Herr Drosselmeyer

[crebbsgirl]

Magus, toymaker, and Godfather to Klara. An enigmatic man, seemingly somewhat sinister, but bearing a gentle air and a sincere love for children. This scent is dignified, refined, but dark, and hints towards esoteric mysteries and the secrets that tie mechanics to magick. Pipe smoke, sweet leather, woods and linen.

I really liked this one! The pipe smoke here is gorgeous. I seem to be pretty iffy with leather, some can smell wonderful, and others smell kind of chemical-y. This was a sublime worn0in comfy leather scent, and the linen added a little sweetness. The woods added a smoothness to this. This was really quite cozy, and comforting. I like this on me, but I think I would LUV it on a man. Edited May 26, 2009 by crebbsgirl

[fairnymph]

2005 Version

 

Sniffed: Dark golden oil. Sweet and almost fruity, but not in a cloying way - I get mostly the pipe smoke and a little linen, but I can't pick out any woods or leather. It reminds me of rosehip-scented black tea.

 

Wet: Similar, still that tarty-fruit (sour cherry) edge, with a bit more smoke and a tiny bit of leather - also, some wood! It smells like old, slightly dusty, polished wood - I'm picturing carved exotic wood boxes in an attic. Overall, much lighter and less masculine than I expected.

 

Dry: Much darker and more intense; way more tobacco, smoke (vetiver?), woods, and leather. For some reason the sweet powderiness of the leather here reminds me of saccharin - not a pleasant association. The woods are dryer, maybe I get a little cedar and some oak?

 

Later: This is all about the smoke /tobacco & woods, with the leather, linen & cherry as an afterthought. It's warm and wintry and indeed comforting in a paternal sort of way - I definitely get the masculine vibe, now.

 

Summary: Almost entirely dusty wood after a few hours, with a little smoky tobacco around the edges. It feels hazy, and it's quite nice - but not my style. Decent throw & longevity.

Edited June 21, 2009 by fairnymph

[tinyvulture]

the combination of pipe smoke and leather is really comforting and homey, here. i thought it would be similar to hellfire, and it sort of is. i picture an old man, bearing a resemblance to santa claus, relaxing in his log cabin, in his leather armchair in front of the fire, smoking a pipe. yet, i wouldn’t call this an especially “masculine” blend. not a typical “holiday” blend but very nice. would probably buy as a room spray, as well.

[wolfwynd]

2005 version:

 

All I get is tea... black tea at that?

 

WTH, nose?

 

I'll try it again when I'm not getting sick and see how I fair, but I am gutted. "

[gingiemay]

A smoky, sweet linen scent. The leather is more of an undertone than in other leather scents and I never get that distinctive leather tinge that I do with other blends (such as Tristran, which I tested last night). It's warm and comforting. The pipe smoke is almost vanilla-ish in its sweetness, but it is pleasant, not overly saccharine. No woods that I can discern.

[rachelyoung]

A little sweet, a little bit woody, I can smell the tobacco but it's not smoke, it's the smell of dried tobacco leaf and as it starts to warm on my skin I can smell the leather note. It's not over powering, it's quite nice but too masculine for me.

 

I think I'll make my fiance try it before it heads into the swap box, though.

[strahlend]

2006 version:

First sniff – this reminds me of something fruity like plum or prune with something super sugary like burnt sugar similar to gluttony. What a surprise – this isn't anything like what I thought it would be. Reading the reviews I see that I'm having an unusual experience with this scent.

 

On my skin – similar to first impression but I'm getting a lot more incense or smoke, maybe some wood too. It's remaining somewhat fruity for me too though... like incense fruit. Something is reminding me of the sweet incense in Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht. The more I sniff the more it's growing on me. Hmm. Mostly it's smokey prunes and incense with just a little wood. My partner says it's reminiscent of mildew, which I don't get at all.

 

 

2010 version:

I like this so much more than the 2006 version which I quickly fell out of love with.

This version is fresh and clean and also musky and lightly sweet. The linen note is contributing a lightness that beautifully balances the more musky woodsy elements. I see how the linen might come across as lemony, but I think that it has its own unique feel that goes beyond being just lemony. This reminds me of a clean skin sort of smell, but not soapy at all. I like this quite well.

Edited November 28, 2010 by strahlend

[raisin]

Review of the 2006 version

 

Definitely my favorite Yule I've tried so far.

