KRIGLER
MANHATTAN ROSE 44
1944
ALDEHYDES
GERANIUM
MUSK
ROSE
VIOLET
‘Uncompromisingly poetic. Tenderly crafted from essences of aldehyde, violet, cyprus, and musk with an initial burst of roses from Grasse and Beacon. Sparklingly luminous, warm, and expressive. Elegant enough for a loved one’s gift.’ – Krigler
Near the end of 2024, Krigler opened a boutique in Paris, located inside the Peninsula hotel (all the Krigler sales points are inside of hotels), which finally gave me a possibility to explore this brand. I tried approximately 15 fragrances in-store and among those, the stand-outs for me were this Manhattan Rose 44 & Established Cognac 66, followed by Lieber Gustav 14 & Villa Bordighera 20, but generally I was really pleased with the first impressions of this collection.
*The Manhattan 44 Rose sample was gifted to me during my visit, of course without the expectation of a review. I think receiving a single sample during a consultation is standard fare, but if you want to consider it #AD/PR (given that a sample retails for €35), here’s your notice for transparency.
The day prior to visiting Krigler, I’d booked a consultation at the Henry Jacques boutique in Paris (which I would highly recommend to any perfume enthousiast) and my favorite discovery there was Snow Rose. A friend of mine who’s a Krigler collector immediately told me to try Manhattan Rose 44, as that is similar in style to Snow Rose; and the two ended up being my favorite finds of my Paris trip.
This is your rose at its most citrussy. Floral yes, but almost more citrussy than rose. However, it is citrus, citronella-style, that I exclusively find as part of a rose composition; it’s different than your average citrus fragrance. Very acidic, tart with nods to white wine or vinegar, a hint of green flower stem or maybe some green tea (reminiscent of vintage tea rose scents) and that soft, pink/red rose petals and rose water tinge.
Avid readers of my reviews (yes, all 3 of you) may have heard me mention this lemon-rose facet as being my favorite thing in perfumery alongside iris a couple of times now. In my collection, I mostly find it in two of my favorites: Frederic Malle Une Rose/Rose Tonnerre and Jazeel Ghala. However, Rose Tonnerre has more earthiness and a slightly darker and richer overall vibe than Manhattan Rose 44 and Jazeel Ghala is an entirely different beast with strong woody and even skanky facets. Manhattan Rose 44 keeps it fresh and delicate. The white musky combination with vibrant rose also recalls the excellent Superfumista Infra Rose, but that has a more fruity start and is a lot more ‘in-your-face’ and youthful overall.
Frankly, I can’t, nor want to, say much more about this fragrance. Does it warm up ever so slightly during the wear? Perhaps ever so slightly, but I don’t get much of a development and whereas that often is a negative; in certain styles of fragrances (fresh citrus or bright florals), I so often wish for the pristine acidic opening to last, rather than becoming a vanilla or ambroxan-bomb and Manhattan Rose 44 doesn’t lose its magic for me. As the citrus fades a bit more, I get more of the petal-like flowers and warmth, like a soft magnolia-esque coming through.
It’s not so delicate that you can’t detect it after a short amount of time; I sprayed it on my hand in-store and that faded rather quickly amidst a heavy-day of perfume sniffing, but I sprayed the sample on my inner-wrist and arm and it seems to have decent longevity. It’s definitely not loud or powerful, but it feels more so oily and watery, than it does airy.
The combination with a steep price point (Manhattan Rose 44’s least expensive option being the EDP in 50ml that retails for €485 in 2025) means that this fragrance is only for true fans and appreciators of this specific style. And I could totally see and understand why to some people this may be a soapy, cleaning-product-esque lemon with florals that they can’t imagine paying top dollar for. It’s not niche due to it being so complex smelling, eccentric or ever-changing and you don’t pay for an extravaganza in style or performance here. It’s niche as a masterclass in a more singular experience and that only makes sense if it truly clicks if it scratches an itch for an enthusiast. For me, that undistracted, focused highlighting of this bright rose facet is exactly and all that I was looking for when I learned of this fragrance. Mind you, that I didn’t buy it, because I currently don’t have Krigler type of money, but I’d strongly consider it if I were on better terms with my bank account.
Sidenote: I wonder if I prefer Henry Jacques’ Snow Rose de HJ, but I’ve only smelled the oil version of that and I’d like to find out if I end up having a preference for one of the two, after trying the spray version of the Henry Jacques; either one would be a wish to add to the collection regardless though.