WOHA PARFUMS
CALAHORRA
2023
green mandarin
allspice
papyrus
katafray
thyme
hamamelis
sugar cane
rosewood
guggul
patchouli
copaiba balsam
tsuga
estoraque
ho wood
‘Extrait de Parfum, 39% concentration (…) Calahorra, the first fragrance in the Liquid Architecture collection, is inspired by the ‘Cafeteria inside a vertical garden’ project at the Calahorra Tower in Elche. Each of the fragrances in the collection is based on architectural projects and not only seeks to translate architecture into the sense of smell, but also integrates architectural concepts into the design of the bottle, exploring aesthetics, composition, materiality, balance and the creative process. Of the 300 units of this first edition, some have a special piece in the cap that incorporates glass powder obtained from crushed glass bottles.’ – Woha Parfums (translated)
Calahorra is an interesting take on… I don’t know, what exactly? One of the more intriguing combinations I’ve sampled in a while. There’s 2 facets that come to life on my skin and they shouldn’t work together, but they do.
Calahorra is green in the opening minutes. A garden, including soil, but with a tomato leaf and basil-type of green sweetness as prominent vibe that comes to me.
After a while, it grows spicy. Savoury; it feels as if I could season meat with this. Actually, becomes warm and unique and when it loses the green touch from the opening, I’m surprised how much I enjoyed it. It feels slightly smoky, woody, earthy… like an old shed in the forest, but with a distinct toasted spiciness. All of a sudden, it hit me: I know what this reminds me of. A dutch breakfast item called ontbijtkoek of peperkoek, which is a type of gingerbread, which can feature cinnamon, nutmeg, clove etc.
What I can’t place and I’m not sure where in the note breakdown this comes into play, is the fruitiness. There’s a growing, ripe, fruit juice, like roasted pineapple that starts to blend in. Perhaps overripe and sweetened orange syrup. Somehow it doesn’t clash with the woody spiciness.
Hard to describe and I could see many different opinions or perceptions from it. Either way, it’s worth a try and I was surprised that I enjoyed it overall.