Tauer Perfumes has done citrus fragrances before, most notably with Orange Star (2010) and Cologne du Maghreb (2011). Based on the name, I thought the newest, L’Eau, might be the first Tauer riff on a citrus classic cologne for hot summer days, but no, that’s not what it is. It is about citrus — it was reportedly “inspired by a lemontree in bloom on Andy Tauer’s veranda in crisp Zurich morning air”, and the notes follow suit: bergamot, lemon, orange, lemon blossom, iris flowers, musk, ambergris, timber and sandalwood. And L’Eau does start with a nice sparkle of lemonade, and it does start bright and cheerful.
But L’Eau has more heft than you’d expect from a classic cologne, and the “classic” citrus sparkle / juiciness is short-lived, as L’Eau moves quickly into something more modern and diffuse…