Year: 2005
Notes: bergamot, bitter orange, ambrette seed, galbanum, acacia, orange blossom, linden blossom, Bulgarian rose, jasmine, benzoin, cistus, tonka bean, vanilla, blond tobacco, cocoa, frankincense, leather, birch tar, Texan cedar, sandalwood, beeswax, civet, ambergris, musk
Comment: Eau de Parfum review
Known as Michael's signature scent, and inspired by the gothic European monasteries and abbeys he visited, Monk isn't the frankincense extravaganza that one was hoping for.
With muddy citric-green top notes, what one mostly smells is dusty cocoa, watery florals, dark creamy woods, dank nuances and lots of civet. As one loves natural civet, its crystalline presence is more than welcome – it's potent, deliciously faecal and spearheads the musky arsenal of ambrette, civet, beeswax and ambergris. But, apart from the civet, cocoa and eventual emergence of some vanilla, the remaining chords are either extremely low key or hardly detectable as it further evolves.
Even while the civet shimmers and emits its warm animalic muskiness, one doesn't discern much leather or (to a lesser extent) tobacco in the composition. And, if that wasn't bad enough, one isn't able to locate any resins or smoky facets either. Based on the conceptual theme, one was expecting a luxuriously smoky and resinous affair but, alas, this doesn't seem to be the case. Instead, it's a translucent and ultra-discreet oriental, with light powdery attributes and a musky demeanour.
Although it doesn't produce much sillage, its tenacity of at least six hours is still decent. Unfortunately, from an olfactory point of view, there's nothing gothic, dark or incensey about Monk at all. And like all the other Michael Storer fragrances, one believes that they all would fare better with richer bases and less murky (or unpleasantly obtuse) drydowns.
An extra star awarded solely for the generous serving of natural civet.
With muddy citric-green top notes, what one mostly smells is dusty cocoa, watery florals, dark creamy woods, dank nuances and lots of civet. As one loves natural civet, its crystalline presence is more than welcome – it's potent, deliciously faecal and spearheads the musky arsenal of ambrette, civet, beeswax and ambergris. But, apart from the civet, cocoa and eventual emergence of some vanilla, the remaining chords are either extremely low key or hardly detectable as it further evolves.
Even while the civet shimmers and emits its warm animalic muskiness, one doesn't discern much leather or (to a lesser extent) tobacco in the composition. And, if that wasn't bad enough, one isn't able to locate any resins or smoky facets either. Based on the conceptual theme, one was expecting a luxuriously smoky and resinous affair but, alas, this doesn't seem to be the case. Instead, it's a translucent and ultra-discreet oriental, with light powdery attributes and a musky demeanour.
Although it doesn't produce much sillage, its tenacity of at least six hours is still decent. Unfortunately, from an olfactory point of view, there's nothing gothic, dark or incensey about Monk at all. And like all the other Michael Storer fragrances, one believes that they all would fare better with richer bases and less murky (or unpleasantly obtuse) drydowns.
An extra star awarded solely for the generous serving of natural civet.
