Beaufort London Acrasia bottle courtesy of the brand

… Vpon a bed of Roses she was layd,
As faint through heat, or dight to pleasant sin,
And was arayd, or rather disarayd,
All in a vele of silke and siluer thin,
That hid no whit her alablaster skin,
But rather shewd more white, if more might bee:
More subtile web Arachne can not spin,
Nor the fine nets, which oft we wouen see
Of scorched deaw, do not in th’aire more lightly flee.

… in her left hand a Cup of gold she held,
And with her right the riper fruit did reach,
Whose sappy liquor, that with fulnesse sweld,
Into her cup she scruzd, with daintie breach
Of her fine fingers, without fowle empeach,
That so faire wine-presse made the wine more sweet:
Thereof she vsd to giue to drinke to each,
Whom passing by she happened to meet:
It was her guise, all Straungers goodly so to greet. Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, Book II, Canto XII

His coming is announced by bright trumpets of lemon, sharp as a rapier’s point. As he advances, sunlight gleams from his silver shield and the bitter shimmer of bergamot surrounds him. He is Guyon, come for vengeance against the witch Acrasia. But the enchantress, whose very name means surrender to temptation in a strange mix of Latin and Greek, lies waiting on her bed of roses. As Guyon approaches the Bower of Bliss, overhung with golden grapes and thick with flowers, the perfume of roses mixes with wine. Sweet song beckons, and as Guyon follows its source, he finds himself before the loveliest of woman. She is Acrasia, embodiment of intemperance, antithesis to all that is holy – and namesake to a brilliant, bracing new fragrance from Beaufort London that brews a mix of potent rose and casky wine with keenly masculine notes.

Acrasia by John Melhuish Strudwick, 1888, Leicester Galleries

Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, perhaps the greatest epic poem of the English language, was published in 1590 in tribute to Elizabeth I, then at the height of her popularity as scourge of the Armada. An extensive allegory of human virtues that draws on Arthurian legend (and alludes to contemporary politics), the poem follows the adventures of several knights as they battle various evils as Spencer offers his  template for moral instruction. Book II is the legend of Sir Guyon, protector of wronged women; surpassing brave, steadfastly moral, godly, clever (if a tad impetuous), his sword a-ready against spellcasters. In the final chapter of Guyon’s tale, he meets his nemesis, the beautiful witch Acrasia, in the Bower of Bliss.

Sir Guyon, illustration by Walter Crane, 1897

The tension between desire for earthly pleasures and moral fortitude that lies at the heart of Guyon’s tale provides the trajectory for Beaufort London Acrasia. The fragrance unfolds with two contrasting accords that carry on separately for its first half, finally merging in the perfume’s second half. The first is Guyon’s melody, which opens the fragrance with piercing lemon hoisted like a standard by soapy musk and clean, bitter bergamot. The second, coming forward in the heart, is Acrasia’s harmony; narcotic red wine, incense and, latterly, rose. These chords are gradually bridged by velvety green geranium, vanilla and cedar in an interplay of masculine and feminine notes that persists through dry-down.

Spraying Acrasia for the first time brings a strange, alluring mix of astringent lemon and dusty red wine that sets the scene for the enchantments that follow. As the two main accords detangle, lemon and bergamot push forward boldly underlined by clean musk. But quite soon, there is a whisper of vanilla, a stir of sweet spice. An intoxicating aroma of old wine – woody, musty and raisiny like aged Rioja – draws close to the citrus. The combination of forgotten wine and bold, bright citrus is one of the most disconcerting but addictive openings I’ve found since Charenton Macerations’ Eye, Hatshepsut, and has me refreshing the top notes several times just to renew the experience.

Red Mystery by Faye Mozingo, image via Creative Commons

It is half an hour later. The two chords touch palms then part, then circle, then part. The wine note and lemon dominate. Then, incense floats across the base in a low thrum and, gradually, rose and geranium fill the air with quiet music. The main notes dance around each other, never quite merging. Furry, animalic odors edge in and sweet spices are dropped into the chalice of wine proffered by Acrasia’s silken hand.

One of the most striking things about Acrasia’s construction is how even-handed the weight of the notes remains throughout. Incense, which usually adds density, never overwhelms its fellows while finding quick synergy with the rose. Now a word about that rose: in the moments following its arrival, this is no fluffy, jammy blossom but a green-tinged and remote flower that refuses fully to open. But later, when the cinnamon has softened her edges and the incense has moved in, the rose becomes smoke-tinged, smudgy, humming a counter harmony that remains constant but seductively, almost maddeningly, elusive.

Beaufort London Acrasia is a surprising departure from the Beaufort array of smoldering canon fire, cade-filled smuggler’s dens, and creaking wood shipboards, and reminds me of how imaginatively this history-steeped house can handle floral notes. Spenser’s Guyon may win the day; but in Beaufort’s telling, Acrasia has the last word.

Notes: Bergamot, Sicilian lemon, red wine, cinnamon, geranium, incense, jasmine,  rose, amber, cedarwood, musk, patchouli, vanilla, vetiver.

Disclaimer: Sample of Beaufort London Acrasia kindly provided by Indigo Perfumery. My opinions, as always, are my own.

Lauryn Beer, Senior Editor

Beaufort London Acrasia courtesy of Indigo Perfumery

Thanks to the generosity of Indigo Perfumery, we have a 50 ml bottle of Beaufort London Acrasia for one registered reader in the U.S .ONLY To be eligible, please leave a comment describing what draws you to Acrasia based on Lauryn’s review, whether you have tried any Beaufort London fragrances Draw closes 3/16/2023.

Please read Lauryn’s Review of Rake and Ruin, Iron Duke, Fathom V and 1805 by The Nosey Artist aka Christopher Grate and Vi et Armis, a collaboration between Michelyn and Christopher.

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