Midnight Espresso

The second installment of the Cocktails triptych, Midnight Espresso takes the espresso martini at its word: the house presents it as a digestif, a fragrance for after dinner and late hours. The bottle follows the same logic — a tall silhouette of bar glass, a faceted base in the manner of cut crystal, a cap worked like a cocktail garnish.

The brand classifies it as a gourmand amber, and it is the rum that tips the balance: without it the accord would remain a pastry coffee-chocolate, with it it becomes a drink. Mathieu Nardin, who also composed Piña Paraíso from the same triptych, deploys the same two devices here — alcohol at the top, vanilla at the base — for two opposite moods, one nocturnal, the other sun-kissed.

Reviews differ on the longevity of the coffee: some perceive it as overwhelming from the start, others no longer detect it after a few minutes and liken the base to Angels' Share, the house's other woody gourmand. Eau de Parfum in a 75 ml size and a 10 ml format, distributed by Sephora.