The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Acqua Fiorentina The Encore is a 2012 reinterpretation of the original 2009 Acqua Fiorentina, Olivier Creed's fruity-floral rooted in the Italian city that inspired its name. Florence carries weight in perfumery, citrus groves, Renaissance gardens, the intersection of art and commerce along the Arno. Olivier Creed, sourcing materials from his travels, found in that city a framework for something youthful and refined at once. The greengage plum was the key: a less common fruit note that reads tart and green rather than sweet, giving the fragrance a specific quality no citrus or berry could replicate. The Encore added structure where the original softened, deepening the woody base while keeping the fruit-floral heart intact.
The greengage plum is what sets this apart from standard fruity-florals. Unlike plum absolute, which tends toward sweetness, greengage brings a crisp, almost underripe quality that behaves more like a citrus or green note. Calabrian lemon, sourced from the sun-drenched groves of southern Italy, provides the bright Mediterranean character that anchors the opening. The heart of rose and carnation is deliberately classical, these are old perfumery materials that ground the composition in a certain elegance, preventing the fruit from reading as casual. Cedarwood and sandalwood in the base aren't an afterthought; they're the structure that keeps the drydown from dissolving into nothing.
The evolution
The opening arrives fast, greengage plum's tartness hits before sweetness registers, followed by the immediate brightness of Calabrian lemon. Bergamot softens the citrus within the first hour, while rose and carnation begin their slow emergence beneath the fruit. The heart phase holds for 2-3 hours, with the floral notes layering over the remaining fruit, adding warmth without sweetness. Cedarwood announces itself around hour three, dry and woody, pulling the composition toward its base. The drydown belongs to cedar and sandalwood together, cedar's sharp woodiness softened by sandalwood's creamy warmth. The sandalwood lingers closest to the skin through hours four through six, occasionally lifting as a quiet warmth rather than a distinct note.
Cultural impact
Acqua Fiorentina The Encore arrived in 2012 as Creed's refreshed take on their 2009 fruity-floral, reflecting the house's willingness to revisit and refine their catalog. The original Acqua Fiorentina marked Creed's entry into lighter, more accessible compositions during a period when the fragrance industry saw increased demand for fresh, everyday scents. By releasing The Encore, Olivier Creed signaled that certain house creations warranted modernization rather than discontinuation, a practice that has since become more common among heritage fragrance houses. The use of greengage plum, an unusual ingredient at the time, positioned the fragrance as a distinctive alternative to mainstream fruity florals.
