Asp Viper (2016)

[doomsday_disco]

Snake Oil with King mandarin, myrrh, and almond.

Note: I have not tried the previous release.

In the bottle: The almond is the most prominent note, followed by the mandarin, and then, the myrrh.

Wet: Mandarin and almond are the first notes to greet my nose, followed by a soft myrrh. The creaminess of the almond with the vanilla of the Snake Oil base smells amazing, but the mandarin note ends up becoming bitter on me and remains as the dominant note.

Dry: The mandarin isn't bitter anymore, and the Snake Oil base is far more prominent now. It's mainly Snake Oil, but softer, accompanied by almond, well-behaved mandarin, and the soft myrrh note. This is actually rather gourmand now, and smelling it makes me want to go eat almond-glazed spiced cookies or cake with orange zest (although I wouldn't say this smells like cake or cookies).

Verdict: I really like this and think it will only get better with age. I'm surprised the almond in this actually lasts on me, as it usually disappears on me during the dry phase of scents. I'm so glad that it stuck around! I was worried about the mandarin note during the dry phase for a bit, but fortunately, the bitter aspect didn't have much longevity. Almond Snake Oil ftw!

[Little Bird]

I had to age the original Asp Viper for 9 years before I liked it. It started off as cheap, hyper sweet maraschino cherry syrup and baby powder. Now it smells like nutty, vanilla-y marzipan and earthy, rich red musk. It's amazing. Asp Viper 2016 smells nothing like it, though, so I suppose that none of that matters, lol.

I'm getting a ton of orange and vanilla from this, and it's slightly fizzy, reminding of the Tiki drink blends. In the drydown, I can start to smell the almond, and it's not the cherry of death variety, but the creamy, vanilla-y, warm, nutty almond marzipan type.

This is really good, intensely sweet, and surprisingly gourmand. The drydown especially smells like a vanilla overloaded with sugar, like some sort of heavy, sweet vanilla frosting with a squish of orange juice and some nuttiness. After about an hour, it's much the same, but I can smell a hint of smoky Snake Oil in here as well.

I really like this one.

[lizardqueen]

This is a hell of a morpher on me! First on, I get a fizzy mandarin with a hint of almond/marzipan underneath. As it dries down, the myrrh comes out more, and then it goes through this weird interim phase where it's like Smarties over a myrrh base. Once that settles down--basically, once drydown is complete--it does feel somewhat like a lovely creamy mandarin note over a light Snake Oil. Seems like it will be a nice snake for the summer!

[Casablanca]

I like all these notes, so I chanced a bottle with this one.

In the bottle: Orangey mandarin, almond, and just a trace of spices.

Wet: The same. Mandarin dominates, with a bitter green nip to it. I love almond, but I'm glad it isn't taking over here, because I already have lots of strong almond blends to play with. There's no Snake Oil in this yet for me, but I get an impression of spices behind the nutty citrus. This seems like it would make a fun hair gloss. So far so good.

Dry: The lightly bitter green note accompanying the mandarin is amping on me. After a bit, the myrrh comes forth, calming the restless mandarin. The almond is just a trace at this point, and the blend hangs in a lovely balance. Almost two hours in, I get a little more of the spice and can smell a little Snake Oil. The asp is a snake that sheds its skin a few times!

The blend reads to me as orange, green and brown colors (nothing like the purple in the bottle art). I'm glad I took a chance on it!

[Jenjin]

Decant from FB group. I have not tried the previous version.

IN THE IMP:

Tangy, juicy, a little reminiscent of the perfect cherry limeade.

WET:

Almond and sugared lime/cherry (I guess this is the King Mandarin, but my nose is reading this as maraschino syrup and this point) Refreshing! I can detect a faint trace of the Snake Oil and it's vanilla hiss.

DRY:

Cascading, sugary white flowers with silvery, almond albino vipers twisting around in a sweet lime waterfall. Every one in a while I get a little airy wiff of perfect beauty. I'm not sure what it is, but it's coming from the Viper!!!!!

