The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
L'Altra Follia arrived in 2008 as a release from Riva, a small house whose output centers on the romance of open water, long horizons, and the kind of trip where the itinerary is mostly improvisation. Fragrantica frames the scent around the Aquarama line, a collection evoking a voyage on the water, the spray of salt air, and the horizon always one step further. The composition itself is built around the contrast at the heart of its name: follia means madness in Italian, and l'altra marks the other side of that coin. Where most aquatic-adjacent releases reach for ozonic clarity and cool transparency, this one goes warm, spiced, and unapologetically dense.
The composition leans into anis and warm spice with a confidence that gives it immediate character. Star anise, tobacco leaf, and basil open the door, each pulling in a different direction: the anise sharp and faintly sweet, the basil green and almost peppery, the tobacco dry and slightly bitter in the best way. Then cardamom, cinnamon, caraway, and black pepper stack into a heart that reads almost culinary, like walking through a bazaar stall stacked with pods and seeds. The anis here is loud on purpose, and the licorice drydown keeps the sweetness in check without softening the edge.
The evolution
The first 15 minutes are all star anise, sharp and slightly cooling, cut by basil's green snap and a thread of tobacco that's more leaf than smoke. The anis dominates the opening, almost mentholated in its intensity, and the basil adds a fresh herbal lift that keeps the sweetness from cloying. By the 30-minute mark, the cinnamon and cardamom have arrived and the whole thing shifts from cool-spice to warm-spice, dense and almost edible. The cinnamon blooms into something close to baked apple, while the cardamom adds a slightly dusty warmth. Two hours in, the caraway and black pepper settle into the background, and the licorice and cedar start pulling the composition downward, grounding it. The caraway brings a rye-bread earthiness, and the black pepper lingers as a faint sting at the edges. The tobacco never fully leaves, just thins into something closer to pipe smoke on a wool sweater.
Cultural impact
L'Altra Follia sits in an unusual pocket, spicier and more anis-forward than most aquatic-adjacent compositions, yet grounded in the warm-weather travel narratives that shape much of the niche category. It appeals to wearers who want something that reads warm-weather but not aquatic, aromatic but not fougère, and dense without crossing into gourmand territory. The willingness to lead with anis and tobacco, notes that often play supporting roles elsewhere, gives it a distinct identity within its segment. It's the kind of release that finds its audience among collectors drawn to compositions with strong opinions and clear character.
