Maher Olfactive Barrel Aged Treachery with pixaby collage by Michelyn
When I described 2020’s original Maher Olfactive Treachery as an inscrutable gourmand, artisan perfumer and Art and Olfaction 2020 finalist Shawn Maher’s limited edition and newer iteration Maher Olfactive Barrel Aged Treachery which is an extrait de parfum came along and amplified that interpretation: it now resembles a boozy hearthside lovefest. Deeper, richer and more flamboyant, Shawn’s charred oak barrel aged elixir is a delight for those who appreciate the bouquet of a fine Ardbeg, Laphroaig or Islay malt whiskey. You don’t even have to taste it (although you very nearly can): be you a sophisticated bon vivant ensconced in your precious pied à terre or a Canadian lumberjack seated around a scorching campfire, the new Treachery suits to a T.
Indian Rajah smoking hookah via Metropolitan Museum of Art©
I sat pondering why barrel aged Treachery has been haunting me – until I finally made the connection. In 2007, local indie artisanal perfumer Serena Ava Goode of Ava Luxe Perfumes created a marvelous ambery, spicy, honeyed and fruited tobacco perfume entitled Shisha. There are probably very few folk about who recall it now (it was discontinued, alas), but I used to send flacons of it to the late Vero Kern in Switzerland (initially, because I suspected that she’d enjoy it – and afterward, to keep her afloat in it). Shawn’s reincarnation shares a certain DNA with that particular type of water-pipe, hookah aroma which is shared among intimates in a charmed circle of fast friendship. Though far from opiate territory, Treachery possesses a distinctly dreamy, narcotic quality which feels both familiar and exotic.
Shawn Maher of Maher Olfactive and Chatillon Lux courtesy of Shawn
Maher Olfactive Barrel Aged Treachery smells exponentially more intense to me, as well as more gourmand. This is very good news for anyone who has been craving sweeter culinary pleasures, especially if they have been finding many of the current offerings rather humdrum and unimaginative. All that’s divinely smoky and liqueured is incorporated into this potion which poses the question: do I want to wear this, or down it to the dregs? Dusky cocoa, woody vanilla, the fruity/herbal eau de vie intoxication of davana absolutely sing – and are augmented with berry-like savor, sweet almond and saffron tones. Whiskey boasts its six well-spent months within its seasoned oaken cask; it’s confident and ebullient, seconded by its leathery wingman labdanum.
Photo istock
Like any true decadence, Shawn assures us that more is preferable, particularly when your materials reign supreme. The new Treachery is a fragrance in which you feel completely indulged and utterly spoilt. I admit to confection-fatigue of late – then something like Maher Olfactive’s appears and I fall in love with the genre all over again. Whether you find yourself in a north woods log cabin, a Park Avenue penthouse or a hookah lounge, Maher Olfactive Barrel Aged Treachery smells authentic and seductive. Like its predecessor, its tenacity is legendary. There’s a reason why it made my top ten selections for 2021’s best fragrances.
Notes: tobacco absolute, labdanum, cocoa, vanilla absolute, davana, whiskey, spices, saffron, berries, sweet almond, oakwood absolute.
Sample provided by the perfumer – many thanks! My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor
This is a very limited edition and was made in small batches. It won two CaFleureBon Best of Scent awards for 2021
Thanks to the generosity of Shawn Maher of Maher Olfactive, we are able to offer a 2 ml samples of Maher Olfactive Barrel Aged Treachery for one registered reader worldwide To be eligible, please leave a comment explaining what appeals to you about Ida’s review and where you live. Draw closes 1/6/2022
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