FRAGRANCE | Black Beard Extrait Parfum by Calaj: A stunning fusion of classic and edgy
Ahoy, pirates!
Black Beard is one of my first two bottles from
Calaj Limited Editions, a new Romanian niche house that just launched
in 2020. As one can glean from their name, their model is centered on
producing limited edition fragrances—a maximum of 100 bottles each,
according to their website. Their initial release saw four frags, all of
which are in extrait parfum concentration and created by perfumer and
Fragrantica editor Miguel Matos. They come in standard, slim,
squarish, 50ml bottles encased in burlap pouches and all boxed up with strips
of dried straw. It's a cute and charming presentation, I must say.
While both the name and label obviously hint at pirates, the brand says it
isn't an ode to those swashbucklers. Rather, it's a scent that supposedly
captures the virility that they represent. Black Beard is indeed a masculine
fragrance but who's to stop a lady from enjoying it for herself? My wife
actually beat me to wearing it first.
At face, the opening features a deliciously sweet citrus but a closer
inspection yields a discovery of other complex nuances working together to
enhance and add depth to the scent. I pick up some spiciness, which is
neither sharp nor strong, just enough to add flavor to the scent. A slew of
florals pop up shortly, with lavender being the most pronounced,
complementing the sweetened freshness perfectly.
Sticker label carelessly slapped on the rustic-looking box, as probably any pirate would do.
The unassuming box holds a treasure untold.
Tobacco is also there, starting out rather shyly in the background before
slowly building the confidence to come to the fore. It's deep, a little
dark, and carries a hint of smokiness. Its interaction with the sweetness
results in an accord that calls to mind
Cuir Cuba Intense by Parfums de Nicolaï, which I love. But where Cuir Cuba Intense's profile is generally light,
Black Beard carries a bit more weight. Later, as the citrus and florals fade, oakmoss rises, which, together
with the swirling sweetness and tobacco, produces a scent that reminds me of
Maxim's pour Homme, only a few shades lighter.
With the standard citrus, lavender, and oakmoss present, Black Beard
arguably follows a fougère structure but is given an interesting and
beautiful spin by Matos. The drydown also introduces musk into the mix,
giving the scent a mild and sweaty animalic touch. No need to worry, though,
because it's not much and it doesn't throw the scent off course. Instead, it works harmoniously with the prevalent sweet and mossy tobacco, and they carry on for hours on end.
For me, Calaj Black Beard is a really good buy. I love its complexity and how the scent develops on my skin. I find the composition very rounded and with no sharp edges at all. With its fusion of classic and edgy, not to mention just the right amount of heft, the fragrance is practically wearable in any setting. And in case you're wondering, yes, it does perform—and quite unabashedly so. After all, a timid pirate is highly unlikely, even if he behaves like a gentleman. Or an edgy gentleman.
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