Please note: decants of ths scent are the original version of Bat, which was launched in 2015. A revised version of this fragrance, callled ‘Bat Edition 2020,’ was launched in 2020.

Launched in 2015 by indie niche line Zoologist Perfumes, Bat was created by nose Ellen Covey and won an Independent Award in the 2016 Art and Olfaction Award category. This is the original Bat.

Bat opens with banana, soft fruits and damp earth. The surprise is how beautiful they smell. The fruits and their sweetness are muted, maybe because the fruits preferred by bats are fleshy and sweet and not particularly strong smelling, and the damp earth smell is soft and true. As it blooms, there is a note of green, another dose of tropical fruits and then the myrrh – dark and resinous – anchors the fruits against the tang of mineral notes. This trip to darker depths is gorgeous and enhanced by the smell of vegetal roots.  At the base, it gets animalic from the furry musk that butts up against notes of leather and vetiver that keep my nose to my wrist. Rich, woody sandalwood adds another facet of depth, while Tonka adds a warm, vanilla-like sweetness that counterbalances the darkness beautifully.

The drydown is aromatic and rich and I find it surprisingly elegant. It's a true original and an olfactory triumph.

Notes: Banana, soft fruits, damp earth, fig, tropical fruits, mineral notes, myrrh, resins, vegetal roots, furry musks, leather, vetiver, sandalwood and Tonka bean.