NASOMATTO
BARAONDA
2016
PERFUMER
Alessandro Gualtieri
Whiskey
Woody Notes
Ambrette
Rose
Ambroxan
Musk
This review was amended in 2024, after owning Baraonda for 2-3 years. It still holds up.
Baraonda is one of those fragrances that everyone that’s into (niche) fragrances gets introduced to at some point, usually sooner rather than later. Does it live up to the hype? Well, I’ve bought it, and am reporting on it again a few years later with the same enthusiasm… so yes, it deserves the acclaim in my opinion.
Baraonda feels very boozy, but not intoxicating, if that makes any sense. I get the smell of it, but it’s never to the extent that it can get nauseating, like it does with some of those fragrances (I think especially creamier ones). Mostly however, Baraonda is a sweet and woody scent. It smells like the barrel it aged in, more so than its contents.
The opening has a fruity tinge. To my nose there’s a dried fruit vibe, although not listed in the note breakdown specifically.
Ambrette (arguably the fragrance’s main theme) gives a warm musky vibe, which I think could also give off that fruitiness. Some wafts remind me of carrot seed, while others go more gourmand, with tinges of chocolate or burnt sugar. Basically caramelized or honeyed throughout.
It’s not a dense or thick fragrance, but it feels like it has some airiness to it, despite the scent being so sweet and at times a tad heavy. I don’t think it smells like any typical ambroxan, moleculair type of fragrances, but you can clearly feel those textures and that type of performance in Baraonda.
Performance-wise this does really well on my skin, both in longevity and projection, although Unique’e Luxury’s (very) similar Kutay outperforms it. That being said, I ended up selling Kutay and keeping Baraonda, as I slightly prefer the wearing experience (and presentation); having both is definitely redundant in my opinion.
Compared to many of Gualtieri’s other creations for Nasomatto or Orto Parisi that I’ve smelled, Baroanda is more mass appealing, without being generic. A staple, that’s absolutely deserving of its reputation.
