Lubin Akkad Review – Delphine Thierry; 2012

It’s very difficult for perfumers to say anything new about amber. With Guerlain Shalimar at one end of the chronological spectrum and Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan just about at the other, there is almost no room left to explore within this most ancient-smelling territory of labdanum, vanilla and heaven only knows what other balsams and resins. There have of course been plenty of commendable modern amber creations: Tauer L’Air Du Desert Marocain, Atkinson’s Amber Empire and Chanel Le Lion come to mind. But they’re the exceptions.

It is perhaps even more difficult to say anything new about cold ambers. This is a very distinct sub-category of the genre where the heat inherent to the central accord is reduced by the introduction of chilled incense and spices. As far as ideas go, it is bold, but frequently misguided, resulting in reedy, overly mineralic pieces of work that are thin-lipped and standoffish when they should be welcoming. Thankfully, that isn’t the case with Lubin Akkad, composed by Delphine Thierry.

On the face of it, this should be yet another olfactory equivalent of a haughty grimace. Certainly, the predominance of frankincense in the heart, combined with cardamom and sage, threatens to pull it into areas we’d rather not enter. And yet somehow, no doubt thanks to Thierry’s skill, the low-temperature effect remains both prominent and entirely seductive, like a sea breeze bringing much-needed relief to a sun-cracked landscape. Akkad is wise, voluptuous and commanding — a beloved older relative who knows how to be gregarious without ever coming across as cloying or excessively domineering. A rare example of a must-try modern amber, it is a masterclass in getting balance and volume just right.  

Persolaise

[Lubin Akkad review based on a sample obtained by me in 2022.]

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