MAISON TAHITE
VELVET COFFEE

2022

PERFUMER
Delphine Lebeau

Cardamom
Cocoa absolute

Benzoin
Cedarwood
Coffee
Orris
Carrot

Sandalwood
Oakmoss Absolute
Leatherwood
Patchouli
Vetiver
Vanilla
Ambroxan

From the opening with Velvet Coffee I was a bit surprised at the naming. When I think velvet, I think smooth, but Velvet Coffee opens as a spicier take, perhaps even a tad smoky. As with all the scents in this line, it seems to transition quickly though and it does become quite smooth.

In particular the cardamom stands out initially. It has a nice coffee scent, but it’s slightly greener and woodier with the notes like cardamom, vetiver, oakmoss and cedar.

The carrot and iris give a slight tinge at first and start coming through heavily later in the wear, while the coffee scent almost entirely disappears to me. The mid of the wear smells a bit like a carrot cake to me.

It’s an interesting take on coffee (if I would even call it that), but there is something in the composition that I don’t love. I’m not sure how to describe it, but there’s a tinge to the milky carrot cake that doesn’t sit fully right with me; like it’s a sweetened condensed milk (I ended up having a similar effect with Masque Milano Lost Alice).