Inspired by the unconventional life of actor Klaus Kinski, Kinski EdT was launched in 2011 by Kinski Productions, to mark the 20th anniversary of his death.

Kinski was born in 1926 to German nationals in what is now Sopot, Poland. He became an international actor and a cult legend known for his volatile behavior, and wild, debauched lifestyle. Even in an era of open-mindedness and free love, Kinski’s drinking, heavy marijuana use, numerous affairs with women and men, charges of incest from his children, pushed the boundaries.

Of developing a fragrance based on Kinski, Schoen says,
“It’s an old cliche that there is a fine line between genius and madness. In Kinski’s case, it was a knife edge, and he danced along it his whole life. He was part international sophisticate, part idiot savant. And that kind of tension means that KINSKI is a perfect fit with our odd portfolio of fine conceptual fragrances.”

Kinski EdT smells like a perfect match of subject and perfumer to me.

It opens with a tingle of aldehydes and citrusy, sour bergamot that leads to a bracing, fresh note of juniper berries that smell like gin. Soon it gets heady from a marijuana accord that smells more dry and herbal than ‘pothead’. As it blooms, I get great aquatic whiffs of the ocean before notes of lush rose and magnolia appear and usher in jasmine/citrus laced hedione to kick-start the libido. Nutmeg adds a spicy warmth while castoreum makes it unabashedly animalic. The base is woody and rich from patchouli, vetiver, cedarwood and woody, herbaceous cistus along with the warm, musky, honey-like aspects of amber.

The drydown is a smooth, warm scent that stays close to the skin. It’s not as big or powerful as you might think it would be, and the surprise is how beautiful it smells on a man or a woman.

Notes:  aldehydes, bergamot, juniper, marijuana accord, nutmeg, rose, magnolia, aquatic notes, hedione, castoreum, patchouli, vetiver, cedarwood, stryax benzoin, cistus, suede, musk, amber.