Initially, it reminds me of lebkuchen and various other German baked goods my family usually gets around Christmas. I don't usually like baked goods in my bpal, but this is nostalgic and not overly sweet (which is the problem I had with German cookies as a kid).

The pipe smoke starts to come out, and reminds me a whole lot of my grandfather. This is definitely the closest approximation to his pipe I've found. Then I get what I imagine to be the linen, but couldn't be sure. It just reminds me of hugging my grandpa.

Had I not been wearing a wood-centric blend all day, I may have missed the woods entirely here, but they're there. They're more polished than raw.

The leather is remaining pretty hidden to me, but that might be providing a lot of the sweetness to the scent, along with the pipe smoke, and gets lost there.

 

This is incredibly comforting and nostalgic and I'll definitely be going to this one over Christmas. Many thanks to the lab for managing to bottle my grandfather.

[plainjean]

Herr Drosselmeyer 2010

 

I received this last week, but I've been having a hard time putting this scent into words.

 

There's a certain aspect of it that reminds me of Fledgling Raptor Moon. Perhaps one of the woods is sandalwood? The first time I tried this (right out of a hot mailbox) I got something that smelled like cedar, but that sharpness seems to have faded away after the bottle has had a chance to rest. The rest of the woods are nice and polished, like a well cared for and well-loved antique oak desk. Oddly, I catch something that kind of reminds me of verbena when I put my nose right to my hand, but it's not bright like verbena. I think it might be the sweet leather, because it is indeed sweet. In the far-away sniff, it doesn't translate as verbena at all (thank goodness). Instead it's exactly as advertised: sweet leather. The pipe smoke wafts around the scent, but it's not dominating. I think, though, since I amp both leather and tobacco, I'm having trouble picking out the specific pipe smoke note. It and the leather seem to have melded together now. How wonderful! On me, the linen translates to the same linen in White Rabbit. It's very crisp but soft, and doesn't smell of detergent or fabric softener at all. It's just..it's linen. I'm not quite sure how to describe it, haha.

 

Overall, this scent is very warm but not heavy at all. I thought it might be too masculine for me and, yes, it leans a little masculine..but I really like that about it. It's sweet, like a fur blanket that's been sitting in the study of a Victorian professor and therefore has soaked up the scent of said professor. Or perhaps this blanket's been sitting in the workshop of a toymaker?

Edited November 16, 2010 by plainjean

[SophieCedar]

Herr Drosselmeyer 2010

 

Wet: pipe smoke and something aromatically fruity? Strange! The oil is relatively opaque so I expected it to be deeper & darker. I can see the verbena relation. I associate the sweetness to a curbed litsea cubeba..(I amp it).. in fact the more it develops, the more I'm convinced of it. I can't really make out what woods are in here.. maybe cedar and a tiny bit of teak. The teak could be throwing my nose off.

 

Drydown: this turns further away from sweet leather towards litsea cubeba/teaky weirdness with a sugared cocktail included, for a time. I still get a sweet smoke, keeping me from coming to the determination that it was mislabeled w/ something from the atomic lounge. The linen is in there somewhere, but the sweetness is winning. Strange, light-hearted, and child-friendly. Wrist away from nose I do get more sweet pipe smoke too. Oh wait! There it is! Blammo.. had my wrist too close to my nose. The mixture comes together if I let it waft around.

Edited November 16, 2010 by SophieCedar

[morganlise]

[Edited, because my previous post was far too long and wordy!]

 

2010, Lab fresh, just received about 5 days ago.

 

Be forewarned: This is EXTREMELY lemony. The pipe smoke does come out after about 30 - 45 minutes and is quite nice, but it smells a lot like a lemon drop until then. It's not furniture polish by any means, but not at all what I was expecting based on the notes listed. Tried it on a friend and she had the same experience as me.

 

While I don't expect the Lab to give away every detail of their formulas, this is such a strong note that I feel it should have been listed. I'm going to age my bottle to see what happens.

Edited November 17, 2010 by Morgstress

[edenssixthday]

Herr Drosselmeyer 2010 - This is more similar to the 2005 version than to the 2006 version. It opens up with a ton of pipe smoke, woods, and leather. As it dries down, the dominant note remains the pipe smoke, but it's not the cherry pipe tobacco o the 2006 version. Rather, there's a lemon note in this year's version that was unexpected, but it works really well. I definitely associate this scent with coziness -- it makes me want to curl up in a wool blanket in front of a fireplace and have my grandpa read fairytales to me. However, as evocative and wonderful as the scent is, it's not one I would personally choose to wear as a perfume. I prefer scents that are prettier and less masculine.

