Thierry Mugler’s A*Men Pure Malt

Many of my peers are collectors in one form or another. They’re collecting limited edition sneakers, apparel, toys, art…you name it. Me, I collect fragrances. So you can imagine how excited I was when I found out that Theirry Mugler was putting another A* Men limited edition item.

If you haven’t been living under a rock, you should be familiar with the Theirry Mugler name or at least know of one of the most popular scents of the decade he’s responsible for, Angel. Well, his new scent, which recently dropped, A*Men Pure Malt pays homage to Malt Whisky. After narrowly missing his last limited edition, Pure Coffee, I just had to get my hands on this and I’m loving it.

Building and fusing the woody nuances of Angel, the key ingredients of this heavenly concoction, which takes cues from traditional whisky aging techniques by storing Pure Malt in oak casks, include coffee absolute, cedarwood, patchouli, and something a little scientific, Pure Malt Co2. The result is a very sophisticated fragrance that begs to be accompanied by a great fitting suit. While it starts out quite sweet, it ages nicely on my skin and moves towards rich woods and chocolate and that’s where the boozy feel of the whisky begins opening up. Undoubtedly, Angel’s presence can be felt but Pure Malt is lighter and thus can be seen as having a more masculine appeal. I’ve seen some reviews that have mentioned this as a good summer scent but I beg to differ. For me as autumn firmly takes hold, and we take shelter indoors, comforting thoughts such as rich leather lounge chairs, crackling fire places, and a great cigar (or not) come to mind. This is where I see Pure Malt and its rich woody character setting in nicely.

A*Men Pure Malt by Thierry Mugler 3.4 fl. oz available at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdales.