I've only worn it once, so I'm going to say this with a big caveat that my opinion might change on subsequent wearings. But this is going to be a very polarizing scent for CR. It opens with a lime and sea salt tropical zestiness that has become a hallmark of CR's Caribbean centered fragrances. That fades quickly after about an hour or so and then it turns into a floral, musky dry down. It definitely leans feminine, but not enough to pull it completely away from unisex. What makes this polarizing, I think, is that City Rhythm's tropical themed fragrances are all very loud, playful, boozy, and young. They're the kind of scents you wear when you're 25, on summer holiday after graduation with your friends, and you spend most of the time wandering around with an umbrella drink trying to hit up the other tourists at the bar. Key West, though, is the kind of scent you wear when you're 35 or 40, on vacation from your job, and you just want to lay by the pool, wander around the shops, and maybe read a good book. There's a maturity to it that's complex and sophisticated. I think that if you are expecting something like Miami or 2654 or Puerto Rico, or even St John's, then you are going to be disappointed by this. This is not a scent that is chasing hype or following trends, and I think it may be too feminine for a lot of people in the male fragcom. But away from those scents and on its own, I think this is a lovely scent. It's what I would wear on a cruise in the Caribbean. It's a very mature scent made for the late spring, summer, and early fall. It did well yesterday in the high heat and humidity of the afternoon wedding I worked at, and I genuinely enjoyed wear it. I'm wearing it again today, and I'm continuing to enjoy it.

Match #9 kicks off the first full round of my 40-fragrance tournament, and we're starting with a heavyweight matchup: Burberry Hero Parfum versus Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Elixir. Not exactly a summertime pairing, but with gray skies and steady rain today, it felt like the perfect time to compare them. Burberry Hero Parfum (2024, created by Aurélien Guichard) is the fragrance that started my collecting journey. It's all about wood—cedar, amyris, cypriol, and incense—and it has a warm, confident character that I never seem to tire of. Le Male Elixir (2023, created by Quentin Bisch) goes in a completely different direction. It's a rich blend of lavender, mint, vanilla, honey, tonka bean, and tobacco that somehow manages to be both sweet and sophisticated. This one really came down to mood, because I'd happily wear either on a date with my fiancée. Today, though, I'm giving the edge to Le Male Elixir. It feels just a little more complex and keeps revealing new facets as the day goes on. Burberry Hero Parfum certainly made it a battle, but Le Male Elixir advances to the next round.

Since I was wearing profondo this weekend, today I decided to continue with the line. I have a travel sized bottle of this one and I've actually only worn it once before. Definitely has a more old school perfumery vibe to It. I never tried profumo but I Gear this is the closest to it. To me, it smells like a darker version of the OG. The olibanum and patchouli definitely give it a heavier base and though I may not wear it for peak heat outdoors, it's otherwise a solid year round signature scent worthy fragrance. I still like profondo just a tad better, but this has it's own sophistication that I haven't smelled in an ADG fragrance.