Black Calamus

I think when TonyT says 'this kind of scent' that speaks volumes. Is Laudano nero a fair comparison because it's in the same genre? In my opinion...Fuck no! LN is a great perfume that has been available for a really decent price on discount websites for a long time now. However, this Carner is superior in every way and doesn't have as much of the play doe, kind of resinous drydown of LN.(Although I get that aspect of the comparison) This is sharp, sweet impactful labdanum at it's absolute finest, shining out of the opening like a beacon of loveliness. This has more of a suede/leathery effect and oriental spice of incense and papyrus. I get loads of vanilla, whether it's from vanilla or benzoin it gives a light creaminess but never tips over into being too smooth, maintaining the rough edges. There's a very fleeting moment just after the opening notes, and just before where you'd say it's officially 'settled' that it has a real, animalic smelling out note, Only for a very brief period and it's gone, dissipating into a spicy, wood smell, kinda like a microcosm of how artisan oud goes on a dries down but sped up into the space of a matter of seconds as opposed to hours or even days! I've discussed this fragrance with others who said it was dark and in another review I wrote I described it as the interplay of darkness and light....or some pretentious shit like that? This isn't anything particularly new to me, reminiscent of Alessandro Gualtieri's work that kind of heft...for want of a better term? Merely a re calibration, a tweaking of elements I love, but what a tweak! I adore this, lasts really well, clung to clothes madly, projecting and just enough innovation to capture my attention and make me crave it. Black Afgano and Laudano Nero and even Carner's own El Born didn't get me as excited. Black Calamus is a bit of magic!

#1497 in my "Tour de Fragrance" Carner Barcelona is such a great fragrance house in such a great city. The Salvador Dali and Picasso Museums, the Cathedral of Saint Ulele, fabulous festivals, jovial cab drivers assuring me that my Spanish will do, but the Catalonian pronunciation is the correct way to say it. Everybody so relentlessly nice to visitors. I was last there before the founding of Carner, and it's just as well. I'd have emptied my checking account having fragrances shipped stateside. We do have a fragrance outlet in town that carries their fragrances line, but I can find it for less online. This one is definitely worth having. Something about papyrus that adds something hard for me to describe except as a "dryness" that comes off like a freshly laundered, white dress shirt that has a lingering hint of bleach and starch. I love it. Very masculine. Very C-Suite vibe. This is a great scent. Just ordered a bottle for $78. Fair price. Great quality. Perfect for a formal office or date wear. Casual use would be a waste. Car pool, elevator, small office safe and inoffensive, but yummy!

Really interesting fragrance. The opening delivers a mild spice, combined with woods and sweetness that may come off as harsh or thick to the unprepared. Overall, everything is blended wonderfully, and you don't get too much or too little of any single feature this fragrance has to offer. Smoke in perfect quantity. Sweetness in perfect quantity. The same can be said for the darker woodsy elements. Highly rate Black Calamus. Great work from Carner, this is one to get your nose on if you like fragrances that tell a story. As much as it is a spicy amber scent, it doesn't shy away from boasting its dry and woody elements, and it expresses each of its facets with success.

I enjoy it .. It is one of those very dark fragrances without coming off TOO DARK.. Some really push it too far and it just doesn't smell appealing.. This one stays appealing. The best way I can describe it say that its like a niche version of dark rebel.. For the price though I wouldn't go for it. I probably would stick with gucci oud intense, kalemat black or dark rebel by JV.. but this is nice, I enjoy it. scent 4.5/5 Performance 4.5-5/5

The only complaint I have about Black Calamus is the performance - it disappears from my skin after 3 hours or so. Otherwise, I love it - it's a dark, intoxicating scent with plenty of character. EDIT: After I read someone's review on here that it smells like play dough, I can't get that association out of my head, because frankly... it kinda does! ;) Not a safe blind buy by any means.

To my nose this is a sweet labdanum (maybe the vanilla and osmanthus pushing it sweeter). A smidge of juniper peeks through. A touch vegetal from the calamus and papyrus but not very much so. Ever so slightly smokey/incensey but you really have to search for that note. Overall a very wearable unisex labdanum fragrance. More resinous than woody to my nose. Perfect for cold weather.

Good work on this one, u can smell quality ingredients. It's unisex but not for everyone. If you enjoy middle eastern type of fragrance than you will like this one. It's a little heavy, smokey but when it cool down it become nicer. Spray it at least 1 hour before you leave the house so it can settle.

Rich balsamic scents with amazing spices (peppery but kinda warning too) as well as beautiful and dark woody base with a touch of smoked vanilla. Goooood!! Follow me on IG: scent.guide

Phenomenal in every term of perfumery craftmenship!

