Perfumology Sudu Te courtesy of Perfumology©
Creative Director Nir Guy and Justin Frederico of Perfumology have recently released their fifth fragrance for the brand: Perfumology Sudu Te. Each of their fragrances relates a specific narrative: in Blyss, a wine-and-roses billet-doux to Nir’s wife Lyssa; with Grange, the evocation of childhood memory in a sylvan setting; Clutch celebrated the joys of the autumnal open road driving a stick shift; L’Ima, an homage to Nir’s mother Avital Guy and her garden. Perfumology Sudu Te (“white tea” in Sinhalese) is a fond travelogue which honors the fragrant island of Sri Lanka, to which Nir’s mother, Avital paid an unforgettable visit; she brought home some of its delicate white tea as a treasured aromatic souvenir – and each of her scent memories wended its way into Perfumology’s latest creation. It is safe to say that each element in the composition of Sudu Te is one which thrives naturally in situ – generating a photorealistic olfactory journey.
Tea bushes lining the mountains in Sri Lanka inspired Perfumology Su de Te photo by Avital Guy©
Nir refers to the famed Spice Island Sri Lanka as “a perfumista’s dream”. It surely is that, judging by their perfume, which encompasses a cornucopia overflowing with native spices, fruit and tropical blossoms. Before the 1500s, Arabian traders controlled the flow of spice from The Pearl of the Indian Ocean; travelers such as Marco Polo (1254-1324) described the courses of spice trade via The Silk Route East, The Sea Route and The Cinnamon Route. The most likely official date of discovery is the year 1505, when Portuguese admiral Lorenzo De Almeida’s ship was swept up in a monsoon which deposited him upon the south coast of Ceylon; there he came upon true cinnamon (quite by happenstance). The rest is history.
White tea used in Perfumology Sudu Te by Avital Guy©
The incomparable white tea for which Sri Lanka is renowned is costly, as it grows solely in the mountains and must be harvested by hand during a very brief season, using great care not to injure the tender slightly curved tea buds adorned with downy silvery or golden hair. The tiny leaves are reported to possess a subtle floral honeyed quality with a trace of nuttiness: what a perfect backdrop for sensitive resonances of luscious tropical fruits such as green mango, lychee and mandarin. These notes fairly drip fragrant juice, eschewing any syrupy/sticky quality.
Justin Frederico and Nir Guy photo courtesy of Perfumology©
Perfumer Justin Frederico has accomplished masterful work in his representation of the Spice Islands. It would be all too easy to overdose these tempting pungent essences and thus obscure the tea-like elegance which is the heart of Sudu Te. Instead, Justin utilizes cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, coriander and cardamom as if they were skillful, suggestive brushstrokes in a 14th C. Japanese painting style known as sumi-e. Representation of local flora would be remiss without frangipani and jasmine sambac, which abound in an hospitable climate as well as scented orchids – their legendary come-hither tendrils of scent beckoning throughout the island.
Man peeling cinnamon photo by Avital Guy©
The surrounding Indian Ocean is beautifully evoked by an aquatic accord (blissfully free of Calone©) in which coconut and sandalwood trees thrive. Sudu Te’s base is a coup: dulcet creamy tones of massoia bark (aka coconut wood) marry with benzoin’s luxe sweet, warm spiciness and buttery sandalwood; they provide a sybaritic cushion for all the sumptuous materials which have been lavished upon this exotic and delicate perfume. Now is the perfect time to travel to Sri Lanka: simply follow the trade winds, and your nose…
Notes: green mango, lychee, mandarin, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, white tea, jasmine sambac, frangipani orchids, cardamom, coriander, aquatic notes, massoia bark (coconut wood), benzoin, Australian sandalwood
Ida Meister and Justin Frederico at the Perfumology Clutch launch 2018
My bottle was generously provided by Nir Guy of Perfumology – many thanks! It was my pleasure and privilege to be the evaluator once again. My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor
Perfumology Sudu Te courtesy of Perfumology (cropped by Michelyn)
Thanks to the generosity of Nir Guy of Perfumology we have a draw for a 50 ml flacon ($95) of Perfumology Sudu Te which has 25 percent concentration for one registered reader in the USA ONLY. You must register here or your comment will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what you enjoyed most about Ida’s review of Perfumology Sudu Te, if you have tried a Perfumology brand fragrance before. Draw closes 7/26/2021
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