Erik Kormann

One of my favorite exercises in perfumery is when a set of notes is used as a stationary point from which to explore the variability of those notes in respect to others. Starting in 2011 perfumer Erik Kormann has been doing this with a series around raspberry and incense. The series is called Eau de Froeliche which translates to Joyful Water. One of the other things that has been fascinating about this exercise is Hr. Kormann speaks extensively about how he creates these fragrances on his blog. In his posts he speaks of all aspects of how each fragrance comes about. Eau de Froeliche No. 1 was a gourmand take as primarily it felt like the fruit filled dark chocolates you sometimes find in a candy sampler. The incense hazed it all in a wreath of smoke that surprisingly was complementary instead of jarring. Eau de Froeliche No. 2 was the polar opposite to the warmth exuded by No. 1. Wrapping the incense with cool notes, like mint and anise, No. 2 exuded a wintry chill which I always find from the best frankincense especially the Somalian frankincense oil Hr. Kormann has used throughout these Eau de Froeliche fragrances. What would the final volume of the trilogy bring?

Photo: Jo Zarth

For Eau de Froeliche No. 3 Hr. Kormann had learned of a proprietary Givaudan aromachemical called Cassyrane. The unique character of Cassyrane is that it removes the sulfurous aspects of cassis leaving something behind which is bracing and much greener in character than you might expect. Hr. Kormann first started with the Cassyrane as his source of raspberry and the Somalian frankincense oil as its partner. As he looked to choose their compatriots he decided to aim for a balance of all aspects. To that end he would add the oregano character of Carvacrol along with Cashmeran to add warmth. This places Eau de Froeliche No. 3 firmly halfway between the warmth of No. 1 and the chill of No. 2.

Cassyrane

Eua de Froeliche No. 3 opens with the overdose of Cassyrane the first thing you notice. It has a shiver down the spine kind of quality especially in this kind of extreme concentration. It is as it begins to wane a bit that you pick up on the subtle herbal facets. A bit of pink pepper focuses the attention on those aspects. Rosemary and the oregano of Carvacrol pull No. 3 towards an herbal heart which is then tinged green by a bit of shiso leaves. Through all of the early stages No. 3 feels refreshing and then the Cashmeran and incense begin to add warmth from below like a gas stove on simmer. The tight green core begins to loosen up as both the Cashmeran and the frankincense slowly bring it to a boil. As these last two notes take a firmer hold No. 3 transforms from green to smoky woody. It is done in tiny steps and over a few hours felt like I had sprayed something different on as this transformation was so complete.

Eau de Froeliche No. 3 has all day longevity and way above average sillage.

One of the most joyful things about all of the Eau de Froeliche fragrances was the clear excitement about this exploration by Hr. Kormann. In the posts on his blog there are displayed all the twists and turns all of these fragrances took from concept to bottle. Taken together as a set all three Eau de Froeliche fragrances show the value of these kinds of exploration and I am just sorry this one has come to an end. If as the saying goes all good things must come to an end Eau de Froeliche No. 3 has brought this experiment to a very good end indeed.

Disclosure: This review was based on a sample provided by Erik Kormann.

–Mark Behnke, Managing Editor