Le Père Fouettard

[Voleuse]

Whip leather, coal dust, gaufrette, and black licorice.

 

Mmmm, leather. With a hint of candy-sweetness, which is fascinating. I don't get coal, but this is a shiny black leather, definitely. The sweetness isn't prominent, but it keeps this from being all De Sade leather. I don't get licorice at all, which honestly, I prefer. Overall, this is a faint scent on me, but I like it.

[surlygurl]

This scent starts out licorice & gaufrette with something dusty underneath. Must be coal dust. As it dries it becomes mostly coal dust. A candy coal dust. This is only slightly foody/sweet, like sweet bread that has sat too long in a dusty room. A good scent for a cloudy gray morning, but not something that'll never be in my regular rotation.

 

ok. Now that it's dry the coal dust has given way to gaufrette & licorice, but softer than when it was fresh. It's very pretty and only hints at foodiness.

Edited July 14, 2010 by surlygurl

[Penance]

Origin:

 

Decant bought on LiveJournal.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I bought this not remembering what the notes were, only that it was sought after and a bit of a cult classic. I was definitely curious, so I grabbed it. When I read the notes (after the fact), I was a little apprehensive. Normally, I would have avoided something like this because of the licorice (I hate the smell--and taste--of licorice), but I'm not giving up hope of this being a winner because I've been surprised by BPAL before and the other notes in this sound good.

 

On another note, I read the story that inspired this and that alone makes me want to love Le Père Fouettard. Who knew Santa could create zombies?* Not me! Santa just got a lot more awesome.

 

First sniff:

 

Ooh, I like this! It's definitely a leather scent, more like Spanked than De Sade or Dead Man's Hand. That old, creaky, shiny-with-wear leather smell. But it's not just leather, there's something sweet here, too. The gaufrette, evidently. It smells almost like waffle cones. I don't normally care for the smell of waffle cones, but it's working here. I also smell something kind of non-descript and vaguely spicy. It has to be the licorice, but if I hadn't read the notes, I think I would have guessed sassafras or rootbeer.

 

Wet on skin:

 

This starts out very heavy on the leather and then almost immediately starts to sweeten. The leather is still there as a major player, but the sassafras/rootbeer/licorice note immediately makes itself known and gets stronger and stronger very quickly. Surprisingly, it's still a pleasant smell to me. I'm not getting that stomach-turning "yuck factor" I normally get from licorice. The gaufrettes are here, too, lending an almost creamy waffle cone sweetness in the background. No sign of the coal dust, which is kind of disappointing, but I'm liking the balance of things as they are, so I'm not too upset.

 

Dry down:

 

The longer this sets on my skin, the more the leather takes a backseat to the spicy/creamy/sweet sassafras/rootbeer/licorice and gaufrettes. I still get the leather in the background, but this becomes a not-quite-foody scent pretty quickly and that impression gets stronger and stronger as the drydown goes on. It's a little hard to categorize this one. It's foody in that it's sweet and spicy, but it's not like a bakery or candy. If there was such a thing as non-foody waffle cones and licorice-flavored rootbeer, then Le Père Fouettard is what it would smell like.

 

The bottom line:

 

I like this, amazingly, although it's not something I see myself needing more than my decant of, because it's definitely not an everyday scent. More of an "I'm in the mood for..." kind of scent.

 

* Okay, so the kids weren't actually zombies. But they were reanimated dismembered corses, so I guess that makes Santa more like Jesus than a bokur. Still pretty awesome. I love a gory fairy tale more than is probably healthy.

[donnatron]

Imp: It smells like these particular cookies I pick up at the Italian supermarket. They're very, very thin and kind of bake up with the texture of a really thin ice cream cone. It's nice in a foody sort of way.

 

Wet: Mostly I'm relieved because I passed on this due to the creepiness and then regretted it because I'm the creepiest mofo I know and would have totally been able to handle it. But none of my beloved licorice is coming to the surface and this is really, really similar to Liz.

 

Dry: Yeah. Actually it's almost a dead ringer for Liz on my skin. Slightly foodier and a bit deeper but not in a deeper way that I like. It's a dark, creamy, foody vanilla with a dirty slap of leather in the background. The vanilla is almost a little too cloying and I wish the licorice came into this to sort of cut the vanilla. It's beautiful and I really like it but it is also, thankfully, not something I cannot live without.

