Castaña
Cloon Keen Atelier (2011)

It’s a fragrance I’ve liked sometimes, but was too ‘nutty’ other times. I’m not really a fan of nut notes in fragrances.
But today, in December, I wore it as a light all-over spray, and it magically lost the nut component and is beautiful. Only the warmth of the chestnut is there, not the aroma. The Jasmine/Cassie heart is quite lilting mingled with the vetiver, tonka, cardamom and pepper, and Castana works so well in winter months. I can finally write a review that is other than completely ambivalent.
So what made a difference for me was application. When I dabbed it on pulse points with my sample, the nutty component came out, but when I lightly sprayed over my hair and clothes, it did not.

I've been trying for over a year to get a decant or sample of Castaña after getting a whiff of it in a swap with another Basenoter. It's only carried by one retailer in the U.S. as of this writing, and samples aren't available. I finally found it offered by a splitter, and I bought 15mls. It is heartbreakingly gorgeous, all cardamom, vetiver, and hazelnuts (to me, anyway, though it's supposed to be chestnuts). The smell was downright celestial, I could have just wrapped myself up in it forever. But after two full wearings, the longest it lasted on me was about an hour and a half. And I'm just not going to spend $185 for a bottle of perfume that claims to be an EDP but only has that kind of duration. I'd consider that insufficient even if it was an eau de cologne.

It deserves all kinds of accolades for the beauty of its composition, but gets reduced to a neutral rating for its pathetic longevity.

I do wonder, however, whether something in it might cause me to go anosmic to it quickly, given that other reviewers find its lifespan acceptable, and the fact that even when sprayed on fabric it disappears so rapidly for me.

This is a smooth, rounded, nutty fougere with hints of pepper, milky coffee & lots of tonka. In the heart it becomes more of a powdery oriental, putting me in mind of perfumes like Miller Harris's Fleur Oriental. It makes its comforting presence felt without projecting too loudly, & works nicely on an autumn day. Three hours in I detect a little vetiver, then a "doughy" accord of ambergris/oakmoss, & later on a touch of smoke. It all fades out around ten hours in.
If I have any complaint here, it's just that I wish the chestnut note was much more obvious, but otherwise this is a very likeable scent, & easily unisex.

Very nice!!

This is on the edge of gourmand without being full blow.

I get creamy chestnut, coffee & vanilla. Its all quite subtle and done in a sophisticated way.

7/10

Creamy - almost gourmand opening, like Bois Farine. There is tonka everywhere. Lush finish of vetiver, tonka and woods. The floral heart is discreet and works well. Great price point and puts other more expensive fragrances to shame. A lovely wear.

Castaña is a beautiful unisex vetiver fragrance.

Castana has the creamy tonka/vetiver combination I liked in vetiver tonka, but replaces the 'hazelnut syrup' with jasmine & cassie.

To me castana opens with cardamom, bergamot and vetiver, develops into vetiver, cardamon, jasmine (and other beautiful floral notes I cannot identify), tonka and woods for the main part of the fragrance and then fades to tonka and woods.

Try it!