MIYAZ PERFUME
IRIS CACAO (2022)

2022

Benzoin
Bourbon vanilla
Iris
Amber
Cocoa absolute
Tonka bean
Spicy notes
Sandalwood

Iris Cacao was a Birthday gift last year and it’s become one of my most worn fragrances. I also reviewed the altered Iris Cacao 2023 version (with added vintage Assam oud and civet) and a 2024 version followed, but my Iris Cacao is an older, oud-less batch, in an older bottle style. And it’s quite spectacular.

Straight from the opening Iris Cacao delivers mostly on the second part of its name; chocolate. It’s woody, thick and very sweet. Most wafts it’s gourmand, but there is a slight smokiness and at times the woodiness reminds me of old furniture.

That being said, most of Iris Cacao is sweet, with a strong creamy, almost buttery core of cacao, spices, vanilla and tonka. The spices are subtle and mixed in with the creaminess, creating a dessert-like mixture.

At first, I didn’t get much iris from Iris Cacao. As time went on, I started getting more and more of a buttery thick iris texture, that seems very prominent to me now. I still don’t get any of the iris’ powdery or floral qualities.

This is a thick, slightly dark and smoky gourmand in the same broad direction as Strangers Burning Ben, but leaning a lot more into the sweetness and with a much more liquid texture. It’s one of the coziest fragrances in my collection, giving off a similar vibe as freshly baked cookies and hot chocolate milk on a cold Winter’s evening.