There is a bit of a quandary when an independent perfumer makes a limited edition. When they are as creative as Hiram Green is there is a very real feeling of FOMO (fear of missing out) when he releases one. Four years ago he released a remarkable leather homage to India. Specifically the Floating Palace on Lake Pichola. Most non-Indians learned of this marvelous piece of architecture in the James Bond movie Octopussy. That perfume was called Voyage and is one of my favorite leather perfumes I own. Mr. Green contacted me to tell me he was doing a sequel, Hiram Green Voyage 2019.
Hiram Green
Mr. Green is still inspired by the same locale. If I imagine the clever construction of his all-natural leather accord was the equivalent of the palace itself then Voyage 2019 is the water surrounding it. Mr. Green substitutes the national flower of India, lotus, for the leather. It changes the style from full blooded Oriental to something closer to a Floriental. There is much that remains from the first version, but Mr. Green re-adjusts some of the concentrations to assure a smooth experience.
One of the best parts of both versions of these perfumes is the spiced citrus top accord. It reminds me of a clove orange, but Mr. Green is piercing his orange with vectors of cardamom, caraway, and cumin. This creates an exotically spicy beginning. Then the big change happens as instead of going deeper into a leather accord Voyage 2019 becomes a floating flower. This is a slightly watery floral accord which is supported by some green effects to mimic the leaves surrounding the bloom. Voyage 2019 returns to a similar base accord as the prior version. This time there is a warmer overall effect as the amber and benzoin have a more prominent place over the vanilla that was the center of the previous base accord.
Voyage 2019 has 10-12 hour longevity and average sillage.
I know I remark on it every time, but Mr. Green coaxes an unusual intensity from the natural ingredients he uses. The original Voyage was the leather prelude for what would become the brilliant Hyde. Voyage 2019 also feels like we are heading towards something else equally impressive. In the movies they say the sequel is rarely as good. In the Hiram Green collection Voyage 2019 is just as good.
Disclosure: This review was based on a sample supplied by Hiram Green.
–Mark Behnke