 

My review of the 2005 version.

 

My review of the 2006 version.

[Incendiare]

2010: Surprisingly, the woods pop out at me before any of the other notes. Usually as soon as something has leather in it, my nose automatically zones in on it. No smoke or leather to be had. Wet, it smells fresher and zestier. Must be from the lemon note on which others have been picking up. Gentle puffs of smoke make themselves known, but they are hardly there. Still no leather whatsoever.

 

Half-an-hour into wearing it, I noticed that as I was starting to walk around, I would catch wafts of incense smoke. Sniffing the top of my hand up close, I still couldn't get any smoke, but from afar so-to-speak, the incense smoke was palpable. It's an interesting blend, but not bottle-worthy.

[AnArtfuldodger]

Herr Drosselmeyer (2010), where have you BEEN all my life?!?!?!?!?

 

I was really not expecting this to work on me. I like pipe smoke, but I don't like smelling like an actual...puff of smoke. I'm not a huge fan of leather. I love linen. I was so iffy, I just got a half imp's worth of a decant!

 

I WAS SO WRONG. This is lovely. Gorgeous. I am in awe.

 

So okay:

Wet in imp: wet wood (heh heh), a musky sort of scent of slightly damp leather, a sweet tang somewhere in there

 

Wet on wrist: the wood really comes out to play, but this isn't a cedar-chest sort of wood scent, this is really a calm wood scent. Calm and old. The leather is so well behaved, I barely believe it's leather in there at all! The pipe smoke is so gentlemanly and polite, it doesn't overpower the other scents, it just sits there quietly in its big metaphorical arm chair.

 

On the drydown: same as wet above. It's a very...adult scent. It's not sweet as in "sweets" but sweet as in "ah, this has been aged well" -- does that make sense?

 

I am in love.

 

If you like this, you might also like: Shadwell

 

 

PS, I'm not getting any lemon in this at all.

Edited December 10, 2010 by AnArtfuldodger

[Dark Alice]

Lemony Pipe Smoke. That's all I get out this one which is sad as I was excited about it. Pass.

[Vega]

Reviewing the 2006 version.

 

Sniffed: Very deep, sweet, warm wood. I'm guessing there is cherry pipe tobacco in there too.

 

On skin: Deep, warm, solid woods brightened by syrupy cherries. The cherry recedes over time, and the tobacco and leather become more apparent over the wood. I don't recognize any linen. Herr Drosselmeyer is deep and masculine in its woodiness, but I think a woman can still wear it as a comfort scent. It is comforting and warm (if a little bit heavy), but also contemplative and a bit scholarly. There's a sense of ancientry that is steadfast and ennobled, not weighed down, by the years. It feels like being in a warm and well-lit ancient wood cabin in remote snow-covered mountains. Colour impression is the deep, woody-red lacquer used in Chinese furniture.

 

Verdict: A very evocative blend indeed, but it's quite heavy and masculine, and I don't see myself wearing it even as a comfort scent. Even so, I'm very glad to have spent some time in the presence of Herr Drosselmeyer.

Edited December 16, 2010 by Vega

[greenranger]

2010 version.

 

When I first put this on, I was perplexed. I didn't smell smoke at all. In fact, it smelled fresh and almost lemony.

 

Over time, the scent changed slightly, and I thought I could pick up linen and wood maybe. Even later, the pipe tobacco started coming out. This is still a very clean scent for something with smoke in it. Cozy and masculine.

[Lorelai1945]

2010 version

 

This starts out sweet leather with tobacco. I really like how it begins on my skin. It's smooth and sweet and buttery leather. I almost get some soft mint in there, too. But...the more it dries, the more a lemony citrus scent pushes through- a lot like lemon Pez. It's a sweet citrus. This scent is a lot softer than I imagined it would be, but that lemon ruins it for me.

[zagadka]

I got this for my brother for Xmas, but HAD to try it on of course!!

 

Its definitely a lot more fresh and light than what the description would have you believe.

 

In the bottle its very dark and moody, but then POW! Its got a fresh squeeze of lemony goodness to cut through. The tobacco note is very refined and sweet, not over powering at all. I only got hints of leather- if I didn't know it was in there I'm not sure I would be able to point it out.

 

Its a very well rounded scent. A bit more masculine, but definitely unisex. I wish I would have gotten one for me, too!!

