Horla

2020
Eau de Parfum
John Biebel - January Scent Project

John: A bracing rush of aldehydes is laced with thick, marzipan-like almond, nutmeg, and ylang ylang accords. Bay-spiked milk simmers on a stove next to an open jar of the sweet paste, those wafts combining with aldehydes to form a bubbly, steamy haze.

The name Horla is a portmanteau of the words hors and là, ("that which is out there") first referenced in the story "Le Horla" by Guy du Maupassant (1887). The fragrance is an evocation of smells derived from the story, focused primarily on the ghostly ship, The Horla, which sits in the harbor throughout the narrative.

Dave: Brilliant aldehydes and creamy, spiced ylang ylang linked by civet and tonka to rich, warm woods. Unique comfort, both strange and familiar.

Horla Notes: Aldehydes, bergamot, almond, milk, viburnum, West Indies bay leaf, Indonesian nutmeg, ylang ylang, ho wood, vetiver, coffee, civet, styrax, vanilla, coumarin, sandalwood and patchouli.