hint of white florals. It's quite complex and like a vetiver scent that you always wanted to be more interesting. Well here you have it with blended with a lot of agreeable notes.

Jungle, sweet greenery. Not overly bitter citrus. Masculine, to start.
Smoky, more green, as in green tobacco leaves in the early stages of drying.
This fragrance is difficult to describe. It's just straight up, well done!
I later get some earthy, forest green. Also some seaside accord. Clean ocean. No shitty, rotting seaweed smell.
It IS a manly scent. Ladies with open minds could wear this well.

It reminds me of a cologne my father wore in the 1970's.