AKRO
AWAKE
2020
PERFUMER
Olivier Cresp
Coffee
Cardamom
Lemon
Vetiver
Akro launched with a hyper-conceptual line that was quite the surprise coming from a major, big-brand perfumer like Olivier Cresp. It was one of the most interesting sampling experiences, albeit one where the majority of the line was not wearable for me personally. The main exception being Awake, followed by Dark (and I’d say Smoke but only for it’s drydown and the later released Ink).
Awake is a beautiful coffee fragrance. Some years after its release, it still is ne of my absolute favorite coffee scents on the market. You get a roasted, kind of dark coffee here as opposed to the milky, creamy vanillic coffees that you get more often. Instead Awake fits in the lineup of Strangers Parfumerie SM Café and Kerosone Follow. I also appreciate the perhaps even more roasted Atelier des Ors Cocoa Kimiya.
In the opening you get brightness from the cardamom and the citrus, but that doesn’t last too long. In the mid I mostly get a nutty sweetness; like hazelnut and maybe even a hint of chocolate (I believe the aforementioned fragrances are less sweet).
For me this is the perfect balance when I want an actual coffee scent, while being versatile and not too demanding of a wear. A must-try fragrance.