by Kilian Introduces City Exclusives

by: Elena Knezhevich

Omnipresent niche perfume store Scent Bar (luckyscent.com) managed to get some city exclusives which have just been launched in Moscow and New York: Vodka On The Rocks and Apple Brandy. They still have Vodka On The Rocks, so if you do not plan travel to Russia, my advice is to hurry up and call them.

Launching City Exclusives, Kilian copies the Le Labo strategy: all cities where Kilian has his brand's boutiques will get an exclusive perfume to be sold only there. Moscow has received Vodka On The Rocks, and for New York's boutique Apple Brandy was created. We can expect another city exclusive, Limoncello, designed for Lugano (Switzerland). It will be launched in January 2015. Quatar (Doha) and France (Paris) will get their perfumes a little bit later. Kilian shared with us that Doha's perfume is based, unexpectedly, on oud, and Paris is still waiting for its perfect fragrant embodiment. 

Vodka for the Russians was a natural choice. Kilian wished to capture the icy cold nature of the drink of hot character. He likes experimenting and loves to do something that nobody has done in perfumery, as he said to me.

Regarding my question about how he happened to name the perfume with such an unusual way of drinking vodka in Russia (On The Rocks, i.e., with ice), Kilian answered it was his personal favorite way of drinking it. It was actually a good way to express the idea an of icy cold drink, although it is far from the tradition. Russian people drink really cold vodka, at least it is supposed to be so, but never with ice. Vodka, as a natural anti-freeze, will easily melt the ice, which will immediately affect its quality. Ice in a wide glass (you can't put it in a shot glass) is added for contrast with the taste of the beverage. In the case of vodka, it is not intended for slow drinking—it has to be poured "straight down," in a single shot. I am sure that the Russians seeing the name Vodka On The Rocks made exclusively for them might get confused, although it is quite popular outside Russia.

But due to globalization, I would not be so harsh on the name, although it tickles me to advise a member of the Hennessy family how to drink. :-) Once we did so already, I mean the very sexy Fabergé egg perfumes from the same brand, which normally are supposed to be Easter eggs, far from having any sexual appeal.

Back to the fragrances! Vodka On The Rocks carries no surprises when you read the name. It smells exactly as it is named—like a frozen vodka. An imaginary one, of course, because you will never get much of an odor from a real one. The composition is based on the opposition of aldehydes to oakmoss and sandalwood. It is a very diffusive perfume, and I advise you to smell it in the air, not from your wrist. It is very accurate in its delivery of an icy cold, frozen vodka impression. Along with aldehydes there are some cold spices, aromatic notes which smell almost like a gin to me. There is also much soapy cleanness in it. The whole impression of Vodka On The Rocks is very positive. It is a very pure and clean scent, yet you are always tempted to dig up something "wrong" inside it due to the power of its name. I would suggest it for both men and women, to wear it to the office, to the most important business meeting, as a personal joke to assure your self-confidence.

In the case with Apple Brandy no mistakes whatsoever have been made. Kilian knew what he was doing: a perfect cognac scent. "Apple" in the name refers to New York's nickname and there is not much of it in the composition. I feel a great smell of a cognac in it, with some smoky, woody, oaky nuances. Oak is one of starring notes. It is the core smell of the cognac accord, surrounded by sandalwood and some sweet vanilla. It breaks into nuances and diguises of something never used in it but pleasant all the same, like ephemeral smoke, or the immortelle mentioned by Steven Gontarski, with whom I absolutely agree here.

Kilian created these two fragrances with Sidonie Lancesseur who already did several perfumes for him, including Straight to Heaven. I had an impression that customers ofluckyscent voted for Apple Brandy, as it was sold out one hour after the beginning of the event. In my opinion Vodka On The Rocks is also worth your attention. Apple Brandy is great, but already seen—we can count several cognac-inspired fragrances. It was also cold outside and Apple Brandy embraced us all with its warmth. Vodka is a really chilly perfume and quite unique. Its aldehydes might be a good idea for very cold winter days—they would sparkle in the frozen air.

Several bottles are still waiting for their customers!

Photos from the event by Elena Knezhevich