NOTES:

This luxurious snake takes me to the tropics: I've got a perfect tan, the ocean is crystal blue and my drink is filled with flowers. This is such a transformative blend. The Snake Oil gives it body and keeps the foodie notes from going overboard. I'm getting a bottle of this because it's perfect for summertime, evening events and I can only imagine it improving with age.

RATING:

9.0

Edited May 26, 2016 by Jenjin

[Nyx_DevineNight]

In the Bottle: King mandarin and almond.

Wet: I get King mandarin and almond with a slight hint of Snake Oil.

Dry: This is all just King mandarin and almond on me. Its like having them both as a single note layered together. I will let this age and try again.

Its not bad, but not quite my thing either.

[patina]

I have a very aged bottle of the original and I wanted to see if this stacked up. The almond, snake oil, and fizzy myrrh are the same, but the orange smells a little lighter, tarter, more orange-y. I have no idea if this is due to the different notes or to the effects of aging.

 

Still, this is my favorite of the snakes and to my tastes, none of them stack up to this one. The snake oil and almond smell like cake, the orange acts like a cake glaze and the myrrh deepens it and prevents the whole scent from being too cloying.

[milo]

I am a big fan of the Snake Pit, and love or at least like most of them. I have the original Asp Viper, and it is smooth, spicy almond with a healthy dollop of well aged Snake Oil. First test of the new incarnation, I'm getting more orange than anything, with a smidge of spicy almond. After a bit, its more like orange soap. Still, I don't mind it, and have great faith in Beth and her Snakes. After half an hour, this is more like the Asp Viper I love, just not as rich and developed and maybe with just more of the added orange note, but just a touch. I still have half a bottle of the original, so I'm sure it will be amazing in a couple of years. WIN!!

 

 

eta: Over a year, and it still isn't like the original Asp Viper. Is sad, but I'll hold on...The new Cotton Phoenix is more like original Asp Viper.

Edited December 28, 2017 by milo

[Teaker]

This is a bright orangey scent with a smooth, sweet undertone. I can slightly pick up on the myrrh, but unfortunately I get no almond. I don't really get Snake Oil from this, but I definitely get vanilla. If I was blind sniffing this I probably would have guessed vanilla, orange, spices, and myrrh. I do like it but I'm not crazy about it. Maybe it's the citrus mixed with the spices from the Snake Oil, that's just a combination that never seems to sit right with me. And the orange is almost too sweet, verging into orange candy territory (probably due to the vanilla).

 

Overall this smells good but isn't something I'd like to smell on myself all day.

Edited June 27, 2016 by Teaker

[PeculiarHeroine]

The strongest note I get out of this is the almond, which stops just short of marzipan, but doesn't stay in a "natural" almond scent either. I do get the mandarin, and a hint of something fizzy, which is the myrrh, but the other strongest note is the sugared quality of the snake oil itself.

I think this will really come into its own in the colder months, and I will enjoy wearing it then.

[Lucchesa]

I took a tester of Asp Viper - my first snake pit blend - to New York recently and wore it to the Whitney. It just seemed like the right scent -- elegant but not offputting. On me, wet it was mostly mandarin and almond against a background of sexy Snake Oil. Mandarin and almond are two of my favorite scents, but both tend to be fugitive, so they faded down, leaving a softer Snake Oil with a gentle myrrh. And Asp Viper lacks the tremendous staying power Snake Oil has on me; I had to keep reapplying every time I hit the bathroom. If my skin didn't squelch it so quickly, this would definitely be a bottle purchase for me.

[theredkilt]

The opening is gorgeous, mandarin with almond and some snake oil spices. What comes next is totally left field, the blend disappears from my skin so fast and i'm left with a trace of faint myrrh. I thought the almond would reign supreme here together with the SO base. Total bummer!