Caleche Eau de Toilette by Hermes

Hhhhmmmm.........I've never smelled this until this sampling. I scored a 7.5ml mini in perfect condition at my local thrift store. Yes....a Goodwill to be exact. It's not the first time a gem has reared its head in my direction as I scour the local thrift stores for treasures.

I spray instead of dabbing if at all possible. I get a truer gist from the dispersion and that's what I did with Caleche. An immediate greeting from aldehydes and citrus with woody undertones. I get the illusion of green and there's no doubt that Caleche is a chypre. My first thoughts are that Caleche is a more mature scent, but that's a good thing here. As the opening gives way to the floral heart, the impression Caleche is giving me is one of a confident scent, yet more relaxed than reserved. This really is old school charm at work.

The heart accord is an array of floral notables, but what comes front and center on my skin is a combo of rose, jasmin and violet. There's still a beating heart of subtle wood underneath this accord while the citrus slowly succumbs. There's cypress, sandal and cedar listed in Caleche, yet I can't say they're individually distinguishable. Even as a team, they are subtle ( at least on me).....but.....nicely done and effective despite being blurred. In truth, it really doesn't matter as long as it smells good collectively.

The base of  Caleche exhibits a bit of earthiness. The scent becomes more masculine during the base and drydown, but there is still echoes of floral in this brew until the end. The woodiness is complimented with hints of musk and vetiver. I can't say I get much amber or tonka at this stage and I'm usually attentive to tonka in any fragrance. The extended drydown affords me a very wispy amber-resin, but it's much less and much later than I expected to smell it.

All things considered, Caleche is very good indeed. I'm happy to have stumbled upon a scent who's name I've been seeing for years. Thumbs up from Aromi for Hermes Caleche EDT.