Marc-Antoine Barrois Ganymede extrait Review – Quentin Bisch; 2023

[Marc-Antoine Barrois Ganymede extrait review based on a sample provided by the brand in 2023.]

Just when you thought it was safe to come out of hiding, Marc-Antoine Barrois gives us an extrait version of his monolithic (and wildly successful) Ganymede from 2019. Here’s a link to my recent YouTube review of it: Marc-Antoine Barrois Ganymede extrait review.

Contrary to what some people think, it is at times possible to hold a high opinion of a piece of work that you personally find difficult to enjoy: Ganymede is a case in point for me. I admire its ballsiness (those almost impossibly gargantuan doses of immortelle and Akigalawood) as well as its distinctive personality and the technical accomplishment it represents (it seems never to fade away). But on a purely personal level, I find it almost impossible to wear, especially when the drydown takes things into the bitter, woods-in-acid Akigalawood zone so beloved by perfumer Quentin Bisch.

This new extrait version is more refined and less confrontational than the edp, not unlike the way the brand’s B683 extrait is a smoother take on the original. However, it is still the same beast, with a base that doesn’t shy away from the room-filling assertiveness of the immortelle+Akigalawood combo. It remains strange, perplexing and bold. And it still doesn’t want to be friends with me. But that’s okay — I have a feeling it’ll find plenty of friends elsewhere.

Persolaise

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