Poor, beleaguered patchouli. Once considered luxurious enough to scent Queen Victoria’s linen closets, patchouli now prompts people turn up their noses and mutter “head shop.” Of course, we fragrance lovers are smarter than that, right? We know patchouli’s woody-herbal aroma lends depth to chypres and earthiness to orientals. Sure, patchouli is that extra something that takes a fruity floral from boring to vile (take that, Calvin Klein Euphoria), but it’s also the soul of elegant fragrances such as Serge Lutens Borneo 18341 — and Parfumerie Générale Coze.
Coze, by Pierre Guillaume, launched in 2002 and has notes of canapa sativa seed oil (i.e. cannabis), pepper, pimento, coffee, ebony wood, chocolate and bourbon vanilla pods. If the list of notes brings to mind a Montale Patchouli Leaves café mocha, think again. Coze is as dry as a brown Necco wafer…
