Description
Seattle, as one of the world’s coffee-roasting and coffee supply management centers, is revered for its coffee culture. One of Seattle’s many cozy neighborhood cafes, in the city noted for its per-capita coffee consumption and plethora of coffee shops, has inspired a fragrance called Café V. Picture a cafe’s dark decor, warm fireplace, leather chairs and espresso bar. Not quite gourmand, and not quite a fragrance of place, Café V falls somewhere in between with notes of espresso-roast coffee, dark cacao, vanilla, cream, spicy chai bursting with cardamom, leather, and well-worn wood, with “just a little skank from all of the rain-drenched actors who have over the years congregated in this little café in Seattle’s Capitol Hill.” Created by Nose Ellen Covey and launched in 2013, Café V is available as a 5 ml parfum spray, 25 ml parfum screw-top bottle and 30 ml EDP spray.
seryog82 – :
Edit: After wearing this a couple times I realized it has this sourness to it that I don’t really like so I won’t buy a whole bottle. I like it’s atmosphere though, like a spicy coffee forest.
Recommended to me by Objections when I asked about bold/experimental scents… THANK YOU lol. This is really nice. To me it’s cardamom+spices first and foremost, which I find comforting and home-y, with a woody leather+cream base. It’s strong salty butter-creamy cardamom in the very beginning, and then the leather comes through and it starts getting more creamy as the spices mellow out. Definitely strong throughout too which is great. The coffee is tucked way in the back which I like because I drink coffee a lot and don’t really wanna smell like it lol. Overall it’s a cardamom and masala chai BOMB (in a good way) to me, and although it’s super strong I find it warm and relaxing.
Composition: 3.5/5, Quality: 5/5
olgakhamo – :
Well I bought a back up bottle of this spicy coffee bomb. I never want to be without it. It is STRONG and with impressive sillage.
If I wait a while I finally can pick out the chai and cream. First and foremost this is about cardamom and coffee.
It’s still my no 1 coffee scent. Amazing juice!
MAS9 – :
It’s a beautiful scent, but it’s not for me. With my body chemistry, it comes out as a sharp leather smell with damp wood and a hint of cardamom. None of the other notes really come through on me. Very masculine on me.
Sweevehem – :
Opens with whipped cream and vanilla, quickly throws off some caramel, cookie and marshmallow, like the inside of one of those puffy, bundt-shaped, chocolate covered marshmallow cookies, and a little bit like a samoa. There’s also something slightly sharp that my partner described as minty, but it’s much subtler, like a spearmint flavored mint, might be the cardamom. The chai flirts in and out. If you drink chai regularly, you might notice it more. The coffee is also subtle, smelling more of an overly flavored vanilla latte. There’s no fresh grinds smell in this if that is what you’re looking for. Slowly, it gets more leathery, like a well worn full grain leather when it’s cool.
A great gourmand and smelling salt. Some women may find it too masculine because of the leather, and I saw many reviewers detected heavy woods. The Cafe name is apt, but it smells more like a cafe that mostly does sweets and serves drip coffee than the brewing espresso scent you might expect.
saasha023 – :
I’m a feminine woman very comfortable wearing this, even to work. It smells nothing like what I had imagined it was going to, but have been pleasantly surprised. The spice is very subtle. If there’s coffee it is old and cold and there are cigarette butts beside it. Café V is a scent of place and time: for me personally it smells exactly like the inside of very old rattler train I used to take in my late teens and early 20s through a mountain pass to reach home in the cold months. It perfectly captures the locked up smell of the train booth-the old leather seats, the brass trimmings, the old wooden racks, the scent of travellers and their luggage and newspapers. It also reminds me of the smell of a classy antique store-the books, some old clothes, black and white photos of nameless, forgotten people. Absolutely love Café V for when I want to be aloof and melancholic. This will not be a compliment gatherer among the masses. This is scent for one. Love.
eeeekstazzzz – :
WOW! This has got POWERHOUSE written all over it!
It is an intense leather – with a very masculine/herbal/rough sorta take. This is definitely the opposite of a feminine scent. I mean, this is MANLY!