 

Throw: Strong.

 

Overall: It's nice. If you missed this and want to try it, Liz is a more than suitable dupe. I wish I could smell the licorice but honestly? Whenever I try a semi-Holy Grail it's always a relief to understand why it's loved but not have to undertake searching down any more.

[CitizenBree]

This scent is amazing. I would have NEVER tried it...not even a decant. I was frimped it from some sale somewhere. I like leather but have found most leather scents to be really heavy. I really don't like licorice. Coal dust? Sounds sneezy.

 

but OMG this is magical. I LOVE it. and it is so familiar. took me a while but I figured out it is a stronger version of CC Female. Very, VERY similar.

[impolight]

:::La Pere Fouettard:::

 

This was a much coveted gem in Sissy's vault of BPAL goodies for quite a while before it showed up as a Birthday gift! You're the best, Schnanni! (((SMOOCH!)))

Sifting through the reviews of predecessors, it came as quite a surprise to see so many nods to fancy french cookies...

Really?

There wasn't much of an association with baked goods from this experience. In fact, the odds are that if a plate of Gaufrettes mysteriously materialised in the house,

they would provide little to no temptation for the eating. It is much more feasible that they would be bludgeoned mercilessly with some holy relic. Immolated. Interred

in a churchyard.

The impressions of la pere fouettard arte pretty much sommed up by the ingenious artwork of the label. Ultrablack. Thoughts not fully formed. Fear of the unknown.

Sexy as Hell.

From the Bottle: Lewdest, Lascivious Leather, illicitly lickable Licorice, Super Soot, and... Black Walnut paste???

At this stage, La pere Fouettard is a joyride in the back of s hitman's limousene. There is a face here that is charismatic and unquestionably handsome but, for some reason, you will never be able to recall a single detail. While his tones are cultured and soothing, there is no mistaking the mercurial menace that lies just beneath the surface. You are proferred a sweet in the form of an Anisette lozenge from a silver tray. The smell of Leather is dizzying, and you can't be sure if this emnates from the limousene's seats of the black racing gloves of your host. The way that the light winks from his platinum cufflinks is bewitching. Powerful musculature bulges beneath the sleeves of his exquisitely tailored charcoal suit... but you gaze stops there.

You are prompted to pay close attention and, as the smoked glass partition rolls up noiselessly, you are helpless to do otherwise. There is no sadness in you. There is, surprisingly, a complete absence of fear. For some reason, a lone tear glides down your cheek and disappears into the collar of your shirt.

It is an overcast day. The Victorian porchfronts flash by into infinity.

There is a soundless, trembling sigh.

Sleep beckons.

The Iniquitous Illinition: Impossibly, this waxes still darker. Absolutely nothing modern or metropilan remains here. There is a more conspicuous threat. There are more definitive horrors. This would be a Christmas story penned by Howard Philip Lovecraft. All carols are solemn. Bereft. All tinsels are sullied. Strangulating.

The sole reason you find yourself here is that you were to surprise mother. A simple shortcut through the woods with a sack slung over your shoulder. A rap at the door. Her mouth and eyes a perfect "O".

Somehow, tragically, you have been irretrievably lost. A miserably cold night has been spent in the wild, wet wood. You abandoned your sack when you were awakened in the middle of the night by vocalizations from creatures you remember from nowhere in childhood. Your clothes are tattered from jagged stones and twists of evergreen limb.

Trembling, moist, and miserable, you stagger into a clearing. By the light of the coming dawn, you see a strange sort of cottage. It becomes apparent that no one has set foot on these grounds for at least 50 years. You enter for a temporary respite from the cold and the stinging rain.

You sit with your back to the hearth and draw your knees to your chest for warmth. After a few deep breaths in the quiet gloom, sleep tempts you. So reclined, it feels as though you have begun to fall, through the floor, in slow motion, and you startle awake. Again, you close your eyes. The nasty wind is like the fluting of the damned, and a waft of soot and char gusts from behind the grating and caresses your cheek.

There is something else there too. You sit bolt upright; breathless with your heart hammering in you ears and galaxies whirling in your periphery of vision.

You know he's there. Someone. Something.

