Manor Fire

Manor, Smoke, Charred Wood, Melted Beeswax, Wood Resin, Dry Wood, Burning Leaves, Worn Leather

Manor, Smoke, Charred Wood, Melted Beeswax, Wood Resin, Dry Wood, Burning Leaves and a hint of worn leather. Opens with a blast of strong burning woods and leaves, soot and smoke with pools of melted beeswax candles. The smoke notes settle down after the initial burst (10 minutes or so) and lots of golden melted beeswax emerges, along with a bit of Manor. The smouldering resins locked in the wood of the manor melt, sizzle and diffuse on bits of charcoal embers. Labdanum, fossilized amber, frankincense (a variety of types) and copal bark form a part of the wood resin accord. There is a slight hint of warmed worn brown leather in the blend to represent the dusty volumes left behind in the derelict manor house. The dry down is Manor, which forms the base of this blend, steeped with the most golden hot bubbly beeswax and bits of resins with a little smoke.

The strong opening of smoke, fire, charred wood and soot is for dramatic effect (this is a house on fire, after all) but this accord does recede and allows for the other notes to emerge. It turns into a sweet, woody, resinous, slightly smoky, slightly leather, Manor blend. You'll be able to smell the Manor you know and love in there. I feel the smoke notes/burning leaves are a little more jolting in the oil version of Manor Fire on initial application — slightly more acrid and bitter, though after that settles, the next stage and the dry down is very close to the EDP version. The EDP format smooths the smoke accord a bit so that it is still powerful but not quite as sharp on initial application. The oil is thick and needs a gentle shake before use as some of the resins sink to the bottom. The smoke/fire accord is about as strong/powerful as Smoky Mountain Mallow's and shares some of the notes but it is not the same accord and unlike SMM, the smoke/fire isn't as prominent through the life of the wear as the other notes of Manor Fire begin to dominate. You will continue to experience smoke notes through most of the journey but the Manor and beeswax portion is very prominent followed by a thick labdanum resin and the wood smoke becomes sweet tendrils swirling around the other notes. If you like Manor and you like dark, brooding, mysterious and haunting smoky scents, this is for you.