ARGOS
TRIUMPH OF BACCHUS EXTRAIT
2023
saffron
white peach
green apple
rum
patchouli
jasmine
tonka bean
vetiver
amber
tobacco
sandalwood
musk
vanilla
‘Argos TRIUMPH OF BACCHUS is adored by fine fragrance aficionados across the world. By both men and women. This boastful and exotic fragrance opens with Spicy Saffron, Royal Green Apple, and Rhum notes. Confident and refined Tobacco is paired perfectly with Amber and Vanilla, revealing a powerfully seductive and almost sinful aphrodisiac. This is truly a masterfully created and memorable scent. It has superb versatility but really shines in the evening and cooler temperatures. This fragrance commands attention in a triumphant way. It should be worn to impress. This is a prefect scent for occasions where you want to be noticed and now that the cooler months are upon us it is the perfect time for this royal scent.’- Argos
The original Triumph Of Bacchus (2019) has has a tragic fate within my collection. Initially, I was somewhat blown away by it; it’s very distinctive, understandably popular and I really enjoyed it. Fast-forward about 3 years and I gradually fell out of love with it, to the point that I actively didn’t like to smell it anymore. It had become too cloyingly sweet, too loud, too obnoxious. It went from being a notch below my absolute favorite tobacco fragrances, to me selling it and never looking back.
That is of course, until I applied the Extrait for a review. What is left of the original and what has changed…? I think a surprising balance is the result.
For context; this is a relatively new bottle of Triumph of Bacchus Extrait and it hasn’t aged much yet. My ultimately negative experience with Triumph Of Bacchus’ EDP was from an early batch bottle (plastic cap) that had grown sweeter and sweeter for 3-4 years; I’m not familiar with how current, fresh-out-of-the-store bottles wear. That said, the Extrait is clearly less sweet to me. And perhaps more surprisingly, less fruity.
It’s still recognizable as Triumph Of Bacchus, but in its spicy, (less) sweet, tobacco-woody feeling. A typical screechy spiciness, that is helped here with the higher concentration. Imagine the smoother drydown of the EDP versus its harsher opening.
As with the original, it’s a distinct, familiar scent profile, that doesn’t quite read as tobacco to me. It’s sweet, spicy, woody…it’s Triumph Of Bacchus. Yet, this version doesn’t have any wow factor. The more toned down sweetness makes this version a bit more mature and dark, while being in the same family. The bigger change is the fruitiness.
Whereas the EDP opens with a loud, in-your-face blast of sweet apple, I get practically nothing by way of fruitiness in the Extrait. It’s still listed as a note, but I was surprised how little of it I detect here. Again, making the Extrait feel more mature, maybe even somber/sober in comparison.
Given how I ended up disliking the EDP over time, I do prefer this Extrait. But I also find it a surprising direction. I think it has a lot less personality. With the EDP, you could imagine it being a hit release, a star for the brand; the Extrait simply doesn’t have that appeal; it’s not eccentric or unique. Frankly, it smells like you wore Triumph Of Bacchus the day before.
Mind you, this is a solid flanker, but I doubt it will do much for fans of the EDP, nor is it interesting enough to fully stand on its own or create its own hype.