With your so called "gift" of second sight, you see him. He's inside the chimney, hanging head downward. His skin is coal-black. His kcuckles, protuberant. His fingers are ludicrously long. His eyes are wax and sandalwood. His teeth are chrome grasses.

His adam's apple bobs and you can here a raping, clicking, chuckling sound as he begins to resurrect; to revive from his hibernation.

You crash through the door and hurtle, all apiss and screaming through the meadow.

His laughter erupts; a laugh that makes thunder sound like a siblant whisper...

A laugh that knocks you prone.

A laugh that flattens timber and cracks the sky...

 

Mother shakes you awake and smooths your forehead with a cool moist cloth. She reminds you that you are her favourite silly goose and that you shouldn't eat licorice before bed.

It has given you nightmares since you were a child!

 

La Pere Fouettard is genius. It is both glamorous and diabolical: equally suited for Him or Her.

La pere Fouettard is sexy and severe.

Thank you, BPAL for your incessant supply of magic!

a 5 out of 5.

[milo]

I've waited so long to try this, I never bought this back in the day, mostly because leather and I are not the greatest of friends...At first, strong licorice, like Ouzo, and cookies. After a bit, the leather comes out, but it is not bothering me, and there is still that lovely licorice, not too strong. Both the leather and licorice are behaving themselves rather nicely. This is nice, a bit dusty, not sure why all the hype, I mean it's pretty darned good, but there are other blends just as nice that wouldn't cost me an arm and a leg (not that this did!) I'll definitely keep the imp, and use it in cooler weather. If it should become available again, it would definitely be bottle worthy to me.

[The Poison Queen]

In the imp: Leathery buttered popcorn. D: D: D: Not going to get a skin test.

[fiddlehead]

I like this quite a lot. I can actually pick out all the notes at one time or another. The Licorice and leather are probably the strongest. A bit of sweetness from the gaufrette and a sort of stone/dust note from the coal. But the licorice and leather are definitely the most present. It's subtle on me, which is perfect. I think it's a really unique scent and definitely unisex. If I were a slatherer I might buy a second bottle of Le Pere Fouettard.

[Helas]

This is such a bizarre, quirky, offbeat scent. I don't quite know what to make of it. In the bottle and wet, this is strong, bitter, aged leather that smells as though it's gathered dust in the closet for years. The licorice is not very sweet and merely gives the scent an atmosphere of pitch darkness. Then, out of nowhere comes this delicious creamy vanilla cake scent that amplifies the sweetness of the licorice. The leather and dust notes are still present but fade to the background. The scent is still pitch black but in a sweet, candy-like way now - like anise- and vanilla-flavoured saltwater taffy - retaining, however, an undertone of menace due to the leather.

 

Normally, I think of "foodie" or gourmand scents as very feminine. This is an oddball - a masculine foodie scent. In case it's not obvious, I love it and don't have anything else like it in my collection.

[Smaragdina]

I was nervous about this - I like black licorice in small doses, but it doesn't take much before it becomes overpowering. I'm happy to say that this black licorice is nice on me!

 

In the imp, it's buttery anise-y sugar. On my skin the black licorice comes to the fore, but it's very sweet (though it doesn't read as terribly edible to my nose; maybe this is because I don't like black licorice candy at all). It's undeniably warm, but the licorice makes it cool and slinky at the same time. After a couple hours the licorice dies down and merely adds a weird, intriguing depth to the dusty sugar/leather thing that's going on.

 

All in all, what I'm getting is mostly the warm sweet gaufrette, with the licorice and leather swapping places as the secondary note as it dries and the dust adding a sort of grainy-ness along the fringes. This is sweet without being candylike. It's foody but it doesn't read edible at all, if that makes sense; it's more mature than that. There's a tiny bit of menace to it. It's really unusual.

 

I'm so happy I bought a bottle. I think I'm in love.

Edited December 21, 2013 by Smaragdina

[windbourne]

Seriously? I never reviewed this?

 

Anyway, I have both 2008 and 2013 versions, and they are rather different beasts.

