Kilian Apple Brandy On the Rocks Perfume Review
By Kilian Apple Brandy on the Rocks Eau de Parfum is a boozy, apple liquor drizzled over lightly smoked oak that progresses more linearly from middle to end. The apple note softens and fades as the drydown emerges, where lightly spiced, smoked woods and vanilla start to take over. The notes are:
- top notes: cardamom, bergamot
- heart notes: apple, brandy, pineapple, rum, moss, vanilla
- base notes: cedarwood, ambroxan
It opened with crisp, freshly-peeled apple with fizzy lemon dribbled over that was bubbly and teased my nose initially before sweetening to its namesake, apple brandy, where the apple was noticeable but richer, sweeter, and boozier but not so sweet that it became baked or dessert-like. There was an underlying subtly smoky, woody note (had me imagining oak barrels) and a hint of earthiness from the oakmoss that made an appearance about 15 minutes into wear.
Apple Brandy On the Rocks got boozier, drier, and less apple-heavy, no longer fizzy or remotely tarte, and the apple felt like it flavored the booziness rather than the other way around (how it was in the opening). Overall, the progression ended up being more linear with the apple getting more and more muffled in the background as the brandy and woodiness combined with vanilla. It seemed like a lot of others got pineapple as a dominant note, and try as I might, the fruity note(s) always reminded me of crisp, granny smith apples.
For testing, I used half of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed onto the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. It had moderate projection for the first two hours of wear, and then it dropped to only a couple of inches above my skin before becoming a skin-scent after five hours of wear. It was longer-lasting at over 10 hours.
Subjectively, it was an interesting scent to try after testing out By Kilian’s Angels’ Share, which I prefer for its sweeter quality; Apple Brandy on the Rocks’ crisp apple note was pleasant but I wanted more, and Angels’ Share gave that to me (personally!). I’m not often pulled in by perfume bottle packaging, but I think Kilian did a lovely job on this series’ packaging.
Available Sizes
- 50 ml for $195
Definitely worth a sample! I’d love to see how this would translate on me personally. Apple that is more boozy and rich would seem right up my alley.
You had me at boozy and oak. Nothing like a nice drink in front of a roaring fire! I am also drawn to bergamot and vanilla so this sounds right up my alley. I will try and get a sample. I agree, the packaging looks beautiful and I wish I could say that packaging isn’t a factor for me but when it is going to be sitting out on my vanity, it does offer a visual appeal to me. Adding it to my list of scents to try.