FRAGRANCE
SAUNDERS & LONG INTRODUCE Q THE NEW EAU DE TOILETTE
Imagine a wood panelled room , a deep leather armchair , embers glowing in the hearth , whisky in one hand , book in the other . This is Q : intoxicating , enveloping and mysterious .
The inaugural scent from Saunders & Long , the distinguished grooming label by Nick Saunders and Jonny Long , Q is an elegant , sophisticated fougére , masterfully blended by François Robert . Q is inspired by the earthy aromas of unlit tobacco leaves and the layered woods of the humidor .
A fourth generation perfumer , Robert ’ s great grand father pioneered the absolute distillation process in Grasse in 1860 . On timely expedition to Havana , Robert made a tour of discovery in the historic factories where cigars have been hand-rolled for centuries . Bringing this experience back to the South Coast of England , Robert began to capture the olfactory signature of the Cuban cigar . “ I am fascinated by the mesmerising smell of an unlit cigar and of a cigar box . It is a very complex mixture of different aromas which I understood when I spent time in Cuba with producers ,” François Robert explains ,
“ I discovered they bathe the leaves in a mixture of honey with hints of lemon and aromatic herbs . To reproduce the smell of the cigar box involved mixing different varieties of cedar woods without letting the dryness overcome the accord .”
An eau de toilette , Q opens with sparkling , fresh top notes including bergamot , mandarin , grapefruit , spicy nutmeg and basil , with a distinctive pink pepper note , obtained by cold extraction process to preserve the full character . In the heart , olibanum from the Arabian peninsula , geranium , lavender and cedar wood wrap around the bespoke tobacco accord , which contains a unique seaweed note . The dry down reveals earthy , smoky Haitian vetiver , patchouli , amber and precious woods . Multi-faceted , the accord gives a hint of whisky , the sweetness of tobacco leaf and the mystique of olibanum . Lavender and geranium provide the classic hallmarks of masculine perfumery . “ The deep sensual note is absolutely stunning and adding the sparkling whisky and pepper and olibanum touch to lighten the accord beautifully ,” says Robert .
80 The Art of Luxury Issue 48 2021