Black Calla

Today I would like to share my experiences with the new fragrance “Heraud” from Tauer Perfumes. This is the first fragrance from the newly established “Elexir” line. Andy Tauer relies partly on natural raw materials for Heraud, which are difficult to obtain and available in limited quantities. Whether this is worth it and if the quality is noticeable in the scent, I will reveal to you in the following. The fragrance opens with a bitter bergamot that immediately reminds me of the bergamot from Cologne du Maghreb - a note that already captivated me back then. Here, too, it impresses and gives the fragrance a light, fresh citrus note. From the very first second, it is clear that this can only come from the hands of Andy Tauer. What is also immediately noticeable is the star of the fragrance, the double-distilled, natural cocoa from the Ivory Coast. And what can I say? It is a dream of cocoa! Not the sweet, sticky milk chocolate that one knows from some other fragrances, but what cocoa truly promises - noble, dark, and bitter. As the fragrance develops, the bergamot recedes, but the cocoa remains. It is supported by dried dates, which provide a pleasant, warm sweetness without being overly cloying. Additionally, bright floral notes join in the heart note, but they remain more in the background and are only perceptible to me upon closer sniffing. The woody-spicy note that envelops the fragrance is present from the beginning and is carried by dry woods and cedarwood, although these are only listed in the base note. They are rounded off by powdery musk and amber. These woody notes play a larger role in the fragrance than initially assumed, but this does not detract from it. Overall, the typical Tauer DNA - that is, “typical Tauer stuff” - resonates throughout the entire fragrance. Anyone who has tested a few fragrances from Tauer will surely know what I mean. The performance is also very good. The fragrance lasts an incredible 16 hours on my skin, and the sillage is pleasant without being intrusive - ideal for everyday wear. Overall, this is an exceptionally good, spicy gourmand fragrance with strong woody notes and a pleasant sweetness, perfectly suited for the winter season. It should bring joy regardless of gender or age. I don’t want to say much about the price - the fragrance is definitely in the upper price segment, even for niche fragrances. However, it must be emphasized that this is a “handmade fragrance” that is produced, filled, and packaged from A to Z - as Andy Tauer likes to say - in Switzerland. Such dedication to the product is not a given even in the niche sector. A small downside for me is the switch from the unique metal packaging to a cardboard box. This is also produced and printed in Switzerland, making the fragrance even more sustainable - which I certainly welcome - but I do miss the old packaging a little. The bottle, however, is as always with Tauer, an absolute eye-catcher. For me, Andy Tauer has created the most beautiful cocoa fragrance that I have experienced on my fragrance journey so far. I can only recommend it to any gourmand and/or cocoa fan who also enjoys something a bit woodier to give it a try. Updated on 09/19/2024

Heraud convinced me from the very first second. I am quite surprised by the current rating of 7.3 regarding the scent. I really cannot understand that. Here you find a wonderful type of cocoa! Not artificially sweet, but rather natural, dry, and pleasantly bitter. The fragrance starts directly with this wonderful cocoa. In this phase, it is still slightly brightened by the bergamot. Nevertheless, you can feel this bitter, dry, and pleasantly bitter vein. I love this type of cocoa, and I don't know when I last smelled it so beautifully. Over time, the cocoa note actually gains a bit more sweetness, but that comes from the date accord. Additionally, a few flowers and generally some dry woods are also present. Towards the end, a gentle vanilla-like note lingers. I can't detect much more progression, and I don't need to. Why? Because it is good just the way it is. The longevity for me is about 7/8 hours. Tending to lean more towards 7 hours for myself. But that is more than enough for me. I found the sillage to be really, really good. Moreover, the scent is wonderfully unisex wearable.

Heraud is a quite perfume-y interpretation of chocolate. By perfume-y I mean it's airy and powdery rather than being dark and decadent and slightly spicy like real cocoa would be. There's not a lot else happening with this fragrance, there is a slight woody tinge (cedarwood), and the base is dominated by vanilla, but it's a decent and very long-lasting chocolate accord. Kind of reminds me of Black Phantom - Memento Mori but done better.

Seems I've been going for cocoa forward fragrances lately. I spotted this one on Etiket's website and since I have a few of Andy Tauer's perfumes in my decant box, I figured why not? Fall is coming around and cocoa looks like a nice note to kickstart my favorite season. The opening is the least favorite thing. Bergamot clashes with the star of the fragrance. Bergamot smells too bright, too zesty and way too close to the functional aspect of a cleaning product. Thankfully, bergamot doesn't stay too long before cocoa takes over the spotlight. Cocoa is absolutely beautiful: slightly powdery, sweet without being cloying, and a bit on the dry side. It's dark and sensual, perfectly unisex. Date adds a bit of sweetness, but acts more like the support to the cocoa. I never got any white blossoms, but on my boyfriend's skin, it came out. Felt floral and fresh, added some lightness to the overall scent. My boyfriend found it a bit weird, while I thought it added some dimension to the scent. The drydown adds another level of dimension where cocoa recedes a bit to leave some place for a spicy woody note (probably the combo of cedarwood and woody notes). Vanilla orchid is a sweet, creamy addition which adds a very, very comforting and warm accord. Ambergris and musks seem to add to the longevity of the perfume and a certain warmth. I'll be testing my decant as the season grows colder to see how it fares against other same-family decants I have and pondering on which cocoa fragrance to get. If you,re looking for a cocoa fragrance where cocoa remains the star, this one is pretty nice. It's got depth, complexity, it's sweet but dry and has some sort of exotic, coming-from-the-desert vibe to it that does make it stand out. If you're able to drop the money, why not? Updated on 10/18/2024

I’m going to express a polarizing opinion and then try to put it into perspective. The scent reminds me of Axe - Dark Temptation. Now the first ones will come and say that I haven’t understood the fragrance and the vision of the master. In principle, I am a big fan of Tauer. Au Coeur du Desert is a masterpiece and can be worn year-round at any time of day. Sundowner is my favorite evening/outgoing scent. And Une Rose de Kandahar is the most masculine rose scent I know and own. All three share the fact that they are spicy, woody, and unsweet. The last three creations from Tauer have all been difficult for me. Golestan is very floral and is not wearable by a man without some counterbalance (even here, I know all the discussions about niche and that one can wear what one likes; still, these extremely floral scents come across as feminine). Nexin was unfortunately even more critical. It was released as a limited edition and was gone immediately. By now, I’m glad that I could "only" buy a tester because the scent is not for me. I get a strong association with window cleaner and wouldn’t know when to wear this. So now we come to the last and newest Tauer. Announced with "if Andy Tauer makes a gourmand, then he does it right," I was very curious. However, I got the aforementioned association with the chocolate Axe right after the first spray. This is surely due to the freshness of the bergamot, the sweetness of the date, and the much-discussed cocoa absolute. I cannot support the idea that the cocoa doesn’t come through. However, I would have wished for a more mature, masculine cocoa. Less sweet, more wood, perhaps a few other spices like cinnamon or cardamom. In the drydown, it finally becomes woodier and drier, which I like very much, but then it is only detectable close to the skin. So is it worth buying and the next big hit from Tauer? For me, rather not. Those who wore Dark Temptation as a teenager 10-15 years ago and are reminded of the good old days can surely wear Heraud in middle age as a more grown-up alternative. Unfortunately, I have to wait for the hit from Switzerland. Updated on 09/29/2024