Durian Fruit Infused Honey with Brandy

[isisonearth]

Durian fruit infused honey with brandy.

In the imp it reminds me of lychee in syrup. Sickly sweet.

On my skin it goes very cough syrup fruity sweet. I gotta say ...yuck.

These are really fun to try:)

[zankoku_zen]

Strong fruit booze plus honey. As it dries it becomes much more honey dominated except this isn't the kind of honey that works for me. Oddly enough, it reminds me to O minus the amber.

[musichappens]

Sweet, fruity baby powder with absolutely no booze of any kind. This is a beautiful clean girlie scent, which will be perfect to wear on the days where I don't want to smell like bouquet or a fruit stand.

[carriesmom]

OMG, Lovely fruit salad soaked in brandy. Love this. It is sweet and fruity like a fresh made fruit salad that was soaked in honey and a bit of brandy. A Definite boozy undertone but not overwhelming, more like the smell you get when you sniff a strong drink. A definite keeper.

[Teaotter]

Wet: Honey and dark fruit -- plums, maybe?

 

Dry: The brandy takes over. It is very boozy, with honey and something more floral than fruity.

 

In the end, this isn't really for me, but I'm glad I tired it.

[Gold Dust Kitten]

A sweet, light cherry candy scent...or like someone posted up-thread, lychee. I resisted buying a bottle when I could, because I was afraid of the bad reviews. I'm not getting a sour note from this at all. This may be perfect for layering with my pure vanilla Chaos Theory.

[thebirdofhermes]

In Bottle: An alcoholic note, mixed with... Fruit Stripe gum. No lie. There's something faintly musty underneath, possibly the honey? but mostly it's sweet booze and Fruit Stripe.

 

Wet: Strongly sweet, cloying, generic artificial fruit scent. The brandy is present, though more as a soft alcohol presence than an identifiable liquor. No honey, though, unless it's contributing to the sweet of the fruit.

 

Dry: Deep, plummy, honeyed booze. Not cloyingly sweet; nor has it gone to baby powder like the reviews comparing the honey note to O made me fear it would. Minimal throw. Seems a bit... soapy? Yes, kind of like soap. All in all, very pleasant, but I'm glad I didn't pay full price for my bottle.

[cuervosueno]

Heady and boozy in the bottle, I can see why people got an "O" vibe from it, though it doesn't smell like O on me. In the very beginning it has a slightly custardy slightly funky scent that while is not like the actual Durian, it does recall it enough to justify the name. this fades fast on me, though, and I'm left with a golden brandied honey scent.

 

It dries down to something that is golden and girly, with a slightly floral vibe. Not heavy on the honey in the dried down phase.

 

I like it ok, but its not remarkable and it fades pretty fast on me.

Edited January 16, 2011 by cuervosueno

[Teaotter]

Red fruit and custard and honey and brandy. As this has aged, the fruit (which used to be sharper and more bitter) has smoothed out, blending incredibly well into the scent. The almost berry/cherry cough syrup I got when I first tried it now lasts maybe fifteen minutes until it fades into a juicy note that plays well with the honey and brandy.

 

This is smooth and thick and very definitely dessert. I adore it.

[ShadowEtienne]

So I like durian, don't love it but like it, especially in the context of durian paste mooncakes which I've had a few times. Durian also doesn't smell vile to me fresh (I lucked out on the smelling front on that one), though the inside definitely smells better than the outside.

 

With that out of the way, I was intrigued when I got to smell a friend's bottle of this, and was able to get a decant from said friend's bottle.

 

This smells and tastes sort of like the paste made with durian for the inside of mooncakes to me. It's got that custardy tart very slightly musty but like in a good way scent-flavor from the durian and a bright warm sweetness from the honey while not being too sweet. The brandy is an interesting balancing note, bringing some more warmth and spice to the blend.

 

I love this (more than I like durian of its own accord), and I am fascinated at how well it captures the best elements of durian.