Printemps by Organ Tale: An Apple That Takes You by Surprise

Written by Sima Keijzers-Puodziute

I recently spent a few days in Vilnius, and although it's a relatively small capital compared to other European cities, I'm always fascinated by how popular niche perfumery is here. Every time I visit, I'm struck by the number of independent perfume boutiques tucked away across the city: each offering something new. You’ll find all kinds of unique, small-scale brands, many of which I hadn’t even heard of before.

Photo credit: Sima Keijzers-Puodziute

This time, I discovered one at Odore D’amore, a larger chain of niche perfumery boutiques in Vilnius, where you can discover more known brands (Essential Parfums, Kajal, Agatho, Bohoboco, etc.), as well as smaller ones.

One brand quietly caught my eye was Organ Tale, a South Korean perfume house, launched in 2024. Quietly sitting on the shelf, Organ Tale immediately drew me in. The brand is still very new, with just three fragrances in its collection, but one of them, Printemps, won me over from the very first sniff.

Printemps took me by surprise. It features one of the most realistic apple accords I’ve ever encountered. A few years ago, I studied accord formulation at ISIPCA, and I remember how technically challenging it was to get that crisp, juicy apple accord just right. Many attempts end up overly synthetic or too sweet. But Printemps - wow. It’s beautifully balanced, calm, and effortlessly evocative.

I hesitated at first whether I should get it, but when I learned that one of the most respected noses in modern perfumery, Quentin Bisch, created this scent, I did not need more convincing and pulled a trigger.

Photo credit: Sima Keijzers-Puodziute

The name ‘Printemps’ means ‘spring’ in French, but it is not your typical flowery/fruity perfume. For me, it brings back a very specific memory. When I was a kid, my mum used to buy this fruity shampoo that had a delicate apple smell. Printemps smells almost exactly like that, but much more refined.

It’s natural, not soapy, with a beautiful light woody base that gives it depth. The whole composition feels very balanced. It has a subtle vintage vibe, yet somehow it also smells incredibly modern. I know I’ll be wearing it a lot this spring and summer.

After I purchased this scent, I also started reading more about it. Rumor has it, that this scent was one of the first ones created by Quentin Bisch and it took him 4 years to create it.

Here is a note from the brand, describing this perfume:

“Despite his short career, having launched his first perfume in 2013, he is now very famous. Although he has created numerous best-selling perfumes and is currently one of the most popular perfumers in the world, not many people know about his hard work and patience. In order to become a perfumer, you usually have to complete chemistry-related courses and overcome enormous competition, but he felt that he had no talent for numbers and science, so he gave up his chemistry major and worked in the field of art.

“But he decided to try again to make his dream come true. To this end, despite having no connections, he blindly sent an email to Jean Guichard, the dean of the Givaudan Perfumery School, requesting a meeting. The dean appreciated his enthusiasm, but he said he was not hiring students that year and advised him to wait and gain experience by working as an assistant to another perfumer. Despite the fact that there was no guarantee of admission to the perfume education course and that becoming a perfumer after graduation was even more difficult, he gave up everything he had achieved and quietly waited as a perfumer's assistant. A year later, he eventually entered the 3-year Givaudan Perfumery School.

Printemps is a perfume created through four years of hard work and passion as he waited with earnest heart to make his dream come true, even though there was no guarantee that he could become a perfumer.”

This story made me appreciate the scent event more. It is a proof that true artistry in perfumery requires a lot of hard-work, dedication and patience.

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