 

On me, 2008 is all about warm buttery cookies and soft black leather that amps up as it dries, then a hint of licorice with a background dusting of coal. It throws like gangbusters, lasts forever, and has basically been one of my favorite things to pull out of my box, look at, and then mourn that it is the last of its kind. Mind you, I've barely made a dent in my bottle because VERY STRONG THROW APPLY LIGHTLY, plus I had a decant to work through before I even started on the bottle. Spoilers: I totally did that.

 

2013 opens with grasping black licorice, the really tough kind with a bit of saltiness, a niblet of shiny leather, then some hesitant cookies, all layered over with a dusting of coal. The throw is rather less intense and it doesn't last as long. It's still pretty great, but for me, 2008 is the clear winner (as if I were actually death-matching them LOL NO, they are both mine.) OTOH, if you want more licorice, then you are in luck.

 

So in my opinion, if you were looking to the new release to understand why the old one got so expensive, you're probably in the same theater, but 2008 has got the better tickets. 2013 might age to a similar glory, but might get stuck behind a pillar. A pillar made of licorice*.

 

Also, just as a statement -- try layering either of them with Butter Rum Cookie. Omnomnommity nom.

 

*I actually love licorice. If 2013 were my first experience with this scent, I would probably adore it completely.

[BoneBone24]

(2013)

 

Wet: Darkly sweet. I’m not usually crazy about sweet, but this is actually quite yummy.

 

Drydown: I can make out each note clearly, even though it is very well blended. The gaufrette is partnered with the leather at the top, with the licorice adding a certain twistedness in the middle, and a bare dusting of coal lingers in the back. As it dries the coal worms it’s way to the front, kicking the gaufrette down a peg to make room. Black and dusty and softly sweet, with a bit of a surly snap from the licorice.

 

Dry: More dusty coal piles on top, burying the gaufrette almost completely. The leather smoothes things over and the licorice fades to a whisper. Bleak and grey and gritty and menacing. Oh! and I think I’ve found the gaufrette; it seems to have relocated to the throw, which is actually quite perfect! Dark and gritty on the wrist for me, and soft cookie-sweetness in the air for those around me

 

 

 

 

8 out of 10 bones

[HighPriestessIce]

Disclaimer: I absolutely loathe black licorice with the passion of a thousand suns. Nothing ever makes it tolerable. I have no idea what I was thinking when I bought this decant.

That being sad I'm in love. It's so well blended I don't even notice it. I can smell a smooth smokey leather. If I really concentrate I catch just the barest hint of the licorice but it just deepens and spices the leather. It almost has a slight foody quality at first, but that quickly goes away and gives into a dusty spice.

[zankoku_zen]

2013 version

 

Virtually identical to La Pere Fouettard 2005, this smells like black leather and licorice. And a tiny hint of dust. It doesn't smell so much like a leather whip, but definitely black leather. I think the licorice is toned down in this blend.

 

So, if you wanted La Pere Fouettard and missed its original run, or if you are hoarding bottles, go buy this one.

[lohengrin]

In the decant: Mostly just licorice. It's not very strong, either.

 

On skin, wet: Licorice and a little bit of a sweet bakery note that has to be the gaufrette.

 

On skin, dry: Dusty black licorice. The gaufrette has vanished again. It almost makes me want to sneeze, but it may be psychological.

 

After an hour: Same as the initial drydown. I never did get any leather, which is a disappointment, but it's a very interesting scent. The coal dust had the most potential to go incredibly wrong, but I actually kind of like it. I'll have to think about this.

[unlaced]

I did a side by side comparison of the '08 version (which I LOVE! I was ecstatic when I saw this on the Yules list this year. I never even smelled it until a few years after its release. I don't think I even read the notes until after I smelled it so I'm used to warm, yummy, evenly balanced cake and leather all the way from bottle to drydown)

 

In the bottle the '13 version has more cake than the '08 version. Which is okay.

 

Wet on my skin I am getting more notes than I expected. I was surprised to smell something dirty and a bit gritty in with my leather and cake. The coal dust I guess? The leather also smells a bit newer than the '08 version. The smell overall isn't as warm.

 

Drying down there's some kind of sharp smell that I can't identify. It's not bad or ruining the blend, but definitely present.

 

Dry it gets a little warmer and more like the '08 version. But as time goes on that sharp smell creeps back in.

 

I think the verdict is that I'll use up my '08 bottle and let the two (yes, two ) that I bought age in the drawer for a while.

