Al Battash
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The neroli and bergamot hit with almost aggressive brightness, that characteristic petitgrain greenness immediately apparent—it's like crushing citrus leaves and peel simultaneously, bitter oils coating your fingers. The pink pepper fizzes at the edges, creating tiny sparkling pinpricks of aromatic spice that lift the whole construction skyward.
As the initial citrus intensity recedes, the orange blossom reveals itself not as creamy indulgence but as taut, almost waxy floralcy, whilst the frankincense begins its slow unfurling—dusty, resinous, church-like in its solemnity. The interplay between the remaining citrus brightness and the incense creates an intriguing tension, neither sweet nor harsh, just persistently aromatic and slightly austere.
The vetiver takes command here, that Haitian earthiness lending a root-like, slightly smoky quality, tempered by diffuse blonde woods that add warmth without sweetness. Musk provides a skin-like glow, but this never becomes soft or cosy—it remains bone-dry, woody-fresh, like sun-bleached driftwood with traces of citrus oil still clinging to its surface.
Ibqaa Women reads like a love letter to the bitter-bright intensity of citrus peel oils, stretched taut over a bone structure of frankincense and vetiver. Jérôme Epinette has crafted something that feels simultaneously sun-drenched and ascetic—the Tunisian neroli brings that distinctive soapy-floral bitterness that proper Mediterranean neroli possesses, none of that syrupy sweetness you find in lesser iterations. The Calabrian bergamot adds razor-sharp citrus facets whilst the Paraguayan petitgrain contributes its characteristic woody-green edge, like snapping a twig from an orange tree still warm from afternoon sun.
What makes this compelling is the pink pepper's interaction with the orange blossom—rather than going the usual indolic route, the Moroccan variety here stays crisp and slightly metallic, almost lemony, whilst the pepper adds a fizzing, aromatic lift that prevents the composition from collapsing into typical fresh-clean territory. The African frankincense anchors everything with its dusty, resinous astringency, providing gravitas without heaviness.
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4.1/5 (243)