Riding the Goat

[sarada]

 

Riding the Goat, C.M. Coolidge.

A rich Masonic incense coupled with mahogany wood, ebony, and pipe smoke.

 

Incense, wood and pipe smoke. Okay, that's pretty much my three favorite things in the world. So much so that I barely even paused to marvel at the amazing artwork -- what could be more wonderful than Masonic dogs wearing pointed hats?

 

Oh yes, this is a smooth, polished, silky wood, Dark, glossy, but sparkling -- a clean, shiny black wood, stained with aeons of rich fragrant smoke. It is not the pungent pipe smoke of Herr Drosselmeyer, or the woodsy bonfire of Hexennacht -- it is the scent of wood-paneled walls in a library or sitting room, books and ornate chairs soaking up endless evenings of contemplation and study.

 

The smoke is not overwhelming, in other words -- a faintly sweet dark wood, the memory of a long-ago mass. There are hints of the sparkly resin of Midnight Mass in here, and a slightly 'clean' smell as though the woodwork has recently been cleaned and only the fainted wisps of smoke still linger in the air.

 

Oh yes, this is another favorite. I chose my first two Dogs well! Absolutely perfect.

 

ETA: Continuing wonderfullness as it dries: It goes through a phase of having the tobacco/smoke note from Parliament of Monsters for a bit and becomes very Death Cap on the drydown several hours later! Oh god!

Edited September 13, 2007 by Shollin

[filigree_shadow]

I bought a bottle of this one as a present for my husband, but I couldn't resist trying some on before I gave it to him.

 

I think it smells wonderful. The woods aren't dry, they smell rich and full. Sweet, too. Maybe the sweetness is mostly from the pipe smoke; it's hard to tell. The incense isn't dry either, it's also sweet, but not that sort of piercingly sweetness that I usually get from frankincense. When I was trying to figure out what I thought this scent smelled like, the word "foody" came to mind. However, it's not foody -- it just has that smooth quality to it that many foody scents have.

 

This scent smells, in a word, expensive. It's really beautiful. I kinda wish I hadn't given i to my husband. If he doesn't start wearing it, I'm taking it back.

 

 

ETA: He tried it on, and we both agreed that it smells better on ME! HA! For once something smells better on me than on He of the Disgustingly Perfect Skin Chemistry. So I took it!

Edited April 17, 2007 by filigree_shadow

[flyingpizza]

I've been sniffing away, trying to come up with a good review for this one, but words are failing me. Yes, it smells dignified, but not like a pomade-haired great uncle or anything like that. There is that slightly sour incense note that I find in Nag Champa and some sandalwoods, but it's not off-putting. The incense note has a similar feel to Midnight Mass--light, nice, and hard to nail down. I really like this one, and wish I could put words to it better, but I'll settle with calling it a smooth, regal, dignified scent.

Edited April 16, 2007 by flyingpizza

[edenssixthday]

Riding the Goat - On my skin, this is predominantly a pipe tobacco scent that reminds me of Herr Drosselmeyer without the touch of cherry. It's definitely got a strong level of sweetness, as is typical with pipe tobacco. The incense and woods are beautiful -- they're dry, yet very rich and full of depth. The scent makes me think of a dignified professor sitting in an stuffed armchair in a wood-paneled library, pushing his spectacles up his nose, taking a puff off his pipe, and leaning back in his chair as he begins reading a leather-bound book of great philosophical significance. It's a wonderful scent. It's not feminine enough for my taste, but it's still quite wonderful.

[batsy]

In the vial: smokey incense and berries! Like Lampades!

 

On the skin: It evokes the woods in deep fall, after a frost. The berries are kinda like juniper to my nose. The mahogany is lovely and the pipe smoke deepens it. Kinda like a grandfather scent. Very manly. I'm getting a hint of wood polish/cleaner on the drydown, which scares me but hopefully that'll go away. Delightful!

[Em-]

Unfortunately, this Dog just does not agree with my chemistry. There is something in here, whether it's the incense or the ebony, that mixes with my skin to create something almost sour...which makes me sad, because I love tobacco and I absolutely adore the painting.

[luna65]

Thanks to kmasden for the decant.

 

Vial: Wood with a sweet resin undertone.

 

Skin: This goes on somewhat sharp at first, it's got sort of a perfume-y tone. The incense is the most prevalent element.

 

Drydown: The pipe smoke comes out in the drydown, lending a further sweetness. This is very much a secretive sort of scent (heh), hinting at traditions and evenings of ritual. I enjoy it but have to employ a very light hand in application.

[Little Bird]

Something about this smells exactly like green olives on my skin - sour, damp, very salty, and with a pinch of sweetness. It makes my mouth water. And it stays like that on my skin. I can go and sniff a jar of green olives in the kitchen, and that's exactly what Riding the Goat smells like on me.

If I sniff very deeply, I can get hints of sweetly smoky something underneath it all.

