Sicilian Vanilla Attar 2020

For those that know me, I'm a huge fan of historically-inspired creations - and this fragrance hits a historical sweet spot. Sicilian Vanilla dates back to the end of the 19th century.

Years ago I had run across a photo of an old Italian fragrance advertisement that piqued my interest. As it turns out, back at the end of the 19th century, it was en vogue to wear fragrances inspired by pipe tobacco - which led me to dig around and do some research about Sicilian pipe tobacco formulations.

I was inspired.

I had an older Italian friend who owned a coffee shop out in San Diego, where I went to medical school. He thought my work in perfumery was interesting, and was always inquiring about what I was in the process of making next. Back in 2011, I had told him about a Sicilian pipe tobacco inspired fragrance I was developing, which he was curious about. He loved it, and so, I had given him a bottle as a gift, and months later, he returned from the holidays back home to Italy with a story that I'd like to share...

As it turns out, he was of Sicilian descent (which he had failed to mention). He had returned to mainland Italy over Christmas to visit his elderly mother, then well into her 90's.

When he arrived home from the airport and gave his mother a hug, she apparently squeezed him tightly and started crying rather unexpectedly. When he asked her why she was crying, she asked him what he was wearing - his fragrance - "my son, what on earth are wearing?!"

He laughed, and told her that it was something that an American friend back home had given him.

Apparently, my perfume hit her olfactory memory in a very tender spot...as a young girl growing up in Sicily, the older men smoked profusely, and wore sweetly-scented pipe tobacco inspired fragrances. She hadn't smelled this scent since she was a child - and that hug from her son sent her back nearly a century to a time of innocence. It left her in tears.

This story that my friend brought back to me really touched me. Apparently...I had hit my mark. It's not often that a living person can confirm in such a powerful way the accuracy with which something has been recreated nearly a century later. My friend doesn't know it - but he and his mother gave me a gift of far greater value than anything tangible someone could have given me.

And so I offer Sicilian Vanilla - a very accurate historical recreation of a scent not smelled in nearly a century.

Inspired by an old advertisement and some historical tobacco formulary research, with notes of:

Jasmine Absolute
Black Current Absolute
Bourbon Vanilla Absolute
Tobacco Absolute
Natural Vanillin
Benzoin
Mysore Sandalwood
Cambodi Oud

**Took me 9 years to go through the original batch of Tobacco Absolute that I was using. I’ve got a new 2020 Bulgarian batch from a small producer that is almost incense’y with a hint of a chocolate note. The New 2020 SV is shaping up to be a knock out!

REVIEWS :

Craig Karoses:

"I've smelled quite a few vanilla flavored tobacco fragrances. I think I've found my Holy Grail. My search is probably over. Because I don't know how this combo could be done any better. Sicilian Vanilla(2011 Batch) by The Rising Phoenix Perfumery is a very natural, pure oil Attar. It's extremely thick, dark, almost black in color.

The aging of this blend has done magnificent melding of the flavors. It's so smooth, decadent, rich, sweet, kinda syrupy, very natural, delicious, silky, sexy, addictive and a generous performer. It puts every vanilla flavored tobacco fragrance that I've smelled, "To Bed without Dinner." It's like the most gourmet, premium, vanilla flavored pipe tobacco. It has a root beer, sarsaparilla, cream soda type flavor to me. Just gorgeously delicious, absolutely comforting and satisfying. I can't stop smelling my hand. This might be the most I've ever done this. This fragrance is definitely competing. I'm in tears just thinking about it. I think this fragrance could help someone quit using tobacco. It satisfies my craving in the most unbelievable way."


-----------

"Amazing attar, very beautiful and balanced , very good job with the balance between the notes, it really took me back to Sicily, the godfather movie feeling."
-Mohamed

-----------

"This stuff is amazing. I'd wager that if those Basenoters who swear by TF Tobacco Vanille smelled this, 70-80% would switch. Granted, like many attars/oils, you're not going to get the monstrous longevity and projection that synthetics provide, so I'm sure some people would stick to TV for that reason, but once you realize not to expect that, it stops mattering. Still, this lasts quite a long time on my skin and it just smells fantastic. I'm never satisfied with the portrayal of tobacco in fragrance, but this hits the spot. Most of the time you're just getting some sicky sweet combo of coumarin/heliotrope/tonka, and I can't stand those (TV, Kilian Back to Black, Xerjoff Naxos, etc.). This on the other hand is totally balanced, and ACTUALLY smells like pipe tobacco. Outstanding effort."
~Ben, USA


----------

"Decided to try something different to the ouds I usually buy and I do not regret my purchase. This oil is beautifully blended. It just feels so smooth and balanced once it's on the skin. Can't see myself without this. Very VERY addictive scent."
~Shoayb





**The new 2020 Batch is 100% Natural 😁👍🏼

Materials: Mysore Sandalwood,Vanilla,Tobacco,Pipe Tobacco,Jasmine,Black Current