Hiram Green
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The citrus trio of lemon, bergamot, and neroli crashes in with almost aggressive brightness, immediately tempered by ginger's spicy bite. Within seconds, the vetiver foundations announce themselves—not green in the typical dewy sense, but dry and slightly resinous, as though you've crushed dried grass between your palms.
As the citrus gradually retreats, the two vetivers emerge with striking clarity, their distinct personalities now audible. The nutmeg and coriander create a spiced, almost savoury middle that prevents any drift toward sweetness, whilst the tobacco note begins its slow emergence from beneath, adding a subtle leather quality that grounds the composition's potentially airy citrus-vetiver axis.
The fragrance settles into a tobacco-and-cedarwood embrace, with tonka providing only whispers of sweetness rather than indulgence. The vetiver persists as a dry, slightly peppery undertone, and what remains is woody, earthy, and decidedly austere—a skin scent that demands proximity to appreciate, rewarding close encounters with nuance rather than projection.
Hiram Green's Vetiver is a fragrance that refuses sentimentality, instead presenting vetiver as something mineral and confrontational. The opening assault of citrus—lemon and bergamot battling alongside mandarin and neroli—frames the composition not as a gentle green scent, but as something with architectural intent. This is vetiver stripped of its tropical languor; the dual vetiver notes (Java and Haitian varieties) arrive with distinct personalities, the Haitian bringing earthier, almost smoky undertones whilst the Java contributes a drier, more herbaceous quality.
What distinguishes this from lesser vetiver fragrances is how Hiram Green treats the heart as a genuinely spiced terrain. Nutmeg and coriander don't soften the vetiver's edges—they sharpen them, creating an almost peppery sensation against the skin. The ginger in the top notes lingers here, creating dialogue with the coriander rather than disappearing. This is a fragrance for those who appreciate vetiver's austere beauty, who want it grounded in tobacco's leathery depths and tonka's subtle sweetness rather than drowned in vanilla.
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