When I played twenty questions as a kid the first part of the game was to identify whether the object being described was Animal, Vegetable or Mineral. Most of the time that question is easy to answer but every once in a while the object would cover a couple of the categories. Gerald Ghislain has released a new three fragrance series under his Histoires de Parfums label called Edition Rare. In this game of fragrant twenty questions M Ghislain uses oud to interrogate three different compositions and come up with the appropriate answer.

One thing I liked about all three of these fragrances was the very same oud note opens up all three. That starting oud note has the almost medicinal quality of oud that some can find hard to handle. I have come to find that oud note charmingly quirky and embrace it. The path taken from that common crossroads is very different and made for three very interesting journeys for me. M Ghislain offered up some interesting answers to the query, “Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?”

Animal-Ambrarem

Ambrarem represents the warm-blooded version of Edition Rare. The opening oud note is paired with pink pepper and elemi. This bit of resin and piquancy goes very well with the oud and sets up the spectacular middle phase in which iris and saffron perform a tug of war over oud. The metallic quality of iris is enhanced by the oud and just as it seems to be dominating the saffron pulls out a more exotic woody quality. In many ways it feels like the oud note is at the origin of two orthogonal axes represented by the iris and saffron. This struggle was fascinating and had me revisiting it often by catching a sniff all day during the days I wore Ambrarem. The base notes of amber, sandalwood, and castoreum tilt a little more to the saffron side of the battle and they finish off Ambrarem firmly in the “Animal” category.

Vegetable-Rosam

Rose is a consistently used floral partner to oud and there is a reason for that. Rose is one of the few notes in perfumery that also carries a subtle schizophrenia in its nature and depending on the composition the perfumer can accentuate those different personalities. M Ghislain uses the familiar floral rose aspect to pair with the oud at the start of Rosam. A bit of citrus adds some light to what could have been a very dark beginning. Then M Ghislain allows saffron to enhance the spicy heart of rose and incense to enhance the resinous core of oud. This creates an Oriental thunderclap in the heart of Rosam. The base notes of amber, patchouli, and sandalwood allow that intensity to reverberate for a very long time before fading away. Rosam is an intense experience and a “Vegetable” you will be happy to make part of your fragrant diet.

Mineral-Petroleum

Petroleum is the most original of the three Edition Rare fragrances and the one I liked best because of that aspect. When M Ghislain gave me a preview sniff of this last August at the Elements Showcase in New York I wasn’t prepared for what the name implied. A fragrance named Petroleum? What was going to come from that? Not what you think, I’m guessing, because it surprised me. Instead of mineral spirits or gasoline, Petroleum refers to the unrefined power of crude oil and, depending on how it is refined, what it can become. The crude ingredient being refined here is oud and throughout the development of Petroleum the oud becomes very refined indeed. The start is to take the raw oud note and surround it with a whirlpool of aldehydes. This makes the early going of Petroleum a very elemental experience. After the first distillation the oud has become something less primal and a bit smoother but it still retains a bit of medicinal bite. Rose and Amber add some olfactive heat to turn the oud into something fit for refined company. That refined company shows up in the base, as leather, white musk, patchouli, and civet conjoin with the oud to form a decadent opulent pastiche of richness. The base of Petroleum is a high octane kick to all that I enjoy in the notes present. Not one of them feels forced and if one were missing Petroleum would feel less for the absence. Petroleum hums through its twist and turns like a high-performance sports car using premium fuel.

All three Edition Rare fragrances have 24-hour longevity and above average sillage.

Everyone interested in these fragrances will have to test them and answer their own version of “Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?” I’m going to cheat and answer all three, because I can’t live with just one of them.

Disclosure: This review was based on samples purchased from The Perfumed Court.

Thanks to Gerald Ghislain and Histoires de Parfums we are going to let one lucky commenter get the chance to get their own answer to “Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral?” We are giving a reader’s choice of a full bottle of one Edition Rare away. To be eligible leave a comment naming Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral and you will be eligible to win that Edition Rare. The winner will be drawn using random.org on January 17, 2012.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilt perfume

–Mark Behnke, Managing Editor