Back to Black

Continuing with my By Kilian journey, today I have Back to Black. I know I can't be the only one who thinks of AC/DC when I read the name, right? Anyway, this is probably one of the more talked about By Kilian fragrances. Not as much as Angel's Share, mind you; but more so than Intoxicated that I reviewed previously. Like with Intoxicated, I have no idea what to expect from this fragrance. Based off the name, I'm assuming something dark and brooding, very masculine, maybe some dark wood or tobacco notes. Let's get into it and find out what it's about; Scent: The opening is sweet, warm, and fruity. The primary notes I get are white honey, tobacco, raspberry, and vanilla. The strongest of the notes are the tobacco and raspberry. The tobacco is at the forefront of the opening with a warm and sweet accord accompanied by plenty of smokiness. For me, it evokes the memory of burning pipe tobacco. Right underneath the tobacco is a strong dose of fruitiness from the raspberry. I initially thought it was cherry, and the note breakdown here corroborated that; however cherry is not listed in the official note breakdown for the fragrance, raspberry is. With that in mind, it definitely is raspberry that I'm smelling; sweet and fruity with a bit of a rosy nuance to it. Up next is the white honey and vanilla. The white honey is actually listed as just honey on the official note breakdown, so I'm not sure how the "white" got added in, or even what "white honey" actually is. Nevertheless, it does have the usual sticky sweetness that honey notes typically carry. It's very present and realistic, more so than the honey in JPG's Le Male Elixir, but doesn't go over-the-top like the honeycomb note in Zoologist Bee. Think of a happy medium between those two. Lastly, the vanilla lingers in the background with a soft but noticeable sweet creaminess. The dry down is sweet, warm, and smoky. The primary notes I get are tobacco, honey, vanilla, and almond. The strongest of the notes are the honey and tobacco. The honey has become the standout note in the dry down with the same sticky sweet accord from the opening. It is stronger and more prominent than it was in the opening, and gives the dry down a gourmand edge. Behind the honey remains the tobacco, still warm and sweet but with a ramped up smokiness compared to the opening. This is followed by the vanilla and almond. The vanilla still carries the same smooth and creamy sweetness; still subtle and understated but unmistakably there. Lastly, the almond note has emerged in the dry down for a nutty, bittersweet finish in the background. The dry down is much more gourmand than the opening, but the increased smokiness adds a beautiful depth. Performance: Initial projection within the first hour is very strong and can easily fill a room. In fact, my wife was able to smell it in the other room after I sprayed it. Sillage is very strong as well and leaves a dense and heavy scent trail. After about 3-4 hours the projection was still at least 6 feet and the scent trail was still easily noticeable. At the 7-8 hour mark the projection was still 3-4 feet and the scent trail was still noticeable. At the 11-12 hour mark the projection was still about arms length and the scent trail was still noticeable, meaning this fragrance lasted over 12 hours before becoming a skin scent. When to wear: Back to Black is a fall/winter fragrance best suited for evening wear. Even though the fragrance does have a gourmand quality to it, it never goes over the top so I could see this fragrance being worn both casually and formally. Parties, weddings, out-on-the-town, date nights; Back to Black will work. I wouldn't wear it to the office though, as it would be too much for that setting. Blind buy: I have tried other fragrances that focus on tobacco and honey, but interestingly enough none of them are really comparable to Back to Black. There's just something about it that sets it apart. Still though, if you like sweet and warm tobacco fragrances, Back to Black is a safe blind buy for you. Final verdict: Back to Black is one of those fragrances that checks a lot of boxes for me, scent wise. Smoky tobacco, check. Sweetness, check. Bright fruit notes, check. Essentially, if it reminds me of hookah or pipe tobacco, I'm in. Back to Black fits that description, and as such I fell in love with the scent. So far, By Kilian has been killing it in terms of performance for the fragrances I've tested, and Back to Black is no exception. Very strong projection and scent trails for the first 3-4 hours, and lasting over 12 before becoming a skin scent. Versatility is okay, but not great. It'll work for anything formal or casual in the cooler months, but don't wear it in the heat or to the office. Mass-appeal is what I would call average. A lot of people will think this smells great, but the smokiness will turn some people away. To wrap this up, I think Back to Black is an excellent fragrance that's masterfully blended. I won't go so far as to say it's a masterpiece, as that's reserved for fragrances that just blow me away; but it gets close. Either way, I'll definitely be getting a bottle of this for my collection. Scent: 10/10 Longevity: 10/10 Sillage: 9/10

