A*Men Pure Malt is the most recent interpretation of Thierry Mugler’s A*Men. Pure Malt was inspired by the Scottish peaty whisky which is redolent of sensual woody accents thus creating an exciting malt experience, gourmand style. Aged in oak barrel, this limited edition variant of A*Men is a cocktail of luxury spirits with a distinct boozy note that balances the food-y notes of the fragrance.
Pure Malt smells a lot like A*Men Pure Coffee (2008) sans the coffee, of course. It is rather a paled version of A*Men but the gourmand character is still noticeably pronounced. The top notes are suggestive of booze then transitions into toffee-malt sweetness. The dry down evokes warmth with just a slight dose of patchouli and bits of vanilla musk. Pure Malt is less intense in terms of potency. The creaminess brought forth by the woodsy and malt whisky undertone is pleasant without being too cloyingly sweet. The sillage is quite average as compared with the earlier flankers. Since Pure Malt is a tamed version of A*Men, longevity is not at par with the original. The boozy-caramel aroma cascades nicely in the beginning then gradually peters out in the dry down. The toasty gourmand accords hold longer in the dry down making the fragrance just as refined and elegant the first time you smell it.
Some perfume pundits have this notion that flankers are nothing but a ho-hum iteration of the parent- they simply lack creativity. Fragrance houses try to more creative with the notes to either strengthen the formulation or tone it down a bit to make it more softer. Pure Malt is a well-executed fragrance and that is what makes it different from other flankers. Fragrance aged in oak barrel? That’s how creative Thierry Mugler is and that is just his fragrance portfolio. His cosmic haute couture is another story.
On the whole, the boozy notes in A*Men Pure Malt make it very manly. Would Thierry Mugler venture in incorporating booze accords in the women’s fragrances like Angel? That will be an interesting olfactive-experience to look forward to.
A*Men Pure Malt is available in 100ml eau de toilette. More Thierry Mugler perfumes and colognes at discount perfume retailer, scentiments.com.