BALINT
BALCAFE

2020

PERFUMER
Csaba Balint

Bergamot
lemon
Coriander
Immortelle

Date
Bulgarian Rose
Cinnamon
Oud
Coffee
Leather
guaiac wood

Patchouli
Tolu Balsam
Labdanum
Tobacco
Sandalwood
Tonka Bean
Amber
Oakmoss

Balcafé was my favorite upon sampling the Balint line. The opening instantly grabbed my attention. It’s a dense concoction of a vibrant, slightly floral lemonade and a coffee scent lurking beneath it. It has a ton of brightness, with bergamot, lemon and a spiciness with coriander and immortelle. There’s a hint of rose that I’m picking up more and more and there’s cinnamon coming through. The combination creates a rather unusual, but intriguing mix of lemonade, cola and coffee to my nose.

As the brightness fades more, it becomes sweeter and darker. However, for a fragrance that lists coffee, oud, leather, tobacco, patchouli and more, it remains rather uplifting and not overly heavy. It feels more like a dense sparkling scent with a darker base, than a dark fragrance with a fresher opening. I keep saying dense, because it does feel like there’s not a lot of room for the ingredients to breath; it’s not ozonic, but rather liquid and more pop-art, than it is pastel.

The star of Balcafé is the namesake coffee. The note itself is not as pure as an Akro Awake or Kerosene Follow, yet not as light as a Montale Intense Café or Teo Cabanel Café Cabanel. It’s clearly coffee; rich, but also sugary sweet. It creates one of the more unique combinations.

If you’re looking for the perfect coffee-centric scent, Balcafé will have too many distractions for you. But if you’re looking for a fun, unique fragrance with a perceivable coffee note, this one should be on your radar.