It has been almost fifteen years since independent perfumer Andy Tauer burst onto the scene with L’Air du Desert Marocain. He has become one of the longest lasting independent perfumers in the business. When I read in his newsletter that his newest was also going to be a “L’Air” I was looking forward to it. It turned out Hr. Tauer was going to take us from the desert of Morocco to the slopes of the Swiss Alps with Tauer L’Air des Alpes Suisses.
Andy Tauer
It is easy to conjure up snowy slopes when you read Swiss Alps. That is not what Hr. Tauer is going for. If you need a visual to get you in the right frame of mind think of the opening shot of “The Sound of Music” as Maria sings while she wanders through an Alpine meadow. That is the “L’Air” Hr. Tauer wants to turn into a perfume. As one who has done my share of hiking at altitude in the American mountains there is a scent to the summer slopes which is what L’Air des Alpes Suisses captures.
This begins with that green of mountain foliage growing out of the stone beneath. The top accord forms a sharp green over a subtle stoniness with a set of lung-filling ozonic notes. The green softens while also turning slightly spicy while we walk through a field of wildflowers perfuming the air in the sunlight. It creates a floral accord contrasted with the green. The green continues into a set of woody notes to capture the scraggly trunks of the trees which grow on the escarpment.
L’Air des Alpes Suisses has 12-14 hour longevity and average sillage.
In so many ways Hr. Tauer has been a breath of fresh air to the world of perfumery. L’Air des Alpes Suisses is a perfume of fresh floral greens and woods. It is the contentment of a high-altitude walk through a meadow.
Disclosure: this review is based on a sample I purchased.
–Mark Behnke
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