London Century

Century was launched by Dunhill London in July 2018, composed by Carlos Benaim of IFF, who also made the house's Icon. It is presented in a heavy, concave clear flacon with a black domed cap - a bottle whose faceted sides were designed to point inward towards what the brand called its heart of sandalwood. The opening is bright and effervescent. Bergamot, grapefruit and mandarin arrive together for a zesty, slightly fizzy citrus burst that is genuinely refreshing, though it does not hang about. Within twenty minutes or so the fragrance has already begun moving on. The heart is what gives it its character. Neroli is the pivot, bringing a vibrant, faintly salty and honeyed floralcy that bridges the citrus and the woods. Cardamom adds a dry aromatic spice, and olibanum - frankincense - introduces a resinous, incense-like thread that is the most distinctive thing in the composition and keeps it from being just another fresh masculine. The base is soft and clean rather than heavy: sandalwood is the lead, creamy and smooth, with musk giving a skin-close warmth and cypriol adding a dry, earthy, slightly smoky woodiness underneath. Opinions diverge on how it reads. The marketing sells a fresh citrus; a fair number of wearers report it turning almost immediately into a warm, gently spiced wood and musk with the citrus doing very little work. Both descriptions are recognisable depending on skin. Widely reported as discontinued and increasingly hard to find, which makes remaining stock worth a look.