MARC-ANTOINE BARROIS
GANYMEDE EXTRAIT
2023
PERFUMER
Quentin Bisch
Mandarin Orange
Myrrh
Incense
Immortelle
Akigalawood
Safraleine
THOUGHTS
Ganymede Extrait was long-rumored (and long-awaited by many including myself). Following up the original Ganymede.
I absolutely love what Marc-Antoine Barrois and Quentin Bisch have done with the line so far, but Ganymede remained my favorite; making it into my top 10 list for consecutive years. It’s slightly out of my comfort zone, which is why it’s not in my top 3, but I’ve been on record saying that Ganymede arguably is the best release of its decade and I stand by that. That take is as divisive as the fragrance is of course.
No pressure for the Extrait right? I’m happy to say that in my first wearing, Ganymede Extrait didn’t disappoint me. I essentially get the full Ganymede DNA in the Extrait, but as advertised, it’s spicier. This is a long first impression and the differences I’ll go into are probably exaggerated, as I think the overall scent is quite similar.
The curry-like spiciness from the immortelle feels doubled, making it sharper. The scent doesn’t differentiate all that much, but the spiciness is more pronounced. I get a bit more sweetness sooner with the Extrait and it also feels just a tad fruitier.
I always said that B683 Extrait leaned a bit towards Ganymede for me in the first hour and Ganymede Extrait definitely has a similar tinge at first, although not quite as relentless and abrasive as B683 Extrait. The harsher spice and fruitiness remind me of the oud-apple combination in B683 Extrait a bit.
Or perhaps, the sweetness and fruitiness stand out more, as one difference for me is the toned down mineral quality. In Ganymede, I get a lot of mineral, salt water-esque elements, that I don’t get as much in the Extrait. It is still there and a defining feature of its DNA, but this time around it comes across drier and less bright. Whether that’s toned down mineral or boosted immortelle might be a chicken or the egg story.
This fragrance provides everything that was announced, with the leather coming through more as it dries. I always smelled the leathery tinge in Ganymede, but I think not as much as a lot of other people seem to do. I was worried the Extrait would have a full-on leather scent profile, but here too, it feels very manageable for someone who doesn’t easily fall in love with leather fragrances. Everything combined has a gasoline-leather core, but the other facets are pushing back (and projecting out) so strongly that it still doesn’t quite register as a leather scent in my head.
There is a sort of sweet smokiness lingering in the late drydown. It reminds me of coffee steam, which I was very intrigued by. I also have a pure immortelle solid perfume from Les Indemodables and I get a mix of caramel and liquorice from that, so perhaps it’s just the immortelle’s last breath. I couldn’t fully place yet and I’ll have to wear the fragrance more often to explore it.
It feels like a traditional concentration-flanker. With the B683 Extrait, it took a while to register as B683 DNA for me, but with Ganymede Extrait, its lineage is clear cut.
That being said, all those little adjustments combined make for a more serious fragrance in my perception. Ganymede’s DNA is quite eccentric, but the original has a certain levity and playfulness in it that the Extrait lacks. Similarly to B683 Extrait, which I really loved at first, but ended up selling, because I felt it was too demanding of a wear.
People who enjoy Ganymede will likely appreciate this fragrance, but which version you prefer is all up to personal taste. I’ll need more wearings of the Extrait, but for now, I think I’ll end up preferring the regular Ganymede.
The original, for all its abstraction and uniqueness, is versatile and a daily, casual wear, that I often wear to the office. Like I said, there’s more levity in it. Based on my first time wearing, the overdose of the curry-immortelle scent in the Extrait would probably make me too aware of what I’m wearing in, for example, an office setting.
I doubt the Extrait is different enough to sway people who aren’t in love with Ganymede. Perhaps the slightly more leathery, spicy scent-profile could be a smidge more conventional and appeal to people who feel that Ganymede is too eccentric for their taste (although B683 remains the more conventional and safer, leathery choice).
It wouldn’t feel redundant to have this next to the original at some point, given how much I love the DNA. With the price point of the extraits (arguably its biggest downside), I’ll stick to my sample first and decide if I need both in due time.
In conclusion (until further smelling): I’m happy with the Extrait. I didn’t expect it to overtake Ganymede as my favorite Marc-Antoine Barrois, but it will likely land in the second spot (with Encelade being close). It stayed true to its heritage, but offers a slightly different take.