The evening in Paris feels electric, charged with the kind of tension that only the city’s midnight hour can bring. The streets are quiet, the air thick with the remnants of day, now softened by the cool touch of nightfall. You find yourself in a dimly lit bar, tucked away in an elegant corner of the city, where velvet lounges and dark wood paneling set the stage for a night full of possibilities. There’s a sense of anticipation in the air, as though the entire room is holding its breath. You’re dressed in a sleek Celine leather bomber jacket, smooth and dark, exuding the kind of understated luxury that speaks volumes without saying a word. Beneath it, a black Loro Piana cashmere turtleneck fits like a second skin, its softness both comforting and subtly sensual. Your tailored Saint Laurent trousers hug your form, the deep, dark fabric an elegant backdrop to your quiet confidence. On your feet, Berluti loafers complete the look—polished, refined, yet effortlessly cool, each step you take smooth, purposeful. The fragrance that surrounds you is Back to Black by Kilian—a scent that feels like the lingering trace of a very alluring lady’s kiss, one that leaves an indelible mark on your neck. It opens with the soft warmth of honey, sweet and inviting, like the trace of lipstick that lingers on your skin after an intimate kiss. It’s powdery, smooth, and sensual, like the softest caress, but there’s an edge to it—a depth that quickly emerges as tobacco makes its presence felt. The scent now shifts, becoming smoky and rugged, as if the kiss has left you with a memory of something more—of shared moments, of passion, and a hint of rebellion. The honey lingers, but it’s now tempered by the roughness of tobacco, like the residue of a cigarette smoked after an impassioned encounter, leaving behind a trace that’s both sweet and dark. As the fragrance evolves, there’s a subtle sweetness that comes from the cherry and almond, a creamy, intoxicating scent that balances out the smoky tobacco. The cherry adds a hint of tartness, like the aftertaste of a forbidden kiss, while the almond smooths everything out, adding a creamy richness that brings the fragrance back into something refined and elegant. Yet, even as the sweetness lingers, the tobacco never fully fades. It’s still there, a rough edge that adds a level of complexity, a sense of cool sophistication mixed with untamed desire. The dry-down of Back to Black is where the fragrance truly captures its essence. It’s dark, smooth, and undeniably magnetic—like the memory of that kiss that’s now etched into your skin, combined with the lingering scent of cigarette smoke and desire. The combination of tobacco, cherry, and almond is grounded by a faint, almost unnoticeable smoothness, as if the roughness has been softened, but only just enough to keep you wanting more. Back to Black is a fragrance for the man who embraces the tension between sweetness and rawness, elegance and sensuality. It’s the scent of a very alluring, unforgettable lady’s kiss that has left its mark, combined with the smoky aftermath of desire. It’s both elegant and daring, sophisticated and bold—a fragrance that lingers on your skin, leaving a trail of desire and mystery that is as impossible to ignore as the memory of the night itself.

Back To Black opens with a very realistic note of Honey & a beautiful mix of Spices. Ginger, Cardamom, & a note of Gingerbread are all resting upon a note of pungent Tobacco that feels dry due to the use of Nutmeg & Coriander. This opening smells of fresh warm Gingerbread Cookies drizzled with honey cooling in a Tobacco Humidor. This note of Gingerbread, & the note of Honey, are two that you will subtly smell throughout the life of this fragrance. Its then followed by a note of Raspberry thats softened with notes of Chamomile, Geranium, Almond, & Tonka, which creates a soft powdery, yet very upscale feel to the overall composition. But make no mistake about it. This Powdery nuance is what takes us "Back To Black. Its not an accord thats "White" in its feel. But rather, its a Powdery nuance darkened up by the Leathery undertones of Saffron, along with the dark red fruit nuances of Raspberry. Underneath all of this its Tobacco is slowly becoming more pungent & Earthy with help from the note of Patchouli just before a dark Cherry note makes its entrance transitioning this once dry Tobacco note in its opening, into a full on moist Cherry Pipe Tobacco. This Cherry note feels ripe, deep red & dark. Its very authentic & supported by the note of Saffron which lends its Leathery nuance to the idea of a Cherry's Skin. Sadly this note of Cherry only lingers for about 40 minutes as the Tobacco continues to transition further. This time supported by the notes of Labdanum, Olibanum, Amber, Saffron, & Oak the fragrance dries down into a Honeyed Tobacco Incense with soft Spiced undertones. A full 20 hours later In the final dry down Back To Black rests as a skin scent of Powdered dark spices with hints of Honeyed Tobacco. Kilian's Back To Black is not the strongest Projector. Only projecting moderately for about an hour. But the true strength of this fragrance is in its Sillage. Its a dense fragrance. So its one that will rest on you, & as you move about it will leave a beautiful Sillage Trail. However, its important for me to note that while dense, Back To Black is not going to be heavy enough to Project outdoors in the cold Fall & Winter air. Back To Black is an indoor Fall/Winter fragrance. With that said, even after 20 hours I'm able to catch wafts of this fragrance in its Skin Scent stage whenever my body heat rises & I make subtle movements. Kilian's Back To Black is one of the best Tobacco Fragrances to date. Its one that will smell wonderful on a Thick Sweater, on Date Nights, at Holiday Parties, & Family Dinners.

