Mon Patchouly
Ramon Monegal (2009)

I am sure that the Indonesian patchouli Monegal used here is fabulous - dank, hoary, spirit of the earth, etc. It's just that I can't really smell it for all that syrupy grape Kool-Aid (jasmine + fruity Maltol-soaked amber) slicked over the top. And for once, the oakmoss doesn't perform its saving grace of sucking everything back into the inky, velvety undergrowth (which might have calmed the shrill frooti-tooti honk of the jasmine-amber). Instead it accentuates an unfortunate aftershavey bitterness I associate with men's sporty colognes, which in turn creates the impression, whether founded or not, of the dreaded aquatic. Abhorrent, pretentious niche 'filler' that demonstrates that even raw materials advertized by the company as being 'of special origin' (as if they weren't all bought off the same Givaudan or IFF shelf) - Yugoslavian oakmoss, Indonesian patchouli, Somalian frankincense, Egyptian jasmine, etc. - can turn to shit in the hands of a perfumer who doesn't know when to stop.

Sweet candy flowers.

I dont find it heavy on patchouli. Its sweet and floral. Fruity floral amber, with maybe a smidge of oakmoss. Its a full fat fragrance, but just too sweet. Doesnt smell like poor quality. Its overly potent, so a little goes a long way. Unisex, but not my style. Neutral.

Heady jasmine bomb. Unforgettable. Smells like vintage Stetson

The house of Ramon Monegal is one that divides many among the perfume hobbyist community, as it is a pseudo-artisanal niche outfit carrying the namesake of the perfumer who makes all its creations, but blends naturals with industry-standard aromachemicals in compositions both unique in tone and friendly to casual consumers. Depending on how far along the spectrum of "niche fandom" you go in the perfume community, you'll find an ever-increasing desire to leave synthetics and mass-appeal accords behind, followed by an ever-increasing interest in "perfumes as art" that challenge or at least engage the wearer rather than smell pleasant to any degree for others around them. Herein lies the problem with Ramon Monegal, as he is a former creative director for Myrugia and Antonio Puig trained in the standard way most industry perfumers are, and his creations reflect both this training and predilection towards balancing accessibility with making a statement. Mon Patchouly (2009) demonstrates this perfectly, and thusly gets rave reviews from people not concerned with perfumista bullet points like complexity or nuance, but a baseball bat to the kneecaps from the folks who want a herd of musk deer ground to a pulp in every bottle or to smell like literal cheese. I respect folks of all walks where matters of taste are concerned, but the truth is voices like these tend to be the loudest because people who just plain like a perfume rarely ever have the interest to gather their thoughts on it in a review. Bottom line here is this simply smells amazing as a perfume that presents an accessible accord in a way not usually afforded to scents of its type, but has a suitably less-accessible price to match it.

For starters, Mon Patchouly is from the first series of eau de parfums from the house, with many of them called "Mon" this or that which translates to "My" this or that (with most in the line discontinued), so what we have is Ramon Monegal's own preference on how patchouli is to be presented in perfume. Imagine a perfumer with decades of behind-the-scenes experience both making and directing perfumes giving himself carte blanche budget-wise to do his own thing with the same available catalog of both synthetic captives and available naturals as he had before; that's what is going on here. Mon Patchouly opens with a fruity apple and geranium bourbon note that smells mostly like a swath of various masculine orientals and gourmands from the 90's and early 2000's. If you dug stuff like this, imagine the quality and performance being triple your favorite bottle of something of that ilk and that's how Mon Patchouly pans out. A very indolic jasmine heart note plays around with some olibanum in the heart, but the business end of this loaded gun is patchouli, oakmoss, and amber. The final dry down is pretty much the fruit, indole, patchouli, and amber glowing in semi-linear fashion for hours on end. Sillage and projection can also be a monster with this one so do be careful. Mon Patchouly easily lasts all day and even longer on clothes. I washed my hands then showered and hints of the base remained on my hands into the next day. I recommend winter or romantic evening use only. My only complaint is Mon Patchouly's sprayer under a heavy-hinged cap is rather annoying to use, but the entire house is like this, as everything uses this same bottle.

Fans of scents like Yves Saint Laurent Opium Pour Homme (1995), Rochas Man (1999), Michael for Men by Michael Kors (2001) and Liz Claiborne Spark for Men (2003) should be all over this if they want something in that ballpark but with nuclear performance, higher-quality materials, immaculate blending, and a sultry come-hither tone you just don't get in designers. Mon Patchouly is in effect a "niche version of" perfume so many people online often make forum threads about asking for, that I'm frankly astounded it doesn't get more love for being just what the doctor ordered for folks like this. Perhaps that's tragically the point with both Mon Patchouly and many other perfumes from Ramon Monegal: people "graduating" from designer to niche (like designers are insultingly not considered real perfumes) don't actually want designer tropes taken "to the next level" when they say they do, since after some time exploring more esoteric or luxurious fare, they find something like this as a reminder of their "humble" beginnings when the newest limited Dior flanker was still considered cool. If you want a sexy and slightly-animalic gourmand patchouli fragrance with immortal longevity that will make people want to get closer when used in the right context, and are willing to pay nearly $200USD for 50ml to get it, this is your scent. If you want to smell like a head shop pelted with cow pies, this is not the perfume nor the house for you. Thumbs up.

A favourite winter or evening fragrance. As the other reviews have stated it's not all patchouli. The florals dominate. On my skin, it's not overly complex, the evolution is more subtle that other perfumes I love. It doesn't stop it being a real statement perfume. It never fails to gain compliments.

Essentially a nice patchouli perfume with a slug of those incredibly basic men's designer "grape drink" topnotes on top. Calling it jasmine is generous and potentially misleading: this is a patchouli designed to appeal to fans of mass market men's scents.

That being said, it works. I was REALLY ready to pan this, but somehow the blending is just perfect, and the fruity topnotes combine with the dry, grassy, herbal patchouli in a way that creates a comforting familiarity while also amplifying its complicated undertones. The whole thing dries down to a jammy, musky chocolate that I enjoyed way more than expected.

I usually hate expensive scents that use familiar designer topnotes to dumb themselves down, but this is a rare win - thumbs up!