Agua de Colonia Concentrada
At 30ml, Alvarez Gómez Agua de Colonia Concentrada Eau de Cologne 30ml is the pocket version of a Spanish household staple, and the small bottle is the one that ends up in a bag rather than on a shelf. The fragrance dates from 1912 and the construction is more serious than the word cologne usually implies. Four citrus materials open it. Amalfi lemon is the rounder, more floral kind, plain lemon the sharper and more acidic, mandarin orange supplies sweetness, and grapefruit cuts across all three with a bitter pithiness. Underneath that, bergamot extends the citrus while four aromatics give it backbone: lavender for a clean herbal calm, rosemary for a resinous, almost camphorous green, coriander for a dry seed spice, and rhubarb for a tart, stalky sourness that is unusual in a cologne of this age. Then, unexpectedly, it dries down properly. Cedarwood and sandalwood supply dryness and a soft creaminess, patchouli an earthy depth, vetiver a rooty bitterness, and cumin a warm, slightly animal edge that is the most divisive thing in the bottle.
At eau de cologne strength the citrus burns off quickly, which is the whole point. This is a fragrance to apply freely, several times a day if you want to, rather than to ration. It is unisex, it suits heat, and it has been worn after shaving and after bathing for generations. The small size makes sense for travel, for a desk drawer or as a first try before buying a bottle you will actually finish.
Alvarez Gómez is still a family concern. Three young men from Leon arrived in Madrid looking for work with scent and took a shopfront at Calle Sevilla 2 in 1899, and it was in the basement below it that this cologne was first mixed by hand. Manufacturing moved to a factory in the 1990s and the range spread across Spain. A fourth generation is in charge.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
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