Five O'Clock Au Gingembre 
Serge Lutens (2008)

Five O'Clock Au Gingembre by Serge Lutens (2008) is described by the brand as a tea time scent, based around the smell of candied ginger that sometimes accompanies such daily rituals at the five o'clock hour. As someone with English heritage on my mom's side, and more than a little familiarity with British tea-time (PG Tips, McVittie's, Jammy Dodgers and all), I can totally see what's going on here, although I've never been served candied ginger at any of my late grandmother's tea times. Overall it is implied that this is also a tea scent, and you can smell a bit of the dry coumarin notes that can both represent tobacco or tea depending on how they're handled. For me, this becomes much more about ginger, cinnamon, wood, and tea into the dry-down, and is absolutely delicious. Here we have a gourmand for people who do not like gourmands as they tend to go very sweet in the composition. Yes, there is honey here, but that honey is just for the candied effect of the main starring ingredient, being more of a smoothing agent than something to give it a sugary feel.

The opening of Five O'Clock Au Gingembre gives you that ginger, the cinnamon, and Earl Grey bergamot vibes, brought in by cedar and pepper a few minutes later. There's cacao here, but it isn't on the same order of magnitude as Bornéo 1834 by Serge Lutens (2005), thus meaning Five O'Clock Au Gingembre by Serge Lutens (2008) doesn't feel as much like L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme (2004), which can only be a good thing. As I mentioned in my review for Bornéo 1834, the fact that it comes across so close to the Guerlain makes it feel redundant amongst better options for less. Here with Five O'Clock Au Gingembre, you get something you just cannot find in competing niche or designer fragrances. I've never smelled anything quite like the dry spicy, woody, honeyed ginger over tea combination that is this scent, and it's both captivating, yet also relaxing. Will this satisfy the Lutens fans looking for dark, hedonistic, musky ambers and sensual woods? No, absolutely not. Quite literally, this is a tea-time break from the usual de rigeur Lutens experience. Performance? It's good enough, and you don't want something like this "beastmode" anyway.

As a consequence to that, there isn't much to say about Five O'Clock Au Gingembre outside what has already been said before I even came long to sniff it, although I can definitely see why it is such a favorite among fans of the house, Like with Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens (1993), this is one of the rare Serge Lutens I would consider springing for, since it would fill a niche in my collection that nothing else can, and is a fine example of niche perfume done to truly be just that: niche perfume. All too often "niche" gets perverted into "more expensive options that could otherwise dwell in the mainstream", or "the same tired two or three material showcases" because we all want yet another expensive take on a "blue" mass-appeal fragrance or rose/patchouli/saffron that's been done to utter death. Here with Five O'Clock Au Gingembre, you get something you truly can't get anywhere at any price, and won't smell like anyone else wearing it, plus will be engaged with your fragrance choice beyond the "ah, that smells nice"; and if that isn't the definition of niche perfume, I don't know what is anymore. Thumbs up

In my quest to simplify and reduce the noise, there is something to be said for the comfort of small rituals. Taking a bath, listening to the rustle of the trees, slowly sipping each word of a poem, and a hot cup of tea to warm the soul, with some gingerbread biscuits to dip in the hot brew.

Five O'Clock Au Gingembre is uncomplicated yet unfettered, redolent of Sheldrake woody spice "DNA" (wink wink), candied ginger and cinnamon mingling with the wet, round, somewhat green aroma of tea. It is argued that in lacking in the adventure of, say, creations such as Bapteme de Feu or Santal Majascule, there is no intrigue here. But who said that intrigue was always on the menu? Sometimes, on the contrary, what appears is comfort, a cozy reprieve; maybe a disconnect with something tasty and enveloping is needed.

This is when I have had enough and want a blanket type of fragrance. Hmm, should that be a new category? Top 10 blanket fragrances?? Something to ponder, but not too much, as the time is Five O'Clock Au Gingembre. Sip, sip, ahhhh....

An easy-to-wear "natural ginger soda" sort of scent: honeyed, fizzy, aromatic.

I find it more pleasant than thrilling, but it would make for an undeniably sophisticated office scent.

This promised to be an iffy wear for me, what with the note pyramid and various reviews suggesting a gourmand–not my favorite genre. Fortunately, the candied ginger and honey don't come across so sweet on my skin, and the cocoa reads as unsweetened or bittersweet. JackTwist's review cites an uncredited oud/cedar note as a negative; I got what I thought was oud as a positive, which makes me wonder if some aromachem in the base eventually got reclassified as a synthetic oud. But then, it could be the cocoa/pepper/patchouli combo, and perhaps that's also what reads as cola to other noses.

Regardless, this has turned out to be quite the enjoyable wear, running neck-and-neck with La Couche du Diable for favorite amongst my small selection of Lutens samples

I detect the lemon and ginger others have commented on but for some strange reason (is something strange here or is it just me? oh OK it's just me) I seem to pick up some kind of sweet cherry vibe every so often wafting through the air. I wish this lasted just a little longer and had a bit more presence but for now I must content myself to search for the lost cherry. Planning on buying this one for sure!

Another brilliant Christopher Sheldrake composition, from the halcyon years of SL fragrances. Perfectly evocative of that time in late afternoon during which a quick spot of tea, and a spiced biscuit, are a refreshing pick-me-up. Goes well with a nice slug of whisky, too. Highly recommended for any discerning fragrance aficionado.