The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Brass and Bulldog Botanical Cologne arrived from Esscentual Alchemy in 2010, composed by Amanda Feeley. The fragrance is built around polished contrast, pairing a composed aromatic character with warmer, textured notes. Lavender contributes a clean, aromatic presence, while rose adds a cultivated floral edge. Hazelnut, cacao and butter introduce rounded sweetness, balanced by clove, nutmeg and saffron. Vetiver and patchouli lend dry, earthy depth, while styrax and ambergris add resinous warmth. Together, the notes create a cologne that moves between clean skin and darker woods, sweetness and earth, with a polished character sitting over something more tactile and grounded.
The unusual part is how many kinds of character share the same frame. Hazelnut CO2 and butter CO2 bring a rounded, almost edible richness, while cacao adds depth without making the composition read as dessert. Styrax gives it a smoky, slightly animalic edge. Vetiver and patchouli keep that sweetness from floating away, bringing dry grass, root and soil underneath. Lavender and rose prevent the darker materials from becoming overly heavy. The result is less like a simple tobacco scent and more like a well-dressed evening with its collar loosened.
The evolution
The composition balances lavender and rose against a warmer framework of hazelnut, cacao and butter. Clove, nutmeg and saffron contribute a dry spice accent, while vetiver and patchouli give the blend an earthy structure. Styrax brings a smoky, resinous quality, and ambergris and amber add soft warmth beneath the sharper notes. On skin, the fragrance presents several contrasting impressions: clean and aromatic beside sweet and nutty, floral beside dry, and polished above deeper tones of wood, cocoa, spice and smoke.
Cultural impact
Brass and Bulldog fits a composed, unisex cologne style for people who enjoy fragrance as a private ritual rather than a loud announcement. Its botanical ingredients and contrasting textures invite close attention: lavender and rose meet hazelnut, cacao and butter, while spice, vetiver, patchouli, styrax and ambergris give the composition depth.
The House
Esscentual AlchemyEsscentual Alchemy crafts small‑batch botanical perfumes that blend natural essences with carefully selected aroma molecules. Since its first releases in 2010, the house has built a catalogue that includes The World (2011), Chocolate Hazelnut Twist (2010), Kama (2010), That 70's Smell (2010), Autumn Spice (2010), Purple Orchid (2010), Pro Fond (2015), Prata Viridi (2010), Dvora (2011) and Poir Indiscrète (2017). Each scent is presented in a minimalist bottle that lets the fragrance speak for itself, inviting wearers to explore memory, place and feeling through scent.
The Creator
Amanda FeeleyAmanda favors a minimalist palette, often starting with a single botanical note and building around it. She prefers absolutes of rose, jasmine, and orange blossom, paired with essential oils of bergamot, cedarwood, and sandalwood.
