Ambergris

[RagingRazor]

Has anyone ever tried a cologne made from ambergris?

Here is some historical info I got from wikipedia: Ambergris has been mostly known for its use in creating perfume and fragrance much like musk. While perfumes can still be found with ambergris around the world, American perfumers usually avoid it due to legal ambiguities. Ancient Egyptians burned ambergris as incense, while in modern Egypt ambergris is used for scenting cigarettes.[7] The ancient Chinese called the substance "dragon's spittle fragrance."[8]. During the Black Death in Europe, people believed that carrying a ball of ambergris could help prevent them from getting the plague. This was because the fragrance covered the smell of the air which was believed to be the cause of plague.[citation needed]

This substance has also been used historically as a flavouring for food, and some people consider it an aphrodisiac. During the Middle Ages, Europeans used ambergris as a medication for headaches, colds, epilepsy, and other ailments.

[dwnwrdishvnwrd]

Creed is known for having an ambergris note in many, if not most, of their scents. It is a distinctive scent. Of course the quality of the ambergris has a lot to do with how it smells. It's been described as sweet, salty, smelling of vomit or bile, animalic, and it sometimes is also referred to as somewhat fecal. It's used as a fixative in fragrances and is used to tie many of the notes in a fragrance together. At the same time those other notes also help to round out the sharp odor of the ambergris.

If you've ever tested a few Creed scents you'll come across the note and it's easily detectable (to my nose at least) from one frag to the next. It's just a familiar note in their scents. I'm sure it's probably a mixture of natural amergris and high quality synthetic. The note is not very pronounced but it is detectable and once you find it you will always pick it up.

[The Nid Hog]

If you've ever tested a few Creed scents you'll come across the note and it's easily detectable (to my nose at least) from one frag to the next. It's just a familiar note in their scents. I'm sure it's probably a mixture of natural amergris and high quality synthetic. The note is not very pronounced but it is detectable and once you find it you will always pick it up.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm proud to live in a world where we have a choice between real and high quality synthetic whale gack.

On a serious note, ambergris definitely adds something unusual to a fragrance. Check out Vintage Tabarome if you can find a sample. Very interesting.

[LarryAndro]

The wikipedia article... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambergris

[Aaron01]

Acier Aluminium has the strongest ambergris note of any scent I've tried. To my nose it is bananas, civet and ambergris....that being said, I kind of like it

[Obsessed]

I don't know about you guys, but I'm proud to live in a world where we have a choice between real and high quality synthetic whale gack.

Oh, man, is that funny!

[jakespoppy]

I don't know about you guys, but I'm proud to live in a world where we have a choice between real and high quality synthetic whale gack...

I wonder who made this discovery of whale gack in the first place, and what else they tried before they settled on whale gack?

I feel sorry for the junior member of that research team - "Jones, you're up again - try this whale gack and report back tomorrow! And don't weenie out on us again like you did on the elephant dung!"

[The Nid Hog]

How about being the guy who was in charge of the expedition to bring it back? It's not like you're just waiting for your cat to cough up a furball.

[soapbox]

I wonder who made this discovery of whale gack in the first place, and what else they tried before they settled on whale gack?

I feel sorry for the junior member of that research team - "Jones, you're up again - try this whale gack and report back tomorrow! And don't weenie out on us again like you did on the elephant dung!"

I am so glad I wasn't eating or drinking anything when I read this (in front of a 30" LCD screen that belongs to my employer...)

[StylinLA]

For what it's worth, I smelled synthetic ambergris as an individual "note" at a Los Angeles area perfumer that sells a kit full of small vials of individual perfume/cologne notes.

Hard to describe it...kind of rank, but not horrible. A bit bitter/sour.

I gather it's primary function is that it somehow very much enhances other notes.

The questions I have is...who decided "look, I found some whale vomit. Let's put it in cologne."

From all I've read, it's usually found floating in the ocean. They don't go killing whales for the stuff. It's best when naturally "aged." But it's debatable how many frags use the real stuff since they synthesized it. Really pricey stuff.

[Obsessed]

It's best when natually "aged."

You may have just turned me off of Creed . . .

[soapbox]

The questions I have is...who decided "look, I found some whale vomit. Let's put it in cologne."

Remember: people didn't bathe much; especially at sea; and these guys were often up to their elbows in whale entrails. I bet ambergris smelled like heaven compared to most people on board a ship.

[dwnwrdishvnwrd]

I feel sorry for the junior member of that research team - "Jones, you're up again - try this whale gack and report back tomorrow! And don't weenie out on us again like you did on the elephant dung!"

That's awesome, Randy. Seriously funny.

[The Nid Hog]

From all I've read, it's usually found floating in the ocean. They don't go killing whales for the stuff. It's best when naturally "aged." But it's debatable how many frags use the real stuff since they synthesized it. Really pricey stuff.

That's right. It changes color and scent as it floats around--apparently it's pretty horrific when the whales first cough it out. Don't forget that people eat it too. Pass the triscuits please!

[tsmba]

I scored some Houbigant Ambergris from TPC and really like it. There's also something called Ambergris Diamant Noir that is awful nice but not sold in the US. I really cannot begin to describe the scent.

[WhosYerBob]

Creed is known for having an ambergris note in many, if not most, of their scents. It is a distinctive scent. Of course the quality of the ambergris has a lot to do with how it smells. It's been described as sweet...

In my scent quest I initially noticed the ambergris note with the first Creed I ever tried, Original Vetiver. And it's really grown on me. I find the Creed ambergris to be a sweet, icy-like note and find it has a lighter effect for me than other musk-like notes.

When I test scents with my wife, I never tell her the house, designer or even the name of it - preferring instead to discover what she likes by scent alone. And she keeps coming back to the Creed scents as well, I think in large part because of the lighter note of the ambergris they use.

[StylinLA]

When I test scents with my wife, I never tell her the house, designer or even the name of it - preferring instead to discover what she likes by scent alone. And she keeps coming back to the Creed scents as well, I think in large part because of the lighter note of the ambergris they use.

Creed's rep with frag heads is that they make heavy, heavy use of ambergris in many of their scents. GIT is known for it. There's a another lesser know Creed called Ambre Canelle that is supposed to be an ambergris monster.

Creed classifies it as a woman's scent but some say it's the closest Creed to Old Spice. I didn't get that. Nor is my nose practiced enough to really notice the ambergris as being very pronounced.