FRAGRANCE | Black Beard Extrait Parfum by Calaj: A stunning fusion of classic and edgy

halfwhiteboy - Calaj Black Beard Extrait Parfum 01  
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.

halfwhiteboy - Calaj Black Beard Extrait Parfum 02
Sticker label carelessly slapped on the rustic-looking box, as probably any pirate would do. 

halfwhiteboy - Calaj Black Beard Extrait Parfum 03
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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