Clearly, I will not be wearing this any more than this sample…still debating as to whether to purchase for husband to wear. I think I like it…it’s growing on me…truth is, not sure it will come off anytime soon! LOL! Better settle in and enjoy this thing…
I think I like it…rough, manly, sexy…clearly masculine.
Menvd037bedyWelty – :
I sampled this baby, it was love at first smell, bought a fb soon after. It’s long lasting with heavy sillage. Café V is cozy, comforting during winter; it’s a reunion of sorts of me with my long lost memories, what I didn’t know I had because I’d forgotten. This MUST be sampled because it’s not for everyone. But if it happens to be your thing, it might shake you to your core.
lcc682bedyWelty – :
If you’ve read the name and assumed its a coffee fragrance, then you should probably think again, and then keep an open mind.
This is lovely, opens with a belt of cardamon and strong woods on similarly strong leather. Somewhere in the opening there’s also cinnamon and nutmeg, presumably from the chai notes. This could be quite harsh if it weren’t for the vanilla and milky creamy accords that round out the edges into something cosy and embracing. The vanilla is soft, fleeting almost, but its there right when you need it. The milky creamy notes interchange and offset the predominant notes beautifully. Strongly masculine fragrance, I can see the similarity to Tuscan Leather as mentioned below, I have it also, but it stops at similarity. Cafe V is cardamon heavy and the cardamon and woods both, are all enduring in the fragrance. Lovely sillage, great longevity, and anything but mainstream. Probably best for cooler weather, I could see this well worn on a rainy or dreary day, exactly the kind of day you might seek out a cosy nook in your favourite cafe or tea house!
zzqwkfqp – :
Yum! I fell head over heels for cafe’v! I have been searching for an ambery,cozy,deep dark fragrace for fall. I had a large decant of amber sultan and almost bought that but decided to try one more. I love spicy,leathery,woodsy frags so i blind bought a full bottle of cafe’v. I didn’t know what to expect and reveiws differ. Well, delicious! This perfume is high quality, thick,dark,woody,amber,cozy and perfect for fall. It smells like October. It starts with a blast of strong sweet cardamom (my nose perceives as cinnomin) cocoa. Soon it begins to smell similar to Amber Sultan, the ambery quality with the same green note that smells like angelica. Next it changes into a hot mug of creamy chi tea with an extra sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg and it’s sitting on a bed of suede. Doesn’t smell like harsh stinky leather, it smells like a soft luxurious suede blanket; it’s not a dominant note but it’s there. Finally it morphs into what reminds me alot of Chergui. Oh my gosh! I found my cozy, warm, spicy, frothy fall fragrace! Sillage is magnificent and longevity outstanding! 12 hours, and sillage is a good 6 feet. One spray lasts all day. Its georgeous. I also love that Ellen Covey hand signed a thank you for the purchase, the packaging is so elegant and i received 3 free samples. I will definatly be buying from her again. I just wish they sold bigger bottles:)
KaosLaos36 – :
Cafe V is a misnomer. First time I sprayed the sample, I thought I got it mixed up coz you expect a strong coffee note when a frag is called Cafe V. Nope. What this is is a gourmand masala chai fragrance. If you are Indian, this is the smell of tea time, Cardamom or elaichi tea with lots of milk and sugar and cream pastry on the side. There is the smell of coffee grounds in there somewhere and the leather notes peek in during the base but the cardamom masala chai and whipped cream notes dominate. This is the first frag I have smelled that gets our Indian masala Chai note bang spot on. Very cozy fragrance, especially here during the monsoon and tea time is usually a fun family ritual for most of us so this has very relaxing connotations to it for me. A comfort frag if you will.
I dont think she was going for it but Ellen Covey has perfectly captured the smell of evening tea time in India. Good longevity and projection as well. Very impressed and I am having a lot of fun wearing this one asking friends and family to guess the smell… a few moments of confusion because the smell is so darn familiar and then that aha moment when I say “Chai”!!!
bot211speagoessenda – :
This is one of those scents, that for me, is reminiscent of something way, way, back in time. It carries a wood base that seems a trademark Covey.
It’s colour is of brown crackling Leather pair of Chaps. The Cardamon adds a dry, dusty, spicy almost paperlike smoke that parches slightly.
It carries a tone similar to Heeley’s Phoenicia.
