VANILLA VIRTU

I was incredibly fortunate to sample this a while back and I have been counting down the days until its release. I’m a huge spicy vanilla lover and this is easily one of the most beautiful takes on that profile I’ve smelled.

It opens with this gorgeous blend of warm spices and almost savory sweetness from the molasses and bran that feels rich and textured. The vanilla and tonka are deep and elegant rather than sugary, and the incense and patchouli in the base really do give warm medieval atmosphere.

It’s giving candlelight on stone walls, spiced cakes, worn leather, warm skin, and a luxurious feast at midnight. Rich and sweet but not gourmand. Just absolutely stunning.

If you love spicy vanillas with depth and atmosphere, this is top tier.

I am often not impressed by your typical, run of the mill vanilla scent. Thankfully, Vanilla Virtu is not that. It is a sexy, cool, and nuanced woody vanilla scent. This is promoted as a ‘medieval vanilla’. It makes me think specifically of that Heath Ledger classic ‘A Knight’s Tale’ 😜 and the most recent Game of Thrones series ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’. You’re sitting next to a beautiful rebellious princess or the daughter of a duke, and the first joust just commenced. The lances just split into a thousand pieces and you can smell the freshly splintered wood. There’s a waft of vanilla emanating off the princess nearby, and fresh loaves of bread and cups of beer and mead are being sold to the attendees. That’s the vibe!

Also before we start splitting hairs about how vanilla wasn’t available in Medieval Europe - it came much later after Mexican colonization - let’s remember, this is a fantasy scenario. Much like A Knight’s Tale and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. It’s olfactive fiction, yall!