Gringo opens with a bracing peppermint that almost comes across as a cool eucalyptus. A spicy frankincense with a peppery/clove like angle pushes forward pretty quickly – the herbal notes paired with the resinous incense has a really interesting hold/cot contrast.
The opening is quickly joined by a citrus lemon drop that feels slightly candied, subtle and sweet. It’s a clean, masculine opening which feels quite simplistic, but cleverly put together.
A rich, spicy rose similar to the one I smell in Tauer’s Incense Rose comes into play – and actually now I’ve mentioned it, Gringo shares a slight resemblance with the entire composition of the Tauer (which ironically I wore today) – rose, citrus fruits, incense.
A bitter patchouli in the background of Gringo and the slightly fleeting citrus pulls the fragrance away from the Tauer resemblance – along with a leathery note (which is listed as Castoreum) which gets more prominent over the next few hours. The castoreum has that rich nutty texture that reminds me of a subtle, more earthy mix of labdanum and Isobutyl Quinoline (the bitter leather note famously in Bandit amongst many other fragrances). As I said, it’s a subtle inclusion, but with the patchouli is a great alternative support for the frankincense.
The incense burns strong, as does that lovely spicy rose, and the quiet base supports these two notes – taking a more rugged edge into the drydown from the fresh, clean beginning, where the patchouli becomes slightly headshop-ish and a little musty. My favourite part of Gringo is the later drydown, where the stuffy patchouli is joined by an incredible sandalwood (probably the best I’ve smelt), and whilst maybe a bit “dated” for some, I think it’s quite charming :) Very nice work.
