Escentric Molecules is a perfume company from Germany launched in 2005.  Using the creative genius of Geza Schoen, they set out to make perfumes shaved down; building scents around one chemical that’s normally just a little tiny bit of a perfume.

Escentric Molecules 01 is built around Iso E Super.  Jacked up to 65% concentration, their Escentric 01 opens with a blast of pepper and lime, and then it is all comfort as you go into some vague shape of warm woods that’s not very formed, it just feels great. 

IFF’s description of Iso E Super is “smooth, woody, amber note with a ‘velvet’ like sensation.  Superb floralizer.  Used to impart fullness and subtle strength to fragrances.”

Sounds pretty weird and not very interesting.  It’s not, but it is like being wrapped in your favorite blanket that you’ve had since childhood. You don’t know why it makes you feel safe and secure, but it does.

Escentric Molecules 02 is like Molecules 01, but it is based on ambroxan.  Ambroxan is the chemical rendition of ambergris, which is ohsoexpensiveitsridiculous.  Molecules 02 adds vetiver and musk, orris and elderflower to add some pep to this smoothed out composition.

Escentric Molecules 03, Schoen concentrated on vetiveryl acetate.  The best vetiver, stark and pure, straight up. This is the purest vetiver fragrance it is possible to try.

If you’ve ever wondered what all those chemicals in perfumery smell like when stripped down to their core, Escentric Molecules is a line you should definitely try.  And that the fragrances smell great and have a wonderful comfort factor is a bonus!

Geza Schoen has also done two of the Biehl.parfumkunstwerke perfumes, the Steidl paper passion perfume, Boudicca Wode Paint and Scent, Clive Christian 1872 for Men, Clive Christian X for Men (for this one perfume, he could do nothing else) and The Beautiful Mind Series.