Minna

[highgarden]

We never robbed widows and we made no false representations.

White patchouli, sage, and benzoin gleaming with tea leaf, green tobacco, cognac, polished rosewood, and bourbon vanilla.

Disclaimer that I'm still recovering from a cold so this might not be quite accurate! Patch and benzoin right off the bat, which is almost giving it this chewy fig/dried fruit feel. Two hours in, I'm getting sage and tea which is lending a slight bitter note but not an unpleasant one. Going on four hours, I'm getting a hint of what I think is the cognac but it's still very faint. The rosewood and vanilla start to make their presence known later and right now I keep catching whiffs of it and it is absolutely lovely. Medium throw, good longevity.

[VetchVesper]

First sniff - Gorgeous, sweet patchouli that makes me want to drool all over myself. A faint backing of herbal sage when I inhale deeply. On my skin, the patch immediately gets darker and woodier, so maybe that's the rosewood coming into play? This would be divine on a man. There's something coming across as faintly chemical to me though, like polish or something. It's not bad... just a bit odd. Hmmmmm.... Maybe something about the way the herbal notes play with the warmer notes? This also reminds me a touch of Hailstorm of Knitting Needles, which was nice, but seemed like it didn't quite work on me. Minna seems like one of those blends that needs some time to sit and come into it's own. (but who has patience for that?? )

 

So.... for now, my interest is perked, but the jury is still out on this one. I'll have to update in a week or two.

 

ETA:  Revisited this one, now that it's almost 2020, and it's smoothed out fantastically.  Chewy tobacco and beautiful patch, with a dryness from the sage.  It reminds me a bit of Disrespect for Established Authority.  Glad I kept the bottle.  

Edited November 14, 2019 by VetchVesper

[zankoku_zen]

Tobacco, patchouli, cognac, and a whiff of vanilla. This one is a very heavy tobacco/patchouli blend, and it sort of reminds me to Ms. Bunce (sans amber), but again a very dominant tobacco. I got more patchouli on wet, but then the tobacco really comes in. Great throw and wear length.

Edited May 14, 2018 by zankoku_zen

[SophieCedar]

I never reviewed this...huh.

 

Anyways, I've been hoarding this bottle.  Surprisingly, all other bottles from this event went right back out the door via sales/swaps.  This, though?  Its too good and it stays. Its the perfect refined patchouli blend.

 

Think of it this way: replace hemp with tea leaf, green tobacco,and sage for the earthy botanical piece (I love all 3, so this was appealing immediately). Cognac and rosewood make me smell like an adult (or so I like to think). Then...hey, there's benzoin and vanilla, my favorites!  My logical conclusion is we have an Upper Crust Banshee Beat. Its totally excellent. Unexpected all-time favorite.

Edited January 13, 2019 by SophieCedar

[Lucchesa]

Minna is so good.  I tend to think of white patchouli as the more stripped-down lady-like variety, but the patchouli here is full-throated, and on wet I get lots of patch backed up by cognac and bourbon vanilla.  The tobacco comes in as it dries down and warms up.  I don't get tea but it's an ephemeral note on me, and the sage is present but barely.  Really, this is a patchouli blend, and an excellent one, with good wear life and more throw than I usually get.  Unisex and super sexy.