Manly

This was quite a surprise given the secondary status it has been granted among the ALD fanboys. Sure, it is not War and Peace, Oud Zhen, or Antiquity, but it is completely awesome! I have all three of the aforementioned releases but also have a broader collection and to me this resembles Kilian's Smoking Hot (which also has a strong oak moss note) most closely, although it is WAY better (smoother, more natural and complex). I have more ALD fragrances than from any other brand with Xerjoff #2 and Kilian #3, so I have solid reference points. It is not a pure tobacco like Herod or Bortnikoff's Tabac Dore, and more of a tobacco gourmand like Smoking Hot or Roja's Manhattan EDP or Enigma Parfum (which I also have both). It is like a super high quality version of Smoking Hot without the apple and for that reason it is a real banger. If there was a Kilian Smoking Hot Leather and Oud special blend, it would smell like this. Better than Manhattan, better than Smoking Hot, at least as good as Enigma/Creation E Parfum (which has cognac, where this has real oud)....while I still prefer his core collection, Russian Adam should do this more often, because in Manly he beats Kilian and Roja at their own game. A true winner!

As you can tell from the other reviews, this scent was met with extreme expectations & polarizing opinions. In a decade of collecting, it's hard to think of another entry in the market that would face such scrutiny due to introducing a new perfumer under the ALD brand. Well, you can just forget all that because this is a truly excellent scent. I'm late to speak on it but if you're debating a purchase or trade because it appeals to you, I say go for it. If this had been a Slumberhouse release, for example, it would be rated through the roof. That's not a comment on Slumberhouse; it's a comment on the oddball that was Manly. Although it's a similar type of deep & rich, no doubt about that. Ultimately I look back on the release & kinda laugh at our "concerns" or whatever you want to call them. It's a really satisfying scent, IMO. Evenings & cold weather, it's actually pretty tough to beat. While some mention the "hype", I feel it's actually underrated & I'm glad I got a 30ml.

Manly is a gem from ALD. It is far lighter than some of the bests like Antiquity or Koh i Noor or War and Peace.Nevertheless, what makes it a gem is the blend of notes. The patchouli is strong but it is not overly dominating. The tobacco is certainly a player but it is not trying to crowd out Cinnamon or Indian Oud or the leather. In fact the fruity notes are a great addition. We have a rich array of notes that play off one another in ways that I have not detected in any other fragrance I have tried. In other words, if you are looking for something that will help out stand out, then this is one you might search.for. This one is sophisticated and could be worn in the evenings mostl in cool or cold weather. It leans male but some might think it unisex. It is quite chilly where I am am while writing this review and I just love the way this fragrance unfolds over time, taking me on a journey that is full, refined, and unique. ALD made this one a subtle sensation.

I have collected hand made tobacco pipes for years. I keep them in an antique bookcase my father gave me that he had used in his law office for forty years. The smell of that case is what I've been looking for in a tobacco fragrance, of which I have sampled or purchased dozens, and never quite been satisfied. I think I finally found it. There is a realistic pipe tobacco note in this. The smoky aspect others have noted smells like a used pipe: the ash and smoke that lingers behind in the bowl of a briar pipe. The oud and sandalwood smell like an antique book case. The vanilla and spices blend together just as they do when you have a variety of flavored tobaccos in that bookcase with your pipes. Underneath, or beside, that is definitely a noticeable suede smell, which just classes it up and makes it smell like a fragrance meant to be worn. I am probably going to have to buy the 30 oz bottle.

Very different from the typical vintage-based ALD releases. This is more of a modern smell that evokes comfort in the wintertime. I get a boozy, spiced eggnog opening which, after a while, becomes clean and fresh like detergent mixed with a cloud of air-filled tobacco smoke similar to the style of Amouage's smoke. The boozy accord is still there but becomes sweeter and fruitier. Towards the end of the scent, it becomes dusty and leathery which falls more in line with the common ALD releases. I bought the atomizer travel size but should have gotten the big bottle because of how expensive the shipping cost was at 45 USD.