Unisex? I would say it is the kind of thing us boys like.
Effotcoragats – :
How anyone can draw similarities between Cafe V and Coco Blanc is beyond me.
Coco Blanc is a soft, creamy skin scent, but this cleans out your sinuses! It’s unfortunate because I LOVED the sample I had from a few years ago, but recently fragrances with dominant spices have been anything but kind to me; I guess this is payback for my long love of heavy orientals.
On me, this is relentless cardamom and woods; the sillage and longevity are outstanding though!
In this case, I will say it’s not Cafe V; it’s me, but I cannot wear Cafe V anymore.
I have a 30 ml bottle that’s only been sprayed a few times and it’s now up for swap; if you want it, message me.
cadocoleale – :
Ive tried a few coffee dominated fragrances now but this is head and shoulders above the rest Montale etc etc. Cardamom is one of my favourite spices and I am pleasantly surprised a how well it goes with coffee. This is sweet but also equally leathery and smokey. The sillage is big so handle with care. Great longevity and definitely unisex. Ive currently got a 15ml bottle but definitely buying another as a back up.
I also own Sensei and I can see why someone considers it similar. Yes, they are both strong coffee fragrances but Sensei is less spicey and has a big swig of whiskey present. Cafe V is very coffee centred unlike Sensei.
Karismatic – :
Exquisite gourmand wood! Hands down the best I’ve smelled. It transports you to a quaint little corner cafe that’s been there for years and only the locals know about. Rich layers of coffee and pastry aromas that have soaked into the woodwork after a few decades. A deep saturation of the most mind-blowing woods ,white chocolate and a touch of leather. This is what Coco Blanc should have been. Noire Excuis tried to achieve this as well and failed miserably (so disappointed). But this is just…wow ! I find myself craving it frequently in cooler weather. Ellen Covey is talented beyond words. This is a must-have!
sportik – :
Woody scent drapped with leather and undertones of spices. Has a sweet fluffiness to it as well. Reminds me of an old library with exquisite wood furniture.
klk977speagoessenda – :
Am I the only one that gets a serious blast of booze in the opening of this? It smells like I poured a dram of single malt while wearing a leather jacket, leather gloves, leather chaps, while sitting on a sweaty saddle. What I’m indicating here is that it’s very animalic and leathery. At first it’s a little too in-your-face and I almost want to scrub it off! After a few minutes though the more sweet, spicy and vanilla notes come out making it much more friendly to my nose. I don’t get much in the way of coffee or chocolate but I swear I get a whiff of coconut! Overall it’s not unpleasant but far from making me swoon. Maybe I’ll use when I feel like smelling a little raunchy.
23SERGEY23 – :
As is true of DEV 2, this is definately a unisex scent, with something of an aromatic/woody opening and slightly sweeter drydown. Delightful.
I think Cafe V has much to live up to in the name, possibly more than any one fragrance can supply. Each one of us pictures a certain kind of cafe and coffee scent, which no one perfume will deliver! With an open mind, we may actually see what Ellen Covey’s Cafe is…
The woody aroma is lovely here, almost a cedar presence, and I was instantly reminded of an excellent men’s cologne. But then I finally identify what I am smelling – wood, leather, and a LARGE dollop of Cardamom. Near the drydown, a creamy quality enters, indicitive of a distant cafe con leche or cappuccino, with a hint of softly sweet vanilla.
In the end, this particular scent is neither the strongest nor the most controversial of Ellen’s inspired creations. I would encourage you not to view it as your favorite cafe OR a coffee-centric scent. Allow it to take you on a trip to ANOTHER place, skillfully sketched out for us in Cafe V. Enjoy!
Thoughts:
Not a scent for the shy – though applied in small quantity it stays quite close to the skin. Apply at your discretion. 😀
Avoid if you hate Cardamom. To me, it adds a wonderfully unique character, but it is very, very prevalent.
Oh my, do we have outstanding longevity here. Ellen Covey is to be congratulated!
bep0sitive – :
Very earthy, dirt accord on the leather on this one. A little coffee, a little spice, a little smoothness from the cream, a lot of soil/leather. It’s nice but not as much coffee as I was hoping for. Very strong leather note.
