The Owner of the Club

This is one I needed to spend some time with to appreciate. The blast of citrus and aldehydes in the opening feels sharp and astringent, almost painful in its intensity, with a hyper-masculine maturity that my nose found challenging.

Piney resins and spicy pink pepper provide a deepening of the harsh opening - not changing the profile exactly, but broadening the frequency. This allows gaps in the sturdy wall of piercing citrus for rustic woods and smooth ambers to slowly seep through, gradually warming things up.

The base is where it shines. The citruses lose their aggression yet maintain their brightness, while the resins melt over a deep, peppered woodsiness. It never becomes sweet, but develops a softness, all the while radiating from the skin with tenacity.

Labeling this as 'Sport' is really quite misleading, unless the sport involves hijacking your opposition's airways. It's also far too strong for the gym, unless given a good couple of hours to settle. Nevertheless, the ultra-masculine, clean yet classy aura it emanates has slowly won me over.

This is not the captain of the rugby team, but the owner of the whole club - assertive and uncompromising, yet charismatic and approachable.