When a truly deserving scent comes along, it quite frequently raises more than one standard. So it was for me, with Viktor and Rolf Spicebomb.

In fact, Spicebomb set an entirely new standard – First Fragrance To Win Me Over When I Simply Sniffed The Tape Wrapped Around The Sample.

So lets talk about that tape. What would the best smelling Scotch tape on Earth smell like, exactly? Well, the first thing that’s apparent is that it’s spicy. But the second thing that’s apparent is that it’s just spicy enough and not one bit more. This is where you can always smell real, honest-to-G_d, professional perfumery. There is a balance to it – something that takes a lot of care, and care costs money, and takes talent, which costs even more money, and THIS is when you realize that you’re dealing with the pros. My first inclination was to think that this had a level of spicy perfection I had not experienced on first sniff since Ralph Lauren Polo, back in the day.  Well – I wasn’t off by much.  The talent behind SuperTape: The Fragrance wasn’t Polo’s creator, Carlos Benaïm – it was a younger perfumer who fell under his influence at IFF – Olivier Polge.

Now, you will have to excuse me for not recusing myself from judging this scent. Given that Olivier’s list of credits basically reads like the most actively worn and artistically respected parts of my collection, it’s obvious that I love everything he does. Kenzo Power. Burberry The Beat For Men. L’Anonyme. You know. The list goes on. Dior Homme. You know what I’m saying? Let me just thank him right here for Dior Homme. Screw objectivity.

So after a full weekend, swooning over his  Kenzo Homme Eau de Toilette Boisée, I’m not exactly ready to get on his case for anything. Oh, I do have to admit that – being a person who doesn’t really love mint, I get a bit tired of Boisée after two or three days. But you know – damn. That’s actually a different fragrance. The tape….. the tape….   Oh, the tape. It’s much better. I’ll never get tired of the tape.

The tape has other interesting facets. Joe Petrucci (who I now owe big-time for sending me The Tape – as well as a huge sample of Spicebomb under it) was the first to point out the similarity to Chanel Égoïste. I was very, very happy to find that this opinion was TOTALLY on the money. There is a certain spicy/woody/clear/rosy motif in Égoïste that comes from the union of the spicy aspects of sandalwood, and the soft, moist, phenylethanol-rooted aspects of rose. For me, that’s the best part of Égoïste. So – to find a core piece of Égoïste in a current release? To find out that THIS is a significant part of the “spice” in Spicebomb?

O.M.G.

But it gets better.

One of the things I noticed, while sniffing this fragrance – er… I mean The Tape – was the very distinct tobacco aspect. Now, I have to admit that “tobacco” is a pretty loose concept, given that it’s basically perfumed leaves. So saying that one perfume smells like some other perfume – well, that isn’t exactly specific. So I’ll be more specific. Spicebomb smells a bit like some of my father’s old pipe tobacco – now almost 50 years old – only gentler and milder. That pipe tobacco has a very soft, dry, peppery nature – and what I can only describe as a very, very fine texture. And that fine texture?  YES. It’s in here. And with good cause, because it lends the composition a subtle, masculine sophistication that I really love.

So let’s go beyond tape – and beyond paper. Let’s talk about skin.

Skin is where Spicebomb explodes – but brilliantly. Not crudely into this dimension or that dimension, but evenly into a good half-dozen or so. The tobacco, spice, wood and rose facets are joined by a fresh, cool, wet aspect – a sweet, candy-like aspect – as well as something which is a bit reminiscent of the smooth and sexy synthetic facet in Viktor and Rolf’s earlier Antidote. That part of Antidote was the one I always found intriguing. Spicebomb takes that and actually updates it nicely.

Now let’s talk about the candy. You say WHAT!? CANDY!? No, no, no – don’t go running out on me, boys. This is like the candy in Dior Homme Intense. You know what I’m saying? It’s that streak of modern fruity floral feminine that you get in some of the best men’s scents right now. What I find interesting is that it’s – well – it’s rather Flowerbombish. Who would have guessed – right? Bravo for paying a bit of homage to your sister, Spicebomb! I mean, while Polge was doing all this other great stuff, he threw some of that in, too.

Another comparison seems apt – Shalimar Parfum Initial. There is something deeply similar in these, that I find very appealing – a somewhat prim and proper version of fruity floral – and yet, to an even greater degree than Dior Homme, which also comes in close to SPI, this on has some serious macho cred – mostly from the spicy and tobacco notes.

Some people hoped that Spicebomb would be “powerhouse”, but I would say that it’s a more subtle kind of bomb. It’s not the garish blast of a flash-bang – it’s the unstoppable penetration of a smoke bomb. I wore two very controlled half-sprays to work – both under the shirt. In my first meeting of the day, I was damn glad that Spicebomb is no more powerful than it already is, because the smell was EVERYWHERE. And it was a magnificent scent – something like Dior Homme with tobacco instead of iris.

The overall feel of Spicebomb is sophisticated, but not old-school. I love the way that there is a streak of fruity floral running through it, making it very hip, but at the same time, there is some old-fashioned spicy/woody stuff going on, which makes it quite credible as a sophisticated office scent.

Very importantly – Spicebomb says Viktor and Rolf. There is continuity with both the fashion line and the earlier scents, as this scent carries on the now-established house style – something which I would describe as a studied, modern feel, with the tiniest touches of retro and haute couture fetish thrown in – a very distinct presence in the current market of styles.

I tend to love modern fragrances done well, and this one is no exception. However, my passion for Spicebomb goes beyond the fragrance itself.

You see, I just love it when I can smell homage between releases in a house. To me, it’s like a story that just gets better and better.  The fact that Spicebomb and Flowerbomb are like brother and sister – not just in name, but in reality, too – well, I find that very charming.

But discovering that there’s a fragrant connection between Olivier Polge’s latest work, Spicebomb, and his father’s masterpiece, Égoïste? Heck. I just have to call that what it is.

A magic moment!

–Neil Sternberg, Contributor