Kingston Ferry is an aromatic, aquatic and woody fragrance inspired by the scents from land, beach and water at a Pacific Northwest ferry dock. It’s the scent of a sunny morning when the fog is still hanging over the water, the tide’s going out, and there’s the promise of a great adventure by water. With notes of salt air, rhododendron, lavender, tarragon, chamomile, heather, cedar leaves, the sea-weathered wood pilings, diesel fuel (a botanical accord), seaweed, sun-dried driftwood and charred firewood. Kingston Ferry was released in 2010 and was created by Ellen Covey. It is a parfum.
OLYMPIC ORCHIDS KINGSTON FERRY REVIEWS
Fragrantica: "Kingston Ferry captures the smell of a dense forest carried by a crisp sea breeze. The marine notes form a hefty base that really allow the biting tarragon and herbaceous chamomile to shine, with a subtle but imminent florality smoothing out the transition between the top and the base. I really am impressed by how this fragrance eskews the citrus typical in other modern aquatic compositions, and still manages to smell crisp and fresh for hours on end. It's hard to immediately identify any woodiness on the nose, but I can kind of tell it's there bolstering the more plant-forward aspects of the scent. Though intially, Kingston Ferry is powerfully herbal, almost leaning medicinal. I chalk this up mostly to the chamomile listed in the notes by the perfumer. However, I have noticed this medical-herbal element in many of Olympic Orchids other formulations, but I think this signature blends in the best in this fragrance."
Fragrantica: "Olympic Orchids’ Kingston Ferry is meant to evoke the windswept beaches of the Pacific Northwest. It’s a powerfully herbal scent; at first bitter and earthy, then dominated by an odd, unfamiliar, cooling scent, not quite anise but somewhere in the neighborhood — I’d guess the tarragon, which is after all an artemisia. It’s a strangely blue-green scent, cleansing without at all evoking soap. The myrrh and chamomile sing a pleasantly earth-toned backup. It’s a unique addition to the genre of unisex nature-evoking scents, and I enjoy it."
Fragrantica: "Definitely one of my favorite aquaphoric scents I’ve tried!!!!! Has a nice combo of sea water and floral notes. 7.5/10"
Fragrantica: "The Pac Northwest has always been my favorite part of the country, and Seattle my favorite city. For me Kingston Ferry is the perfect mix of mentholated evergreen, herbs and briny air and is evocative of a coastal breeze blowing off of Puget Sound on one of those near-mythical warm, sunny days. This is a very “Calgon, take me away” fragrance because I can just close my eyes and pretend I’m there. There is a suggestion of seaweed and ocean water, no icky weird fishy notes, and I do get a bit of a melon vibe from it, but thankfully we entirely avoid Cool Water territory. I also notice a nice driftwood note, possibly the best I have smelled. It actually smells like weathered wood. Thank you to my perfume buddy who gave me a travel spray to try out. I have worn this fragrance for 4 days in a row, a very rare thing for me to do. I will require a full bottle. Update: I’m finding it has excellent performance. I only need a dab, and it lasts all day, staying true to the scent. Now my absolute favorite from Olympic Orchids."
Fragrantica: "Starts off salty aquatic and herbal then goes a bit putrid diesel and seaweed in such a realistic way. I really am transported to a ferry on Puget Sound."
Fragrantica: "I don't know why I immediately think of 1950s New England, car broke down giving a sweet, rubbery smell of old petrol, and then the wildflowers, sweet tea, and an old bed and breakfast. More of an experience than a perfume."
Fragrantica: "I feel like I'm walking along a beach boardwalk - smelling snatches of the salty sea breeze, but also the dry, grassy dunes, washed-up driftwood, and somehow even the warm sun overhead. I'm not very interested in aquatics, but this perfume is AMAZING! Kingston Ferry is a very unique but accurate aquatic that is easy to wear, unisex (leaning masculine) and a pleasure to smell. A definite must-try for every OO, aquatics, or fine perfume fan."
Fragrantica: "This is an extremely atmospheric experience for me, reminding me of visiting a wharf (in a very good, romantic way). I definitely get the seaweed and the oceanic smells, but the herbs offer grounding comfort and keep the scent from being briny. This brings back memories and is a very memorable fragrance at the same time. I keep and savor my bottle at the same time."
Fragrantica: "This opens with idolic florals and maybe hyrax like a mens’ urinal trough at a baseball game. But, this is indie niche perfume, it's an adventure sometimes so I waited through it. After that it gets aromatic with chamomile, tarragon, vetiver, and a dusty heather. Then I get a brilliant driftwood, seaweed, and a musty, slightly smokey nuance. This is one of those fragrances when I read the inspiration brief, it fits perfectly with the description. You can picture a foggy beach in the morning with the faint smell of driftwood embers from the fire the night before. I love artistic fragrances, and this fits the description perfectly. I'm not sure where I'd wear this, but it's awesome perfumery nonetheless. It reminds me of camping on the beach. Scent 7/10. Performance 8/10"
Fragrantica: "Aquatic scents is usually not my cup of tea. But this isn't bad. It's not a favorite of mine, but there are moments when this scent really takes me places and makes me feel comforted in a way. It's a very atmospheric and evocative scent (like many of the perfumes from this brand). And it is extremely well made. I usually find aquatic perfumes to be too thin and watery smelling, too fresh - but this scent has a lot of substance and a certain kind of thickness, like a foggy feeling, to it. It starts off a bit harsh. I can smell salty, wet seagrass, engine oil from a ship and something very patchouli-ish, that in this particular blend smells a bit like guano (sea bird droppings). It's a very natural smell. I can feel the sea breeze in my hair and hear the seagulls crying when I sniff this perfume. The saltiness lingers, but the harshness goes away, and leaves room for softer, floral notes. It smells like a meeting of ocean and land. Like you're on a boat (a ferry if you will), and heading for shore. The salty sea breeze is still prominent, but when the ship comes closer to port, whiffs of sand, driftwood and green hills filled with wild flowers starts to emerge, slowly and softly. I'm taken back to the time when I travelled from Calais to Dover by ferry, when I smell this. It's a lovely memory for me, and I love this scent just for reminding me of that trip again. I can detect chamomile, which really softens the saltiness in this perfume, and in the heart of the scent a very mild and well-rounded lavender blooms. I'm not very fond of lavender in perfumes, but it works for me here. It just gives the scent a cool, almost moist, foggy feel that still smells floral."
