Annick Goutal Mandragore Pourpre

One of my favorite warm-weather fragrances is Annick Goutal’s Mandragore which was released in 2005. It has a mix of anise and ginger that is very refreshing in warmer weather. I found it a surprisingly named fragrance because something named after the Mandrake plant, which is an ingredient used in witchcraft, should seem darker and more mysterious not bright and refreshing.

Four years later the original perfumer Isabelle Doyen has released a flanker, Mandragore Pourpre. As I perused the note list of bergamot, mint, star anise, amber, rosemary, geranium, black pepper, patchouli, myrtle, incense, and heliotrope I could see the outlines of a darker brother to Mme. Doyen’s original; perhaps one that might live up to the mystery I had hoped to find in the original.

The real difference happens in the base as Mandragore Pourpre has a little bit of wood in it but is dominated by amber and patchouli and that creates a warm place to bring Mandragore Pourpre to a close, again warmth but not dark.

I’m still looking for the Mandragore that evokes the darkness and spirit of the occult and Mandragore Pourpre isn’t that fragrance. It took me a few wears to quit searching for the darkness that wasn’t there and instead to appreciate the difference that is there in Mandragore Pourpre. Mandragore Pourpre is an ideal cold-weather brother to the original and one I will look forward to wearing this winter.

Author: Mark Behnke  (Somervill Metro Man)
Fragrantica Writer

Mark Behnke is based in Somerville, MA, a suburb of Boston, and is the writer for Fragrantica. By day, he works as a research chemist in a pharmaceutical company. By night, he has been a consistent poster on the forums at Basenotes.net under his nom de blog, Somerville Metro Man. You can also follow Mark on Twitter @SomMetroMan if you're curious to find out what he wears on a day-to-day basis.
 

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