[fairestrocza]

Quick Summary: It gives the impression of the lingering scent one would be able to smell on oneself after snuggling up with a pipe-smoking, leather-jacket wearing man. But it doesn't smell like any of the men in my life, so I've been summarizing this as "Smells like adultery."

 

In the Bottle: sweet and slightly fruity

 

Wet on Skin: Not at all what I expected. This smells familiar (The Boy agrees) but I can't quite place it. The main scent is a slightly lemony wood (though the boy smells evergreen).

 

While Drying: The lemony scent gradually dies down. None of the other scents are really standing out. This has a comforting feel.

 

After a Little While: This is sweeter on me than it is on The Boy. It turns rather bitter on his skin. I can catch a hint of the pipe smoke now (and a bit like a cheap cherry cigar).

 

Later: It reminds me a bit of wearing my dad's jacket when I was little.

 

Final Thoughts: Leather is usually a doom note on me, but it behaves here. Linen can be hit or miss, but I'm not picking it up in this. On me, this isn't distinctly leather or smoke, but is a warm-man-scent. I like it, but it isn't anything I see myself wearing regularly.

Herr Drosselmeyer earns a 3/5 on my skin.

[forspecial_plate]

2010.....the tobacco is a lot lighter than the older one I've tried. This smells like musk, herbs, and a little lemon. Actually it smells a lot like Carnaval Diabolique. I like the linen note, though.

 

Edit: I have to say, after wearing this more and more in the last couple days, it has grown on me a lot and it is very, very good. I do wish it had just a little more leather and a little less lemon (not sure where the lemon is coming from but it's still there), and I would buy a full bottle. I am still considering it, but it smells so much like Carnaval Diabolique, there isn't really a need for me to have both.

Edited December 30, 2010 by Forspecial Plate

[cherrycherry]

The tobacco hits me first and I don't mind it one bit. This is gorgeous on my husband; very Christmassy and evocative. Reminds me of how Santa would smell. The linen adds a crispness, lifting the blend and making it sweeter somehow. One for the boy

[rayvn1]

In the words of Smiley Bone: "Happiness Abounding!!" Man oh man..I almost didn't get this one because I eagerly stalked and tried out Herr Dross '06 when I first got into bpal and it was a big disappointment though I crave leather and tobacco. When I heard a lemony note was thrown into the mix this year I groaned in distress. However! This is perfect. Surprisingly, amazingly perfect! And what i really get now that it's sat on me awhile:

 

A stronger tobacco version of Haunt's Winchester. Which makes me crazy excited It started out with a bright and not-too-lemony kick over some leather and tobacco. It reminded me of the sweet, lemony hyssop notes in Gennivre which I love as a summer scent. If Dean Winchester dated Ginnevre, this is probably what it would smell like (huzzah!) I get light leather and prominent tobacco. The tobacco switches between slightly fruity with a dark tinge, and warm and dusty cinnamon and sugar the next. I don't really get woods and the bright hyssop/lemon reminder fades into the background after about half an hour.

 

Hm. This one throws out so many scent images! Now I'm thinking the way Tristan smelled like sex in a field with leather pants, this one smells like sex in the kitchen with leather pants

 

By the way, I'm wearing Ebenezer Scrooge on the other arm and the two together are creating the manliest, manliest sexy smell imaginable! I'm talking devastatingly sexy.

 

One of my Yule (and together top 10) favorites!

Edited December 29, 2010 by Shollin
Removed Lab description

[Akurarei]

Herr Drosselmeyer 2010

 

In the Bottle:

stale mint - yep.

 

on my Skin, Wet:

STALE MINT! AMPED!

this stage is pretty gross IMO, but there seem to be hints of something else under the icky mint.

which is a weird surprise, BTW.

 

On my Skin, Dry:

mint has fallen by the wayside.

I now get the leather & woods & pipe smoke.

not familiar enough with BPAL's linen note to ID it here.

 

Verdict:

I really dislike the wet phase - stale mint = gross

BUT the dry phase is interesting and encapsulates the toymaker very nicely.

I finally get leathers that play nice on my skin, so this is a nice, dark version of leather....if I can hold my breath past the stale mint part.

 

interesting morphology!

[milo]

Wet, quite medicinal, but dries to a lovely tobacco/leather blend with a touch of musk. This is a wee bit too masculine for me, though, but I'd love to smell it on a guy.