Maybe I passed on this one too quickly due to looking at the notes, but after I tried it, I am heavily considering this as my signature scent. Looking at the notes I was thinking:"cherry? raspberry? almond? gingerbread?? this must be a cute gourmand scent" while I am an alt guy looking for sth darker and more edgy, but after smelling it, i know the notes misguided me a little. While yes that long list of notes do add to the scent, what i smelled was tobacco, honey, and cherry, with tobacco being the most dominant note. The tobacco here is that cherry-like cigar type(well yea there is also a cherry note) which reminds me the tobacco used in herod, it's smoky, edgy, a bit sweet and not overpowering, with the honey perfectly complimenting it. While it does have notes of almond, gingerbread, and other gourmand-ish notes, i wouldnt say this is a gourmand, since they are really just in the background subtly supporting the main notes. Overall, i would say this is a smoky, honey tobacco fragrance that's sweet but not too sweet. As for who likes this type of scent, if your a fan of cherry tobacco fragrances, like tobacco vanille or herod, then this is def up ur alley(tho i wanna gatekeep it now that im considering this as a signature), as for who I imagine it to be like or what type of person it suits, first of all while I'd say this is pretty masculine i think ur gender doesnt matter that much, but if ur like a clean cute girl type of person, or if you're just a regular person then it is probably not for u, it def takes a type of person to pull it off, def for someone with a bit of an edge, as I mentioned above i'm an alt guy and i can envision myself pulling it off, and i imagine someone who can feel a bit dangerous, like maybe unapproachable in a way, wears black a lot, has a bit of ruggedness to them(think of bikers and shit idk), and wears eyeliner a lot. If u fit any of that description, I'd say it will fit u, i think u rlly gotta have some sort of edge to ur image or personality to pull this off as it def isn't for everyone, but goddamn is this a love at first sniff. Heavily considering to buy a full bottle!

Opening on paper: (in order of appearance) Leather. Honey. Tobacco. Resins. Amber. Cherry. But what a fantastic blend this is! I guess this is what people mean when they say a good worn-in leather jacket is like a second skin. I never had one, while I have a particular taste that I can't afford in leather. When I look at the very long list of ingrediënts I'm thinking yes, ofcourse that's all in there, it couldn't do without any of that ;), yet the blend is a singular thing of beauty. And here I was expecting something depressing for some reason. What a delightful find. I'm thinking this really needs to be one of the crowning jewels of my tiny collection. Well deserved. I'm going to wear this virtual second skin for a bit to see what happens... On skin: Warm honey, some cherries, leather, resins and a light vanilla tobacco. It's a perfect blend. Very sensual and unisex. Seems suitable for evenings at cold to moderate temperatures. I highly recommend you buy a decant and let the perfume speak for itself! PS I feel like I should elaborate on leather, since it's not mentioned anywhere else. So I've been thinking where that comes from. I guess that comes from the honey, which comes from beeswax, which can be used for leather care. Tobacco also has an association with leather for me. It was often carried in a leather pouch in which the scents of honeyed tobacco and leather blended together. Interesting how the brain makes its own interpretations based on personal experience.