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Muschio di Quercia / Oak Moss fragrance notes
- Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Vetyver acetate
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Latest Reviews of Muschio di Quercia / Oak Moss


Slowly, the sodden smell of tree sap, mulch, and root dries out, ceding some ground (but not all) to an incensey, blond oakwood note, which is probably cedar but reminds me very much of the aromatic woodiness of Chêne (Serge Lutens) minus the booze. It smells more like split logs drying in a shed and woodsmoke than the oozing wetness of living trees.
The oakmoss has a bitter velvety softness that calls to mind the furred green carpets creeping over the roots and trunks of old oaks in some less trodden part of the forest. And while Oakmoss is far from sweet or creamy, the nuttiness of Dubrana's famous Mysore sandalwood gives it a rounded warmth that speaks to comfort. People have called Oakmoss formal; the kind of scent to wear with a business suit. I can see that, especially in its clipped, almost monolithic elegance. However, the attar is earthier, more sepulchral, and darker-green than the EDT, and reminds me a bit of the way Djedi (Guerlain) and Onda (Vero Profumo) make me feel. Worth saving up for.
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Linear. Just keeps on giving. Oakmoss and Vetiver. Slightly medicinal which stops me giving this a 10/10. What a shame. That's the irony. I have just left a terrible review for Aqua di Parma Intensa (read that as almost all of them) and now I am complaining about missing absolute perfection.
Those of you who read my realistic rather than osmophile reviews know I do not give good reviews easily.
A superb signature cologne.
Fragrance: 9/10
Projection: 7.5/10 --Just where you want it. Two sprays easily enough.
Longevity: 8/10 A good 3-4 hours then another 2 as a skin scent.
Small correction to the previous review. This is the Calatrava of fragrances. Amongst Patek Philips this is the 3970P. Its that good.

First, a woody start - tree sap, rather than dry wood chips - with some green citrus. A hint of undergrowth in autumn. Fresh sliced orange, only the sharp side, none of the sweetness, except by association.
It retains this profile throughout, with good longevity and projection, turning woodier after an hour, losing the hesperides, gaining nuttier vetiver aspects, whilst remaining stark and serious.
I think this has become my go-to scent if I need to wear a tie, preferably in temperate climate.
In the same family of woody-vetiver, Persona is warmer and friendlier, like a perpetual calendar, still dressy whilst attracting a bit more of attention to itself. Both are worth owning.

8,5/10


Well crafted with high quality natural ingredients. Totally endorsed.

This one is much warmer, woodier and grassier. And wonderful. As Quarry said it is a walk outside in sun-warmed earth, fields and woods. I love naturalistic fragrances, and this one, with it's warm earth vibe, feels very easy-going and relaxing in the same way an actual walk might.
Other reviews mentioned green, but it has little green ambiance to me. It's more an early spring or autumn walk, more about the other notes of the outdoors. A warm grassy vetiver is the biggest player in this to me, but what brings this alive is the feeling of sunshine warming all the notes, making them mid-tone, even that darkest and densest of wood inhabitants, oak moss. It is a companionable fragrance made more attractive by the fact of it's mostly natural ingredients. It's a linear fragrance, but as is usually said, when you love the note it is, you welcome the fact it doesn't change. Bottle worthy!


I have revised my earlier review.
This is a good scent, with integrity and a faithful rendering of the essential notes. My reservation at this point is that it is rather simple, verging on monolithic.
Essentially this is a very woody scent. The wood is dry and pleasing. The moss adds a bit of dimension to the wood. The dry-down gains in attractiveness with a more rounded wood note, but this is achieved after several hours.
But -- and I'm speaking as a wood lover -- that's about all that I find. My earlier review found more complexity, so perhaps my sample has lost some vital dimension.

