Holiday Gourmand
Cocoa, With a Waiting List
Carner Barcelona's new holiday scent smells like hot chocolate, and its big bottle was already showing unavailable this morning.
Every December, somebody makes a perfume that smells like a hot drink. This year, Carner Barcelona got there early.
The Spanish house has released Choco Late, a holiday eau de parfum built around cocoa and milk. Carner calls it gourmand and lactonic, perfume shorthand for edible and creamy.
It is the smell of being handed a mug.
The cup, layer by layer
From Carner’s own product page: hazelnut cream and a warm milk accord on top; a Viennese chocolate note, cocoa absolute and Georgywood in the heart; and Madagascar vanilla absolute, Indian vetiver and musks in the base. The brand’s own summary is three words long and hard to argue with: “Creamy, warm, and deliciously addictive.”
The vetiver is the smart touch. It is dry and slightly smoky, and it keeps all that sugar from turning into frosting. Without it, this is dessert. With it, it is the smell of being handed a mug.
Why it’s hot
When we checked Carner’s site early on November 8, the 100 ml bottle, priced at €170, was marked as unavailable. The homepage was also offering a free 10 ml Choco Late with orders over €115, which may be the easiest way to get a taste. Now Smell This, which reported the launch on November 7, describes it as a limited holiday edition, so if you love gourmands, don’t wait for January.