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      GANYMEDE EXTRAIT (2023) • MARC-ANTOINE BARROIS🔺, ScentAdvice

      MARC-ANTOINE BARROIS
      GANYMEDE EXTRAIT

      2023

      PERFUMER
      Quentin Bisch


      Mandarin
      Myrrh
      Incense
      Immortelle
      Akigalawood
      Safraleine

      GANYMEDE EXTRAIT (2023) • MARC-ANTOINE BARROIS🔺, ScentAdvice


      GANYMEDE EXTRAIT (2023) • MARC-ANTOINE BARROIS🔺, ScentAdvice

      Ganymede Extrait was long-rumored (and long-awaited by many including myself). Following up the original Ganymede.

      I absolutely love what Marc-Antoine Barrois and Quentin Bisch have done with the line so far, but Ganymede remained my favorite; making it into my top 10 list for consecutive years. It’s slightly out of my comfort zone, which is why it’s not in my top 3, but I’ve been on record saying that Ganymede arguably is the best release of its decade and I stand by that. That take is as divisive as the fragrance is of course.

      No pressure for the Extrait right? I’m happy to say that in my first wearing, Ganymede Extrait didn’t disappoint me. At the same time, it didn’t feel needed or perhaps even warranted. I essentially get the full Ganymede DNA in the Extrait, but as advertised, it’s spicier. This is a long first impression and the differences I’ll go into are probably exaggerated, as I think the overall scent is quite similar.

      The curry-like spiciness from the immortelle feels doubled, making it sharper. The scent doesn’t differentiate all that much, but the spiciness is more pronounced. I get a bit more sweetness sooner with the Extrait and it also feels just a tad fruitier.

      I always said that B683 Extrait leaned a bit towards Ganymede for me in the first hour and Ganymede Extrait definitely has a similar tinge at first, although not quite as relentless and abrasive as B683 Extrait. The harsher spice and fruitiness remind me of the oud-apple combination in B683 Extrait.

      Or perhaps, the sweetness and fruitiness stand out more, as one difference for me is the toned down mineral quality. In Ganymede, I get a lot of mineral, salt water-esque elements, that I don’t get as much in the Extrait. It is still there and a defining feature of its DNA, but this time around it comes across drier and less bright. Whether that’s toned down mineral or boosted immortelle may be a chicken or the egg story.

      This fragrance provides everything that was announced, with the leather coming through more as it dries. I always smelled the leathery tinge in Ganymede, but I think not as much as a lot of other people seem to do. I was worried the Extrait would have a full-on leather scent profile, but here too, it feels very manageable for someone who doesn’t easily fall in love with leather fragrances. Everything combined has a gasoline-leather core, but the other facets are pushing back (and projecting out so strongly), so that it still doesn’t quite register as a leather scent in my head.

      There is a sort of sweet smokiness lingering in the late drydown. It reminds me of coffee steam, which I was very intrigued by. I also have a pure immortelle solid perfume from Les Indemodables and I get a mix of caramel and liquorice from that, so perhaps it’s just the immortelle’s last breath.

      It feels like a traditional concentration-flanker. With the B683 Extrait, it took a while to register as B683 DNA for me, but with Ganymede Extrait, its lineage is clear cut.

      That being said, all those little adjustments combined make for a more serious fragrance in my perception. Ganymede’s DNA is quite eccentric, but the original has a certain levity and playfulness in it that the Extrait lacks. Similarly to B683 Extrait, which I really loved at first, but ended up selling, because I felt it was too demanding of a wear.

      People who enjoy Ganymede will likely appreciate this fragrance, but which version you prefer is all up to personal taste. I definitely prefer the Ganymede EDP over the Extrait and I don’t think I’ll ever feel the need to own both; I’ll stick with the original.


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