Tempus Vitae Fete d’Ambre Review: Cozy Campfires in New England

Campfire songs fill the chilly autumn air. The smell of smoke on a flannel. A warming drink of friendship in the forest. Memories that last until frailty.

Tempus Vitae is a brand that I hadn’t heard of until recently. It’s a relatively newer house, and I am typically on top of those, but sometimes they slip through.

It wasn’t until I saw a giveaway post in The Fragrance Group, a Facebook group that I mod, that I noticed the indie house. I was immediately drawn to Fete d’Ambre with it being described as a “fireside hygge gourmand”. The gourmand threw me off, but the owner assured me that it wasn’t a typical saccharine offering, and I am quite thankful that he was correct.

Campfire fragrances have always intrigued me. Even Maison Margiela’s By the Fireplace in its mainstream conformity is quite a memorable scent. I could list off at least 25 campfire scents, all of which either nailed the concept or turned into soulless, ashy dust. However, this article isn’t about those.

Fete d’Ambre is different. A gander at the notes makes you wonder if the scent is the same old dance or not. Coffee, maple, peach, amber, and pine has been often used to portray autumnal scents, and it feels more like a list of notes for a candle. However, this is not a cheap candle scent full of wax and cheap fragrance oils. It’s a carefully curated memory draped in burnt gold and earthy brown.

Upon the first application of Fete d’Ambre, you are greeted with a smoky malted whisky accord. I am thinking that davana may have been a key player during its construction, with a hint of sourness and caramelized wood dancing upon a bed of smoked firewood. It’s not as whisky forward as Kilian’s Old Fashioned, and it’s not meant to be. This is more of an adventure than a sip of a spirit, encompassing the soul of laughter with friends as the night grows long and the last flicker of flame dissipates under a starry sky.

One of the main reasons that I was attracted to Fete d’Ambre was the inclusion of pine and maple. I was born in New Hampshire near the foot of the White Mountains, where conifers are abundant and maple farms tap the precious resin atop the snowy peaks.

The pine does show up, but in a secondary role. The balsamic sap plays amongst the charred wood, sticky and frozen, as if it was preserved in time for this very moment. The maple wasn’t as potent as I would have liked, but it is there, with a vague sweetness that seems to seep into the dry wooden barrels used to age the whisky, and it almost feels like a tasting note of the drink itself.

Coffee is listed in the notes, but I can’t seem to find it, unless its a smoky French roast that helps to give that charred feeling to the whisky, which is quite possible. Either way, this isn’t your typical morning cup of joe with a maple sweetener, and thank goodness for that.

The myrrh is quite potent, leaving a smoky trail with a hint of anise embodying the spiritual sensation of melting the resin and letting it waft through the air. Along with that, a warm clove brings a cozy spice to the myrrh, while playing into both of their dry, earthy facets.

Overall, the scent is a smoky forest tinged with booze, pine sap, melted resins, and a slight touch of sweetness. Fete d’Ambre is for fans of Zoologist T-Rex and Imaginary Authors A City on Fire. While it doesn’t smell like either of those scents, its charred qualities will appeal to those that enjoy the burnt wood genre.

I can’t say that I have a direct scent memory of Fete d’Ambre, but it does have several memories bundled into one olfactive escape. It accurately portrays a campfire scent, while retaining its own identity and realism, something that is lacking in many scents that promise plumes of woodsmoke.

Suffice to say, this is quite niche, and it’s not for everyone, but it is for people that seek scents outside of mainstream selections. You will smell like you just came home from a bonfire for hours on end, and I am totally on board with that. Pair it with a red flannel and a beard for maximum effect. Also, $145 for 50 ml won’t break the bank.

Now I need to try the Blackcliff line. Since the perfumer of this scent is Kyle Mott-Kannenberg, who also does the Blackcliff fragrances. I am happy to be introduced to two new houses with this venture. My wallet isn’t as jovial, but worn leather always smells better than the new stuff, so it will age like a fine malt as it gets used more.