Another “Aaah” fragrance moment. Rose Flash was created by Swiss perfumer Andy Tauer for his “Tauerville” line. It is one of perfumery’s great value buys, as it is made in 20% fragrance concentration, i.e. parfum extrait strength, and its quality is very high. (Buying it also supports an independent artisan perfumer, which, as Brigitte has commented, is important and especially so during this downturn).

The Tauerville line is supposed to be simpler and more streamlined than his other fragrances, so only three notes are listed: rose, resins, and woody notes. Of course, any one of those can be very complex, so the list is deceptively short. Rose Flash is what others have called a “jammy rose”, which I think means it smells thicker, more textured, chewier and sweeter than, say, Clair Matin. That aligns with my impression of Rose Flash. “Jammy” also sounds to me like comfort food, and to my nose, Rose Flash is a comfort fragrance. It is soft, sweet, and cuddly; maybe slightly more gourmand than floral.

Image from http://www.oldteddybearshop.co.uk

By the way, if you’d like to try making rose petal jam yourself, here is a recipe that comes with beautiful step-by-step photos: Feasting At Home Rose Petal Jam. Given how home-bound I am this summer, and how many roses I’m growing, I might just try it!

A few commenters have said that Rose Flash has a smell of beer with the rose, and I can see that. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it smells like beer, but there is something reminiscent of beer — maybe some kind of malt? Rose Flash also lasts for hours, though it doesn’t carry very far after the first couple of hours. That makes sense, given its high concentration of fragrance and consequent lower percentage of alcohol; it acts like extrait, not like eau de toilette or even eau de parfum. The unnamed resins lend an incense-like aura that blends beautifully with the sweet rose and malt, and they anchor the fragrance, persisting for hours.

I think Rose Flash is one of the best rose fragrances you can buy, from one of the best artisan perfumers in the world, at a very affordable price: 30 ml of parfum extrait for $63 at online retailers like LuckyScent. Have you tried it, or any of the other Tauerville “Flash” fragrances?

Tauerville Rose Flash; image from http://www.theredolentmermaid.com.

Featured image from http://www.sagegoddess.com.