XI Time

XI Time opens with a peppery Sichuan bite and bright bergamot, the budget echo of Byredo's much-loved Eleventh Hour. A juicy, slightly earthy heart of plum, carrot seeds and wild fig gives it that signature fruity-green character, the fig at the centre just as in the original. The drydown is warm and woody - labdanum, olibanum, cedar and soft cashmere woods rounded by tonka and a transparent iso e super hum - that smooth, contemplative finish Eleventh Hour built its cult following on. Where the Byredo wears with moderate, well-mannered projection and decent longevity, this take reads flatter and simpler, the fig less three-dimensional and the woods thinner, settling closer to the skin. Still, it captures the spicy-fruity, woody-and-cosy spirit of Eleventh Hour - lovely for autumn and winter evenings and dates - at a fraction of the niche price, even if the original's plush smoothness is only suggested.