Dwarven Ale

[allinmyhead0321]

AW man! This smells so good! It made my skin red though. Will retest and re-review soon.

[Lisa Ing]

Courtesy of grandpa: an entire summer break's worth of Werther's Originals butterscotch and coffee-caramel swirl candies eaten in one day.

 

Strong butterscotch, and then something riding under the butterscotch that smells slightly bitter, spicier, darker - like gingerbread or chicory or coffee. I find it very similar to the Dark Pumpkin Mead 2008 Halloweenie (except lighter and smoother, not burnt like DPM).

[Soupy Twist]

Booze? rum? in the bottle. Goes on as booze with the honeyed apple note I love so much. There's a brief brûlée note as it dries, and the honeyed apple dissipates, leaving more of a brown, sugary note. Not "brown sugar," but something like an apple cider residue. The sweetness finally fades out of that, until it's just that slightly fermented brown sludge at the bottom of the tankard. Possibly a stout; I don't drink so I have no idea. Not really mushrooms, thank goodness, but definitely not a fruit — maybe "apple rootstock" meaning "the wood of apple trees." A little of the butterscotch note from Grog starts to surface after a while. I could totally see this being a Tolkien kind of ale.

[torikitty]

Wet: Banana bread!! Sweet, almonds, like banana bread fresh out of the oven. Definitely a foodie's dream without being overly banana.

Drydown: I can see the butterscotch comparison, but I'm picking up more of a nut note, and maybe a bit of nutmeg.

Dry: I'm sticking with banana bread. Beer and mushrooms I'm not getting, which I'm okay with. I think there's a bit of an earthy note, which I'm guessing is the rootstock.

 

Overall, I think this is amazing. I didn't know it was possible to smell like banana bread. Winner!

[achildoftime]

I get a lot of brown sugar and apple from this one. It's actually very similar to a sweetbread being baked as opposed to an ale. It doesn't smell particularly like ale to me. It's way more like a baked good than a drink. I'm not crazy about bakery scents, but this one isn't so bad. The sweetness even seems to stay in check. It's still not something I'd really reach for, but it is nice.

[cassiejaynebunk]

This definitely smells butterscotchy... it reminds me of a fall scented candle, like the ones that are supposed to be gingerbread but have started to collect the scents of all the other candles adjacent to them... kind of like walking into a candle store in autumn when all the fall scented candles come out.

[Lucchesa]

I was thrilled to acquire Dwarven Ale purely for the sake of completion: it was the only RPG scent I didn't have an imp of. I had no idea I would end up enjoying it as much as I am. I mean, fermented mushrooms, really? But this is Jack stumbling out of a tavern, roaring drunk, singing dirty lyrics at the top of his lungs. It does go through a weird fermented stage wet on my skin, but wait it out, it improves exponentially. If you like pumpkin, this is a blast.

 

There is cinnamon in this, but I didn't react to it. My skin reactions have been idiosyncratic: I reacted to Inferno, like everyone else, to Baron Samedi, Alice's Evidence, and possibly, tragically, Troll, but can wear Chimera, Sin, and many other cinnamon or cassia blends without trouble.

 

I would recommend wearing this to any autumnal event where you're planning to get joyfully plastered. Or, conversely, to any autumnal event where alcohol, though an impossibility, would be really useful: that board meeting, meeting a new flame's parents, or helping kindergartners into their costumes for the school Halloween party (my kids are teenagers now; clearly I was scarred by this). If you're thinking, really, I have to do this stone cold sober?, Dwarven Ale will help.

[galahad]

In the Vial:

Slightly fermented apple with honey

On the Skin:

Quite pumpkiny with apple cider. A little effervescent. The honey emerges to sweeten up and round out the blend.

On the Drydown:

Quite dry and almost dusty. Still has a lightly beery vibe with apple and pumpkin with some spices. Not my jam

[Biocarbons]

Don't know what the rest of y'all are talking about. This smells like yeast and a sweet spirit, fancy granola bars with fruit, and MARACHINO cherry with a pinch of cinnamon. Haha, what.

[torischroeder9]

In the imp: A sweet fermented scent, like a hard apple cider. If I sniff again, I can also detect honey. 

 

On my skin:

 

Wet, the apple cider note comes to the surface first. Quickly afterward, the scent develops a note I'd almost place as caramel. 

