Acqua di Biella’s newest fragrance release, Bursch, is a warm and rich blend of bergamot, lemon, rhubarb, rum, incense, coriander, pepper, saffron, myrrh, cedar, vetiver, oakmoss, and musk.

Though the fragrance opens with the typical Acqua di Biella topnotes of lemon and bergamot, Bursch’s middle and basenotes are the real star here. An unusual scent that manages to be both citric and woodsy, it is reminiscent of Miller Harris’s mossy Terre de Bois and D’Orsay’s boozey Le Dandy. As the citrus topnotes continue to shimmer throughout the composition’s development, the darker notes of rum and pepper are juxtaposed against myrrh and cedar. There is an overall tang and sweetness to the composition, perhaps from the rhubarb and lemon, but it is tempered by the moss and musk. As the scent settles, however, I am surprised by how strong the brighter topnotes remain, with the basenotes practically taking a back seat to the lemon.

Bursch, like the other Acqua di Biella fragrances, is a cologne, and as such, is short-lived in its glory. Eventually fading to a trio of pepper, cedar and lemon, though quite striking, it’s not really something I would reach for. It’s perfect for those who appreciate the Comme des Garçons Incense series or Lorenzo Villoresi’s Piper Nigrum.

For buying information, see the listing for Acqua di Biella under Perfume Houses.

Related reviews: Acqua di Biella Janca, No 1 & Baraja.