ALGHABRA
ANCIENT FORTRESS

2019

Green Leaves
Galbanum
Apple
Neroli
Lemon

Leather
Water Notes
Seagrass
Nutmeg
juniper
Clove
White Tobacco

Musk
Amber
Sandalwood
Cedarwood
Oakmoss

Ancient Fortress is a really nice watery, greenish, but clean take on leather, that will smell familiar in the drydown.

In the opening you get a clear green apple for a moment, but quite quickly it loses its acidity. What remains is a green, watery, fresh sensation that reminds me a bit of the after-rain geosmin vibe from Etat Libre D’Orange’s Hermann A Mes Cotes. Alghabra lists green leaves, galbanum, apple, neroli, lemon, water notes, seagrass and juniper, so that should give you an idea for the liquid green tint of the opening.

It’s not a grassy, mossy or frankly, any sort of natural smelling green though, more so a soapy, shampoo green.

That being said, you do get leather straight away. The leather in Ancient Fortress is similar to Tom Ford Tuscan Leather for me. In the opening it’s not that evident, with all the other notes mixed in and the lack of raspberry, however, the leather in the air in the drydown (or on clothes the next morning) was instantly recognizable as Tuscan Leather-esque to my nose.

I like this sort of aquatic take on the leather DNA and it’s definitely suiting me better than many a leather before it. I’ve often mentioned that I like the scent of leather, but that I find it too overpowering to wear regularly as perfume; I still feel that in the drydown here, but the freshness really helps making the first hour(s) more enjoyable to wear for me.