Parfums Caron was established in 1904 by Ernest Daltroff. Alpona, one of Daltroff's many fragrance creations, launched in 1939, and has notes of lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, rose, orange, jasmine, orchid, thyme, patchouli, myrrh, cedar, sandalwood, musk, and oakmoss.
Alpona starts with citrus fruits, but don't look for fresh-squeezed juice here — Caron describes the citrus as "crystallized", and that is exactly what it smells like: sugared preserved fruit. Marmalade, with its touch of bitter peel tempering the sugar, might actually be more apt, as Alpona is not at all overly sweet. Elements of the mossy chypre base are apparent from the start, and lend a rich backdrop to the citrus opening. The citrus notes last well into the dry down, and then are gradually replaced by the well-blended floral heart notes. The far dry down is soft woods, green mosses, musk, and a hint of patchouli.
The dark undertone that characterizes the classic Caron fragrances is there, but it is subdued. Consequently it has a modern feel, both in comparison to other Carons and also in contrast to many chypre fragrances that post-dated it (Miss Dior, Ma Griffe, Cabochard). All the same, it is a deep, rich, sophisticated fragrance, with none of the airy transparency of a modern fresh chypre. It could easily be worn by either sex, and the lasting power is excellent. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a good chypre, or anyone who has found the classic Caron scents unapproachable.
Caron Alpona is one of the urn parfums, meaning simply that it is kept in an urn (see picture above) at the Caron boutiques. You choose the empty bottle of your choice, and have it filled with the fragrance. You can find a complete list of boutiques on the Caron website. Samples are available at the New York boutique for $5 each, fully refundable on subsequent purchases.
So would you say that this is an approachable chypre? That sounds very appealing to me, I am a little intimidated by chypres I must admit. Crystallized citrus…must get a sample of this!
Well, I don't know if I would go so far as an approachable chypre. I just find it more approachable than many of the classic Carons.
I love chypres, but I think that if you don't, Alpona is less likely to change your mind than one of the more recent, fresher versions.
Great review of a beautiful perfume! I do love this, but for reasons that are unclear, my husband is not crazy about it. He's unable to articulate why, but I don't think it's the Caron undertone, because he's very fond of En Avion. Go figure! It's too bad, though, b/c I think of Alpona as a very romantic fragrance–I wear it anyway, and just feel romantic by myself.
Glad you resolved your computer problems!
Judith
Caron really knows how to provide customer service. I love the fact that if you buy a fragrance after you have purchased samples, they will give you credit for the sample purchase.
Hugs!
Lovely review R! I love many but can wear a few. The ones I enjoy wearing are Farnesiana (another modern perfume), Tabac Blond, French Cancan, Narcisse Blanc (yet to buy), Alpona, Poivre (yet to buy), Or et Noir (yet to buy and a lovely rose), Nuit de Noel….
Hope all is well.
Alpona reminds me of a dark forest covered with mosses, where a ray of sunshine suddenly enters. I did not like it as much when I first tried it, but it grew on me. It is an amazing composition.
Thank you J! My husband does not care for chypres at all, and particularly dislikes my beloved Houbigant Apercu.
Hi R, it really is a good deal, and they are very helpful in the NY store. I am so disappointed that they are apparently moving over to Lexington avenue, which is entirely out of the way of my normal NYC perfume shopping.
N, I am hoping to try the French Can Can this weekend
I would love to have one of the lay-down horizontal bottles with an urn parfum one of these days.
V, a lovely description, as always!
Oh I am doomed then not to like chypres …woe me
Fabulous review, you certainly did justice to this wonderful scent.
You are correct, it can be worn by both sexes. In fact, I find that many of the Caron's can be worn by anybody. Let's face it, I even wear Bellodgia.
Barry
M, what is that you object to in a chypre? I know a lot of people find oakmoss overly dry & musty, although oakmoss is one of my favorite notes, personally.
Yes, and I'm surprised that Caron doesn't list more of the urn fragrances under the men's section on their website, although they do note that Alpona can be worn by anyone. Bellodgia is a gorgeous fragrance.
I *am* a chypre gal, and this one hit me harder than any other of the urns, save Tabac Blond. It is rich but clear, without the fussiness of some of the 1950s chypres — as you said, surprisingly modern. And the grapefruit note is without the sweatiness that I get from others. Just perfect.
Yes, “without the fussiness” is a perfect description. I like many of the chypres of the 1950s, but always feel like I should be dressed up when I'm wearing them.
Alpona is the nectar of the gods!!!
Lush ripe you just want to roll in the fragrance,like a cat in sunlight.
A very different chypre with the thyme and oriental notes in the middle.
To me Alpona is warm sunny days trees ripe with juicey fruits.
Perfect description, D!
I'm starting to get frustrated… I started enquiring about Caron EdP samples in early November. I tried Diane through the New York boutique and they have no vials. They're now saying it will be at least the end of December before they can ship me samples. Of course, if I fall in love with Farnesiana or Alpona, I can't get proper bottles shipped to Canada. Caron is not at all the only line I've had trouble with on this front. My question is, don't they want to sell this stuff?!? It's not like it's cheap. I mean, I thought the point of producing a product is to sell it!
Tigs, I know what you mean — so many companies make you jump through hoops just to buy their scents. I wish I could think of another way you could get your hands on these, but outside of swapping for them, I've no ideas. Farnesiana you could buy cheaply in the EdP, but the EdP is quite different from the parfum.