 

After 15 minutes... whoa. Now it has gotten a bit too sour. This smells a little like... pee... on me. Still, very salty and pungent. How strange. This doesn't smell like any BPAL I've ever tried before. It doesn't smell anything like any of the incense blends that I have. Something in this goes very soured on my skin.

 

I definitely need to smell this on someone else.

[aine]

Riding the Goat is a very different wood blend to any others I own (and I own a lot, I love Teh Woods ). It is a dark, rich wood. Smooth and somehow glossy, almost like it has been lovingly polished for generations with a soft cloth.

 

This smells 'antique' - perhaps the heavy ebony carving you might find in the finest smoking room. A really rich and elegant blend.

[penemuel]

I was worried about this when I smelled it in the imp -- I loved the description so much I bought a bottle unsniffed, and after sniffing my decant I was thinking it would be heading straight to the swap/sales. It's kind of sharp and perfumey in the imp -- not at all the deep woodsy/incensy scent I was expecting.

 

That sharp/perfumey scent stayed for a bit while it was on my skin, but now -- oh yes, this is what I was expecting from the description. Warm, incense and polished wood, a hint of sweetness from the pipe smoke -- this is a lovely scent. All the sharpness is gone, leaving behind this deliciously mysterious warmth.

[t_for_tau]

Thick, expensive, oily incense, made sharp by a note that I could *swear* is grapefruit. I must be going crazy. I get what bloodonmyhands means about the olivey-sharp/sour note; it's not unpleasant, but it is unusual, and is getting more olive-y as it dries. I can imagine Masonic dodgy dealings with a goat smelling like this. Another DPP scent that isn't really for me, but is a really impressive creation.

 

ETA: After about half to three quarters of an hour, this was the most fantastic smokey incense, and I'm beginning to think of tracking down a bottle. The sharpness is completely gone, it's rounded and majestic and I love it.

Edited May 15, 2007 by tau

[gingersnapp]

Mmmm, gorgeous Church incense. Reminds me of Ash Wednesday at my old parish.

[forspecial_plate]

Incense and woods. At first I feared it was too much like Al-Azif, which was too rich for me. Later the woods come out and I find that I like this after all. Polished woods, incense, and almost smells like it has leather. This is 'cologney' more than 'perfumey' to me. Reminds me just a little bit of a more mellow Les Infortunes Des de la Vertu.

[shadesong]

In bottle: This is dark, and it is *ew*.

 

On me: Yeah. It's dark, thick, and sludgy. Blech. I like mahogany wood and tobacco, so it's not that.

[tinyvulture]

a combination of some of my favorite notes – incense, smoke, and wood. of course i love it. the pipe smoke, the strongest note, really smells smoky – and sweet. the mahogany is true and rich and dark. i’m trying to think where i’ve smelled this incense note before in other blends, but i can’t place it. it’s not “churchy” like midnight mass or all souls. this is something else entirely. it smells old and dignified, spicy and intriguing, sweet and dark, all at the same time. i must acquire a bottle.

Edited May 19, 2007 by tinyvulture

[Heavenlyrabbit]

This is 'cologney' more than 'perfumey' to me. Reminds me just a little bit of a more mellow Les Infortunes Des de la Vertu.

 

I get something akin to a laid back Red Lantern mixed with a men's cologne circa 1920.

 

Perfection. But then, I love the components and they love me.

[jade_starlight]

On me, this is like sticking your nose into an old cedar chest and just huffing. I like it, but I don't think I want to smell like it.

[valentina]

Riding the Goat smells very much of sharp incense in the bottle. When it hits my skin, it has a decided edge, but I also get a sense of underlying florals, probably from the incense. After a bit, it mellows out into a an incense smell. I've discovered that my body chemistry tends to do the same thing with all blends containing incense, and turns them into the same thing. It must be my internal Nag Champa thermostat, or something like that.

 

On my spouse, Riding the Goat is much more interesting -- it also starts out a little too much like sharp, almost floral, incense on him, to such an extent that I thought he-of-perfect-body-chemistry might actually have to swap away a bottle. But not to fear -- rather quickly the scent balances out on him, and the woods in the blend really balance out the incense. I even detect a bit of sweet tobacco. It's an understated scent, it doesn't have a huge amount of throw, and it turns into a relatively proper gentleman's cologne on him.

[euterpe414]

There is definitely something in this one that goes a bit sour on my skin at first. I ahve absolutely no idea what it is thought b/c all the notes listed seem to go well with my chemistry. must be something in the 'masonic incense'. Anyhow, the sourness fades away and I am gladly left with the scent of rich, dark wood and incense. The tobacco in this one is hardly present, for some reason. Oddly enough this blend is fairly quiet and stays close to my skin. I am glad this one turned out all right in the end but I am going to ponder keeping my bottle b/c I am not sure about how many times I can handle the weird sour stage. Maybe aging might help it...??

[Alchemy21599]

In the vial: dark resins and incense.

 

On skin: There is an unpleasant, strong boozy note that is overwhelming everything else. I have to wash this off.

