Castana was created in 2011 by Delphine Thierry for Ireland-based artisanal line Cloon Keen Atelier.  

Castaña (its proper name, is Spanish for chestnut) was inspired by Delphine Thierry’s childhood memories of the mouthwatering scent of street-roasted chestnuts in Andalusia.

On me, it has a nose-tingling opening that creates a sense of excitement and anticipation before the most wonderful scent of fire-roasted chestnuts opens up on my skin. It creates a feeling of discovery, like catching the smoky scent of roasting chestnuts in the air. The chestnut accord builds, as though I’m following the scent to find the source and then turning a corner and discovering a vendor selling bags of the hot nuts. A note of aromatic, resinous cardamom adds a cozy, spicy warmth and a soft sweetness and creaminess to the chestnuts, bringing up memories of marron glacé, a favourite confection of mine. Cardamom has an undertone of pepper that prevents the sweetness from progressing into gourmand territory. It links to a note of red pepper that’s spicy and vibrant, adding another layer of warmth to Castana. Cassia flower blooms at the heart. What a multifaceted note this is: spicy, herbaceous, powdery, woody, and leathery. A note of opulent, sweet, and animalistic-tinged jasmine joins it, giving the fragrance a rich floral dimension that swirls throughout it. It all rests on a base of Haitian Vetiver, which completes the fragrance with its deep, earthy, woody, and leathery aroma, along with green facets and a smoky edge that I always associate with bonfires.

Castana dries down to a cozy, elegant, evocative fragrance. For me, it’s the interplay between the creamy, nutty, sweet chestnut and the earthy, woody vetiver that makes Castana an original olfactory experience. Still, it’s that floral swirl that brightens it, making it an all-season fragrance.

Notes: Roasted chestnut accord, cardamom, red pepper, cassia flower, Jasmine and Haitian vetiver.