MASQUE MILANO
RUSSIAN TEA
2014
PERFUMER
Julien Rasquinet
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mint
black pepper
raspberry
black tea
magnolia
everlasting flower
leather accord
incense
birchwood
cistus labdanum
‘The inspiration behind Russian Tea is the memory of a trip to Saint Petersburg, where Alessandro and Riccardo happened to drink an afternoon tea in an elegant café inside a large bookstore at the first floor of a sumptuous Art Noveau building. Sitting on a round table by the wide windows, with the beautiful view of a snow-covered Nevsky Prospekt.
As they ordered the “Russian Tea Ritual”, the maidens in white apron and bonnet brought the teapot, black tea in leaves, fresh mint, raspberry preserve. Immediately, as water was poured in the cup, the infusion unleashed its most characteristic notes. Black tea, heavy and intense. A floral note, sharp and biting. And that unmistakably dry and smoky aftertaste given by the caravanserai campfires, meant to keep the precious tea cargo dry in the never-ending journey through Siberia. Some fresh mint leaves were used to give a pleasant fresh touch to the hot water. A teaspoon of raspberry preserve sweetened, without altering it, the bitter aftertaste of leather and birch. They enjoyed the moment, slowly sipping the tea still scorching hot, and gazing out of the window, towards the beautiful cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan and beyond.
The nose behind the creation is the talented Julien Rasquinet. Alessandro and Riccardo approached him as they regarded Julien a master of smoky notes; he was also working at some very interesting tea accords, which came very handy during the fragrance development. To work side-by-side, Julien and his wife Irina (a very eclectic artist) hosted Alessandro and Riccardo in their lovely Normandy mansion.
Russian Tea by Masque Milano will conjure up a unique melange of tea-soaked memories for anyone that tries it. It has a beautiful chewy complexity, rich with herbs, broken red fruit, burnt woods, floating white flowers and a silvered finale that cuts through the conflagration of black tea and immortelle. Julien is a radiantly gifted perfumer, the work he creates has genuine difference and a mood of someone determined to mould materials into a work of art, that will stir strong emotions and memories once sprayed on skin.’ – Masque Milano
REVIEW
While Madeleine is my favorite Masque Milano to wear at the time of writing (as a gourmand lover), objectively I’d say Russian Tea is their best release and a masterpiece by Julien Rasquinet.
What I love about Russian Tea is that it’s different from most tea-based fragrances. Most of those are either fleeting, bright, citrussy and fresh or they are heavy on the spices, warmth and sweetness. Russian Tea captures the essence of a darker, slightly bitter black tea, which combined with the birch tar and incense gives a smokey overall vibe. It’s not a warm, comforting and sweet scent, but rather cool and it reminds me of a hot cup of tea outdoors in the dead of winter.
The two main components alongside the tea are raspberry and leather (and no, it’s nothing like Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather). The raspberry brings mostly a soft, gentle sweetness to the opening hour. It’s prominent, but subtle at the same time. There’s also a pronounced mint adding a refreshing and cooling touch. The fruitiness lingers in the air quite nicely, without it overtaking the tea scent.
The same thing can be said about the leather. As it dries down, it becomes more and more prominent. It’s a clean, semi-fresh and cold leather. There’s something minimal and slightly gothic about it, but it sits underneath the smokiness with the tea tinge, rather than overpowering the whole composition.
With it’s fresh, minty kick it could actually work in warmer weather, but Russian Tea is made for the cold in my opinion. It’s an artistic, mood-shifting scent and one that deserves every bit of praise that it gets in the fragrance community.