Akelarre by nBitor

Akelarre feels like a fall walk through a mountain village where everything smells authentic and familiar, far from tourist chaos. There are no those dense Middle Eastern scents here; it smells of damp earth, wet wood from fences, and that mossy halo of wet rocks and tree resin. You can also smell the smoke from chimneys and a very well-executed animal touch, as if you were horseback riding through nature. Although it evokes Goya’s painting, for me the witches stayed home. If you’re looking for something mass-market, run, but if you like niche and want to live experiences, it’s a beast in cold weather with 8 hours of longevity. Ideal for personal use with people who know you, not for dates or work, unless you’re the boss. It sparks curiosity if you control the applications, but always test on skin before buying.

This perfume is pure projection. It’s entering a damp cave where light no longer reaches, crouching at night until your nose touches the floor while you hear drops falling. It’s going out to pick moss to ‘make the nativity scene,’ scratching the ground with your fingernails and smelling your fingers surrounded by pines. It’s going mushroom hunting in a Teruel forest with boots because the weather is bad, getting mud up to your eyebrows because it indeed rained. It’s pulling the mushroom from the earth and sniffing the air with the aroma it releases as you separate it from the putrefying humus that wraps it. I’m floored.

Immerse yourself in a unique sensory journey with Akelarre, the last bold creation from ñbitor. This perfume defies conventions and transports you to a world of intense emotions, inspired by Goya’s dark work, The Witches’ Sabbath. From the first spray, it awakens the senses with a symphony of unusual notes: white truffle, coffee, nuts, and cinnamon create a bold opening that evokes the intrigue of the sabbat. In the heart, rose, metallic notes, cypriol, and geosmina bring to life something sensual and disturbing. It’s like a whirlwind of emotions captured in a scent that awakens dark visions. In the base, patchouli, amber, cedar, and hyraceum unite to create an earthy and metallic backdrop that underscores its complexity. It’s a perfume that challenges boundaries and invites you to explore the hidden. It’s not for everyone; its provocative concept may be difficult for those seeking something conventional, but for those who dare to explore the unknown, it offers a transformative experience. It’s a tribute to facing darkness and finding light, remembering that beauty resides in unexpected places. Prepare for an unforgettable journey that celebrates freedom of expression.

Velvety, sexy turpentine. Quite vintage at first, it makes you think of very dark leather, of grimdark fantasy overlord, especially because the metallic note is very consistent. It could be a bit of ‘leave your black knight helmet behind while we do it,’ but it doesn’t quite get there because it’s absolutely not a lover’s scent. The musks here evoke a femme fatale for me, but there’s nothing soft or tender, no lace or sensuality or anything like that. It’s more like the eroticism of staring each other in the eyes for two hours in a ruined brutalist building, though leaning more towards the 19th century. Like that picture of truth coming out of a well, but without shaving. At the very end, the musks fade away and a metallic green remains, returning again to the overlord. The figure clad in armor from the ‘Player of Games’ video by Grimes comes to mind.

Akelarre is based on one of Goya’s Black Paintings, known as Akelarre, the Basque term for witch gatherings in dark rituals. Although the house doesn’t mention Galicia, this territory is famous for those legends and it transports me there, to the Galician mountains and forests. Without discussing the notes, it smells very dark, damp, earthy, and smoky. Just like with Babieca, Miguel Matos inserts sweet notes with precision, fundamentally coffee (which also makes me think of Galicia), which suits it perfectly, making it more pleasant, usable, and interesting. The result is simply brilliant, as the brand is accustomed to. They are concept-driven proposals, fantastically executed. The perfumes by Miguel Matos are especially well-made, showing him moving like a fish in water with a great palette and distinct proposals. A perfume worth knowing, like the rest of the house. Greetings!

Terrible. In fact, I find all perfumes from this house to be extremely pretentious, as if they’re trying to be different but end up with disastrous results… It has the honor of being the first perfume I’ve worn that was so unbearable I had to rush to the shower to get rid of it.