Dominian – :
OMG I’m not sure why they placed this into Oriental Vanilla category, because it’s so not where it belongs. There is nothing oriental or vanilla about it. This fragrance to me smells exactly like Tom Ford Tuscan Leather, EXACT SMELL! Stinky leather, stinky leather and more really stinky leather with a touch of cocaine, yep, and I’m not really into that. No coffee, no cream, no cardamom, no masala chai – just leather. This is definitely more of a male fragrance, I cannot imagine this on a woman.
But there is a good thing to it as well, its not very expensive, so if you like Tuscan Leather, try this instead cause its way less money. The packaging is great, I ordered 5ml and it came beautifully packaged, I also got a few samples, which I think is wonderful.
Longevity of this fragrance is INCREDIBLE, this is the only perfume in the history of perfumes that lasted on my skin 7 hours, and I’ve tried at least a thousand niche perfumes, none of them stayed on me that long, at the most 4 hours, and those are very few.
The samples they sent me I enjoyed so I would definitely be interested in trying more stuff from this house.
rmk771 – :
I adore this perfume. The more I wear it, the more it smells like white chocolate. I also detec vanilla and a base of woods. This is a very creamy, woody gourmand vanilla, for sure! Sillage is fantastic. Similar to House of Matriarch Coco Blanc, but so much better and far more interesting. Makes me remember rainy days in Seattle when I would duck into a coffee shop with steam covered windows. So cozy and one of the creamiest wood scents out there, without being sugary sweet. An artisan masterpiece. I have a travel spray but want FB. (Update: full bottle purchased!)
steven55555 – :
I get a dark, worn wood and leather scent, with a bit of cardamom and maybe a pinch of coffee grounds. Not sweet at all on my skin. An interesting scent, but not really something I want to smell like.
zozont – :
Rain-drenched actors… congregated. For sure. Damp, maybe mildewed, herbal and woodsy notes as others have said. My difficulty with this is the camphor/medicinal aspect of those herbal facets. I can’t place that in any cafe, coffee, damp landscape, or actor’s body at all. That note plays too loud and spoils the composition for me, unfortunately. Because I feel like, underneath that note is a beautiful idea and a fascinating scent.
Felina4996 – :
Ellen Covey for Senate! Seattle is the king of coffee. I hear that Olympic Orchids Artisan is based out of Seattle. It’s only right that Cafe V would be the best in it’s coffee classification, right? Correctamundo! Have you ever been to Diary Queen and tried their Cappuccino Moolatte? Well, this smells exactly like that. The only downside(for me) is that the biggest size comes in a 30ml. That’s like a musical album having only 8 songs haha! I can’t complain too much. At least the price is only about $40 dollars.
Виктор2009 – :
This perfume I find very earthy and aroma-rich if that makes sense. As Axum mentioned it does smell of vegetation/undergrowth, but also strong leather and spice notes with a touch of vanilla lingering in the background. It really does evoke a deeper sense of feeling in me than any mainstream perfume I’ve ever tried. It feels alive, like lingering memories of places I have been, things I have felt and people I have seen
qlq687speagoessenda – :
I agree that cardamom, with its green pepper / spice quality is front and center in Cafe V, along with notes of damp vegetation, vanilla and – yes – sweet whipped cream or milk foam. It’s got a Pacific NW vibe for sure, and the atmosphere of a cafe on a rainy day – which is perhaps the point, not coffee itself. No one could possibly mistake this for department store mainstream: the composition is truly original, and the quality of ingredients is excellent.
ferstenfeged – :
My expectations were too high for this – really wanting the deep dark roast scent that I do get when I walk into a coffee shop in Seattle. I agree with LaDomna – unfortunately the coffee scent is lacking in this for me. I get the aroma of leather and damp wood – and it’s heavy on the cardamom.
vov4ikFear13 – :
I won a sample of this and a few other new scents from Olympic Orchids in a givaway on the perfumers blog. For me this scent is all about the wood, a light and spicy cedar note. I also get a very delicate, non-foody, cardamom. This is really not a very gourmand sort of scent on me… It is not very sweet, the vanilla is barely noticable and the cream nonexistent… The coffee is only a distant memory. Café V doesn’t bring a café to mind for me, but it is beautifully melancholic!