[supremegoddessofall]

In bottle: Mahogany and very manly.

 

On me: Almost like an upscale Endust. Not sure about this one.

[dzurlady]

I got this one mainly out of curiousity. It's very different than anything I've tried before in my fairly short BPAL career, so I'm glad I did. It smells interesting (and I don't mean that in a bad way!) but it's not really me, I don't think.

 

In the vial: A very clean, slightly sweet smell.

On me, wet: A warm clean smell. There's almost a hint of wool, like a jumper, maybe? When I reread the description, I can smell the woods, which form the heart of the scent, and what must be the incense. I can't smell any pipe smoke, but I might just not recognise it.

On me, dry: Much the same.

On me, later: More woody, a touch sweeter. A bit more smokey, maybe? But still very similar to when wet.

 

Overall I'm pleased to have been able to try this, but I think I'll probably swap it off to someone who'll love it more than me.

[cuervosueno]

Incense and dark woods. Nice! It smells like I imagine ebony would smell....not that I've smelled it. It's also just a wee bit sharp, as if it had pine in it.

 

I just got a wee smelly of this from a lovely forumite, and I like it, but won't be seeking out anymore.

[alicia_stardust]

RIDING THE GOAT

In the bottle: Incense, sweetness, tobacco.

 

On my skin: The sweet tobacco really comes to the forefront for the first minute or two, then as it starts to dry I get an amazing wash of deep, beautiful incense. It makes me think of a den that's full of incense smoke, pipe smoke, with the entire room being warm and hazy.

 

After a while: About 30 minutes after application I get the mahogany wood. (At this point the scent reminds me of the wine barrel smell I get from Montresor). The wood sits on top for the remainder of the time, but the incense and sweet pipe smoke are not far behind.

[PurringPulsar]

Riding the Goat

 

In the bottle: pickled olives and red wine? On second sniff it smells more like a glass of port on a polished mahogany table, in a room with walls made from polished dark woods.

Wet on skin: after an initial blast of salted olives, the scent changes for the better by turning to a sweetish incense cologne with hints of polished wood.

Dry on skin: tobacco and incense with polished wooden furniture. This is very much like Parliament of Monsters but without the opium haze, there's a similar tobacco-incense feel to it though, as well as that hint of olive I got from PoM and also Succour. But this is better than PoM, it's richer, darker, more sophisticated, also a little bit perfume-y. It brings to mind a mahogany panelled gentleman's lounge where pipes and incense have burnt, ebony tables oiled until they have a mirror like finish. The incense note in here is rich and resinous, a gorgeous dry incense blend, both similar and a little bit different from the church incenses-not as intensely frankincense-y, but definitely with frankincense and myrrh to it, a meditative and ritualistic scent.

After a while: there's a hint of something like wine to this, or sherry. Something sipped at a gentleman's club. The hint of olive does get stronger and seems much more apparent when smelt from afar, but close to the wrist the darker woods and the tobacco (much less intense and not as sweet as Her Drosselmeyer or Hellfire) have become stronger. The scent really does bring to mind polished mahogany, it is refined and also evocative of old houses, wooden floors and panels and furniture.

After about 2-3 hours, the olive scent disappears and the incense becomes beautifully sweet, and slightly ashy as well, like it has burnt completely, with that soft woodsy tobacco. The incense now reminds me slightly of Al Azif, but drier and less sticky. I love this stage most of all, it smells comforting and gentle but still with that ritual incense feel to it. There's a wonderful rich and sweetish myrrh note at the base here, like the one in Eshe, Priala and Minotaur, as well as something almost amber-like. This dark amber becomes the remaining note as the scent dries, it reminds me of the wonderful black amber in Schwarzer Mond's drydown.

Verdict: another lovely addition to my collection of incense scents. At first I was unsure of this-there was a weird 'olive' scent to it which kept popping up, and only three other incense scents have turned to olives so far-Succour, Yule and Parliament of Monsters. I was worried that the olive like scent would overtake like it did in Parliament, but thankfully it didn't, as the woods and incense notes in here are gorgeous. The woods smell sophisticated, well buffed with a mirror like sheen, dark ebony and mahogany furniture, with a bare hint of pipe tobacco. But it's the incense I love most about this scent. a dark, dry, gently smoky and mysterious ceremonial blend, almost church like but not quiet, this is almost like the Pit and the Pendulum but without the strong frankincense, almost like Al Azif but not as sticky-sweet. But after about 3 hours-the resins go all sweet and dark, like a wonderful rich myrrh and amber combination. I think Beth has been using a delightful new myrrh note in a lot of her recent scents, including this, it smells dark and deep and sweet and amber-like. I love this woodsy-resin drydown most of all. The strange olive note at the beginning of the scent keeps it from being a true favourite in my incense collection but the drydown is worth the wait.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? yes, definitely keeping my bottle

If you like this, try: Parliament of Monsters, Dee, Hellfire, Isaac, Al Azif, Pit and the Pendulum, Brown Jenkins