Perfume Review: Angel's Share On the Rocks Eau De Parfum (Kilian)

Notes: Cognac, Tonka Bean, Myrhh, Grapefruit, Bergamot, Aldehydes

Okay so I’m just going to lay it out for you - I do not like the original Angels’ Share. I never have and I never will. Something about it has always felt just all wrong to me. If you melted down the most basic “fall” candle from B&BW, then mixed that with cinnamon sticks you would have Angels’ Share. With any Kilian, I either am in love with it or I don’t like it and there doesn’t seem to be an in between for me so at least there is some consistency there! With that being said, this flanker completely blew me away.

My enthusiasm really wasn’t there for trying this one due to my troubled past with the original and my hit or miss experience with the brand in general. I braced myself for the impact of harsh spiciness and did my first spray. Instead of a harsh spiciness though, I was gifted a very zesty apple-like scent. It was very strong and overpowering but there was something so different and intoxicating about it from the jump so I was all-in now. This was one of those I couldn’t stop sniffing. That zesty apple was sharp and zinging in a masculine way but somehow it wasn’t too much either. As it began to dry down on my skin, the zest remained but the previously apple-like quality began to settle into a sweetly aromatic spice. Not cinnamon, but a little more sweet and a little more earthy. Again, the zest was still there 100% but it was clear that its strength in the opening was like a kite in the wind and now an almost smoky, sweet and indulgent spice was holding its tail. There was also a richness and boldness reaching through the center of it all keeping it very thick smelling, and feeling. This alluring and complex atmosphere was the longest phase of the scent, and had amazing longevity and projection. As more time went on (hours) that zest truly was the last man standing, with that resinous spice resting into a fresher and lighter air.

It my opinion, this should be the “original”. I liked that the Cognac and Tonka Bean were kept around because let’s face it - that is the Angels’ Share DNA. I do feel like the way that the tonka bean worked in this particular match up though is my favorite use of the note in perfume. Used to wrap it all together, almost like a glue but adding a little bit of sweet creaminess to round out the edges. Switching out cinnamon for myrhh? Absolutely fantastic decision and changing that spice around gave this an entirely new feel for the better. It was the powerhouse duo of grapefruit and bergamot that kept the momentum going from top to bottom. Grapefruit can be such so electric in the sense that it can either be sustainably powerful or it can strike like lightning so using the spicy greenness of bergamot as its tether was another beautiful choice.

This was a truly unique scent and I am very impressed by it. I will say that it isn’t one I could see myself wearing but I would certainly want my man to wear it (if you know what I mean). This is a multi-faceted fragrance bringing in sweet, spicy, woody, fresh and citrusy goodness from start to finish. I can also see this being worn all year long due to its many faces. If you like a scent that brings a little bit of everything then this is definitely for you. This one is truly intoxicating and a 10/10 from the brand.

With Love as Always,

The Front-Range Fraghead