BLUEHILL Fragrances Midnight Ride courtesy of BLUEHILL Fragrances
On the night of April 18, 1775, alerted by the Sexton of Boston’s famed North Church, Paul Revere and William Dawes set about on their infamous ride to alert the people of Middlesex County that “The British were coming” (although they actually said “The Regulars are coming out!).” This history making evening was the inspiration for perfumer Sandy Carr of BLUEHILL Fragrances new eau de parfum Midnight Ride.
photo by Tony Burgess©
Massachusetts during the spring has a smell unto itself. It is a twang of the last vestiges of winter mixed with the smell of damp earth, fallen leaves, trees beginning to awaken, and the unmistakable scent of fresh, new grass tinged with the remnants of a light frost. BLUEHILL Fragrances Midnight Ride captures not only those aromas but also the feelings of excitement, determination and perseverance of that ride. Upon first spray, the rich, damp, cool earth of that April night wafts to your nostrils, a scent that any New Englander recognizes immediately. It is this smell that Revere and Dawes undoubtedly had in their environs as Sexton Joseph Warren informed the men of their duty, then signaled out of the Old North Church to the rest of the local Minutemen via those famed two lanterns – that the British would be crossing the Charles River from Boston to Cambridge. Hints of spices; nutmeg, in particular, add depth to this earthy note.
The Routes of the Three Riders (Paul Revere House©).
Although not listed as an ingredient, I detect an undercurrent of horsehide leather, possibly from the animalis hypo and civet. I envision Revere and Dawes atop their saddles as they prepared to head to Concord and Lexington and raise the alarm that the Redcoats were out for Adams and Hancock. It is, to me, the smell of leather and exhilaration, danger and urgency. We then set out on our ride, a fast gallop along and through meadows, the herbal and green notes of fresh grasses mingled with the scent of the hay straw. Artemisia, herbal and bitter joins these notes, and the aromas of the fields and meadows of early Spring are hyper-realistic. In Massachusetts, trees are just beginning to bud with new leaves and BLUEHILL Fragrances Midnight Ride captures our woods by including cedar, cypress, and balsam. Sandy added blackwood which lends a rich, earthy tone and creamy mysore sandalwood softens and enriches the composition.
The Old North Church and Paul Revere Statue (The Old North Church Congregation
As a proud native of Massachusetts and of our place in the history of this great country, I am always excited to try a fragrance representative of the region. BLUEHILL Fragrances Midnight Ride is a wonderful addition to this select group of fragrances. Ultimately, Revere and Dawes were joined by Samuel Prescott and made it to Lexington, but were stopped in Lincoln, en route to Concord. Their role in what was to become the American War of Independence is legendary. I often wonder just what went through the minds of both Revere and Dawes that night – did they know that they would forever change the course of the history of not only those 13 colonies, but of the world? What was it like as each took their separate courses, one to Concord, one to Lexington? I feel like I am traveling back into that time thanks to Sandy Carr. BLUEHILL Fragrances Midnight Ride is a fantastic addition to the New England themed scents from BLUEHILL, it imparts the true smells of the woods and fields on a cold and meaningful night in New England, and indeed the history of the world.
Notes: Artemisia, Dewy Grass, Newly Budding Leaves, Ivy, Nutmeg, Gurjun Balsam, Mysore Sandalwood, Virginia Cedar, Texas Cedar, French Cypress, Blackwood, Aphermate, Animalis Hypo, Civetone, Dry Amber, Balsam Fir
Disclaimer: I would like to thank BLUEHILL Fragrances and Sandy Carr for my bottle of Midnight Ride. My opinions are my own.
– Tony Burgess, Associate Contributor (with contributions from Michelyn Camen, Editor-In-Chief)
photo courtesy of BLUEHILL Fragrances
Thanks to the generosity of Sandy Carr and BLUEHILL Fragrances, we have a draw for a 30ml bottle of BLUEHILL Fragrances Midnight Ride Eau de Parfum for one registered reader in the USA. You must register here, or your comment will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what you enjoyed most about Tony’s review. Draw closes 4/27/2020
Sandy Carr was the149th American Perfumer in our series, read more about her path to perfumery here.
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