 

P.S.- I get absolutely no licorice from this at all. Either year.

Edited January 12, 2014 by unlaced

[Atrous]

2013 version:

 

Decant: Licorice

 

Wet: Wet stage is not that great. Coal dust takes over and buries everything else.

 

Dry: Thankfully, the dry stage doesn't last long. Leather and Licorice make their way to the top until they dominate. If I sniff really close to my wrist I can still smell the Coal Dust that's settled at the bottom. There is also a faint sweetness and spiciness wafting around. I love this.

[mymymai]

2013 Version

 

ITB: It's like a warm chocolate-laced pastry with a dusting of licorice. I'm a bit surprised at how foody (but pleasantly so) this smells.

 

Wet: Warm gaufrette with delicious black licorice, a touch of leather, but I don't get coal. It's more like coffee to me.

 

Dry: It's still nicely foody due to the guafrette and licorice. I get a little coal now, but it is a nice pairing with the other notes. It reminds me of a hearty winter meal (pastry, coffee) in the middle of winter, near a crackling fire.

[milo]

I was so happy when this was a Yule this year! I love the little imp I have, and knew I needed a bottle, and I'm glad I did. I'm getting a more masculine vibe from this version, though I bet it just needs to age a bit. So it kind of smells like pipe tobacco to me, with licorice and leather. Totally LOVE. The imp I have is more foody, see above and less on the licorice. So glad I have a bottle, to me it's a unisex blend, and I'd probably swoon if I smelled this on a guy. WIN.

[brilliantcat]

Initially this is leather and cake with a hint of licorice. As it dries down, the leather fades almost to nothingness, the cakey goodness disappears, and I'm left with slightly cologney licorice. Pass.

[Aviatrix]

2008 version!

 

On me, it's strong, spiced cake and a whirl of licorice, grounded with the leather. It's dark, but still totally wearable, and doesn't have a huge throw on my skin.

I compared it to the 2013 version, and the 2008 version is heavier on the cake, and the licorice sits a bit more in the background than in the 2013 version. They are both delicious, though, so it depends completely on which notes you like best

 

I would recommend it if you want to try a different kind of Yule, slightly darker and sleeker, but still with a hint of foodiness.

[Ordo_ad_Chao]

2008 and 2013 side by side:

 

2008: Gritty with dusty leather and a very subtle hint of not-too-sweet holiday cookies left out on the plate. No licorice on me, but it has a dirty old leather smell (which I like on me), hangs close to the skin- lasts a full workday of little unexpected whiffs.

 

2013: Sweet and foody out of the bottle, this one is all Christmas celebration cookies with a hint of the dark lurking around the edges- I get a little bit of the licorice, but 2013 is primarily a wickedly dirty (oh so dirty) kuchen. Also has excellent staying power.

 

Verdict: I'm going to age the 2013 and see if the notes blend similarly to '08.

Edited October 25, 2014 by Ordo_ad_Chao

[SuperWillers]

I got a sample of the '08 one and fell in love, because I love anything leather, and was so excited when they brought it back for '13, so I got a bottle even though I really couldn't afford it, and.... blechhhh.

 

'08: Warm, soft leather and gaufrette, which is the kind of cookie you let sit on top of a cup of tea to cover it, mild and waffly and a tiny bit of caramel or syrup. The licorice is stronger at first, then becomes mild and adds a dark note, but supports the leather and cookie with its natural anise fragrance. The coal is barely noticeable, just another supporting dark, dusty note. It ends on a strong, warm, soft, sweet, cozy, friendly, snuggly leather finish. LOVE. I give it a 9/10.

 

'13: Dark, industrial. If you want to smell like a steam train engineer after a long shift, this is for you. The leather is barely there, and the cookie is only a hint of sweetness, both buried under the sharp blackness of the licorice and industrial stink of coal smoke. When sniffing the bottle, it literally makes my throat close up a bit, and on the skin, it's no better. It never morphs to the '08 version, and has not changed at all in the aging. Awful. I give it a 2/10.

Edited November 19, 2014 by SuperWillers

[Veronica]

This is totally bizarre--a foody men's cologne. Also smells like fruit leather + cologne. Not bad on a guy at all, I would dig it, but not for me.