Eisbach

Eisbach takes its name from the artificial river that runs through Munich's Englischer Garten, where surfers ride a standing wave in the middle of the city. The perfume is a fairly literal reading of that idea. It opens cold and carbonated: bergamot, lime and grapefruit hit first, spearmint cuts across them with a genuinely icy edge, and blackcurrant absolute with a melon note supplies just enough juice to stop the citrus turning astringent. The heart is the more interesting half. Green tea absolute brings a dry, tannic bitterness, mimosa absolute adds a soft powdery floral that rounds off the sharp corners, and basil and lavender push it into aromatic and faintly barbershop territory. Musk closes it out. There is no woody or ambery base to speak of, which is deliberate and is why it stays transparent from start to finish. This is the lightest thing in the Lengling range and its performance reflects that. Four to six hours is realistic even at extrait strength, with close projection after the first hour, so a generous application is reasonable. It is a hot-weather and daytime scent: summer, warm spring days, the gym bag, the commute. Comfortably office-safe, and clean enough to be uncontroversial in any daytime setting.