Piper

Piper is the simplest construction Abbey Perfumery publishes, four materials doing clearly defined jobs, and it benefits from the restraint. Bergamot and apple open it, the citrus doing the lifting and the apple keeping that opening from turning purely sharp, giving the first ten minutes a crisp, slightly juicy quality. Pink pepper sits at the heart on its own and is the reason the fragrance has any bite: it is peppery in a bright, rosy way rather than a hot one, and it stops the composition sliding into generic freshness. Cedar takes the base and gives the whole thing a dry, pencil-shaving finish that holds the citrus in place far longer than a citrus opening usually survives. Nothing here is unexpected, and the appeal is that everything is legible. This is the Abbey Perfumery release most likely to work for someone who has not thought much about fragrance, and the least likely to interest someone who has. Spring and summer are its natural seasons. It is the best option in the range for office wear and the only one that would survive being worn to the gym.