 

Dry, it's appley and carmely, but there's also an element of ginger spice to it. 

 

I've concluded that what my brain is interpreting as caramel must be the honey note playing funny with the mushrooms and/or apple rootstock. I can't tell if it really does smell different, of if my nose is smelling apple, and so my brain is going "caramel!" 

 

After about forty-five minutes, I have to admit defeat. It's very sweet and very appley, and it's just not working out for me. 

 

Medium throw. 

[spookyumbrella]

I hate to go against the crowd, but this was awful to me. Everyone talks about how it smells liked spiced cookies or oatmeal or other delightful things, and to an extent that's true. But it smells like those things dipped in dirt and garbage juice to me. Maybe it's the fermented mushrooms that I dont get along with  - i dunno. I just wish I got what everyone else does.

[feyofthefellwood]

My sister got this as a frimp with her order and let me try it. I actually really like it! I definitely get the apple-cinnamon-ginger-pumpkin scent that others have described. I'm not getting a lot of fermented mushroom, but maybe it gives it an earthiness. It's almost a holiday-type scent, autumn or winter baking, or even Christmas potpourri? Either way, I dig it. I don't think I'd wear this as an everyday scent, but it has a warm and playful vibe that would be nice for a Christmas party, ren faire, or other festival-type gathering.

[fairybites]

Not sure how to describe this, it's delicious but dirty at the same time? Like the mushrooms give this a faint dirt note but the honey and apples make it pretty sweet. I feel like there's a little pumpkin in here too or maybe pumpkin spice. Reminds me of fall! And weirdly, as it dries it reminds me of caramel. Love this, one  of my favorites from the RPG line.

[skyturtles]

Straight outta the imp, I'm thinking BUTTERSCOTCH. Thankfully that goes away quickly, replaced by sweet granola. As it dries down, it morphs into oatmeal. It's the apple and the cinnamon for sure, melting like butter into the earthy tones. It doesn't take terribly long for that sweetness to go away, but I still kinda smell like a baked good you'd find in a hobbit hole on a winter holiday. I think I'll be giving this one to my partner, but it's still a lot of fun!

[starbrow]

Whoa! Was definitely not expecting root beer float/cream soda out of this one! That sarsaparilla rootiness is popping for me in a fizzy and creamy base. Trippy!

 

Soon, it turns into bubble gum which makes me think maybe this has some myrrh or lotus in it. Maybe.

 

I can see how others could get an apple/cinnamon/ginger situation from the spices in here, but it just doesn't work that way for me on my skin. I think Dwarven Ale is one you have to try and just see what you get. Like a box of chocolates  Currently not for me, but of course I'll keep my imp and test again in another season of life.

[Cali]

I've smelled something similar in another lab perfume that i for the life of me can't think of which one it was at the moment- but! This is a lovely cherry mead - the kind of mead that i don't love to drink because it's just TOO overly sweet personally, but i don't mind having a sniff... 

[ShadowEtienne]

I was very dubious of this in the description, but it was acquired as a very very full frimp in a group order. The fullness is relevant because I got some on my fingers as I was opening it for a curiosity sniff. In the imp, it was baffling but fine? But the scent on my fingers opened up leaving a note that reminded me of the incredible apple wood note from Birnam Wood. So I decided to take it home and give it a longer test.

 

On my skin, the foremost note is that apple wood sweetness enhanced with a backing of honey. There's something earthy or loamy in the background which I suspect comes from that fermented mushroom, but it's not prominent. There's also a hint of a sort of savory fruitiness which might be the pumpkin rind note.

 

This is definitely all about the apple wood/rootstock on my skin, and I'm happy about it.

[white_jenna63]

Got this as a frimp in my Luper decant order. I got hit with a blast of...something yeasty? I can definitely smell the pumpkin that others mentioned. Despite putting on the smallest dab, I had to wash it off right away. Not for me!

[Weirdgirlpilled]

This one loved me at first. I put it on and literally thought “ooh bread!” HOWEVER. It has since been like 9 months since that fateful incident- and i’m on new birth control, so my hormones are all flipped out or something. I put this on yesterday and immediately had to get in the shower because…. this smells like a disgusting pissy bar bathroom on me. It could be the combo of the honey and mushrooms  ymmv so don’t be afraid- unless we’re taking the same meds, in which case never put this on your skin ever.