DAVIDOFF
Hot Water

2009

PERFUMER
Olivier Polge
Domitille Michalon-Bertier

basil
artemisia

bell pepper
patchouli
pimento

benzoin
styrax

Hot Water always seemed to be a ‘why on earth would I want that?’ flanker title, but how is it?

Well, first of all, it’s not hot, nor even all that warm. It’s more spicy than Cool Water, but it’s very much still a fresh aromatic from the opening. Green, herbal, peppery. A tad sharp and dare I say, still ‘cool’ feeling. I believe my sample is older and I can imagine some of the spices having lost their kick, but I didn’t find this too pronounced. That being said, it is pretty nice.

What perhaps stands out most is the vanillic base. Not super sweet, but a vanilla-fougere base that takes the DNA a bit further away from your average freshie.

The quality is about what you’d expect from a fragrance like this and at its price point. It definitely has a harshness and the watery quality smells a bit off to my nose; a step below what you’d find in Acqua di Gio. Overall, a nice scent profile though.