A puzzling oddball with middling performance but weirdo charm. I'm not entirely convinced, but I'm feeling friendly towards it. Beautifully peppery and strangely dark,herbal and spicy notes, set over a lovely sweet haze of labdanum and rose which makes it almost powdery at some moments. On me the oud here is barely detectable, not at all fecal or dirty, just a friendly, classy wood base giving some extra hum and heft to the rest. Lovely dry papyrus. Smokier, more tangy notes of cade and incense and labdanum making it plenty exotic and intriguing, and luckily the cistus doesn't get bitter as it often can. And there's the underlying, less distinctive but perfectly pleasant sweetish vanilla/amber Carner base underlying it all... reminiscent of Carner Volcano in several dimensions, but more complex and more eccentric. Really fun overall. Sadly my skin smothered it to under a hand's span on skin in under 4h and had eaten it up entirely by 6h in, and it's an expensive proposition for that little bang per buck. Wouldn't buy (especially not at RRP) but would happily wear any day. Unisex skewing a little femme if that's important to you. It makes me want to smell other calamus scents, or black calamus in isolation, to pick out which exactly of the herbal notes it's playing in this little chamber piece. ETA: bought a 10-pack of sampler vials of this, which will be enough for a while - and found it has more strength and a darker, woodier, more long-lasting bottom end than I thought at first. Went 8-9h on skin and a bit longer on cuffs, which made me like it all the more. Yes, genuinely worth it if you want a woody-spicy-amber with a slightly different edge.

The opening is an explosion of woody dark smoke with a shortlived fecal pinch. So strong and cloying for my nose. The scent is quite simple, linear and masculine. I can't imagine this scent on a woman. This is not an oud scent or if it has some, dies quickly (I'm thinking about the fecal note). As time passes the smokiness is calming allowing the black pepper and the mild labdanum to come to my nose. There is also a woody dust feeling like something very old made of wood which was soaked into water and then left somewhere closed without fresh air. I don't get vanilla, rose and osmanthus. Not even traces. The dominant notes are dark woody smoky notes (oud?), black pepper, mild labdanum and incense which is soaked into that woody smoke. That's it. From the beggining till the end. There are also weak but noticeable papyrus & faint coriander. The longevity is great but the projection is moderate after half an hour. Suitable for winter, early spring and especially fall. It's not a safe fragrance nor mass appealing. Try before you buy. Carner Barcelona has much better scents such as El Born & Cuirs, to name a few. Update. This is wearable and quite pleasant but uncommon and definitely not a safe scent. My first impression was negative but today.. I like it.. Update It is funny how quickly can change a dislike to like and love! Today I bought it.. it has something addictive, I can't stop sniffing my hand..

Black calamus is a fragrance of contrasts marked in a radical way. It begins the refreshing, green and sweet calamus, very luminous, cheerful and idyllic aroma that soon gives way to the dark side of the assembled rose this marriage that has been so much in fashion, that is to say, wood of oud, wood that is detected from These notes of heart, is a kind, gentle, insistent Oud, which is thrown more towards a drying on one side with nuances of dry wood, smoked, dark and spicy by the incense, the juniper and by another with a warm, resinous point And slightly sweet for the lavender and vanilla. Like many fragrances of Carner, this one has a nice and striking beginning and against a friendly, conventional drying, that is similar to many others of the line oud and lacking of that emotion that fills to you as of the character that identifies this like something unique and special. The day Carner finishes his work well with good drying will be the bomb !! Meanwhile here I am waiting and wanting to see if they decide to be less commercial and to work more seriously. Rating: 6

This one is for those of peculiar taste. A good friend brought this back for herself from Barcelona as (a quite pricey) souvenir, and I took a spritz off her bottle. And left with mixed feelings.. Very masculine and herbal at the start, almost like a scent for men.. Definitely juniper, and strong earthy herbs+incense in the beginning, then as it starts to dry down becomes more and more oud and labdanum, bit of other herbs and pepper - stays relatively linear for the most time and very-very long-lasting. Probably because it is almost resinuous, compact and strong. Like church incense and wax multiplied by 100.. I can`t say it`s my type of scent, it`s somehow a bit too masculine, even though it is a well-made composition. It`s very dark, intoxicating..I could imagine this as a room scent used a session of bondage or other sexual scenes. Not for the faint-hearted anyway. It`s also quite pricey - and as for myself I`d rather not pay that amount for this. But it was an interesting experience to try and suits my friend perfectly, so I guess I`d say I like..

Black Calamus is a love letter to wood fans. The opening brings the dark woods of calamus and papyrus. The nose feel is dry, almost dusty, punctuated by gentle spice. Papyrus grows intense, but then recedes, marking the closure of the opening. Ever warming Calamus forms the heart, joined by rockrose, precious woods and subtle florals. The dry down remains dry and slightly warm. Calamus blends into cade and other incense resins. Subtle sweetness replace flowers & spices. The darkness begins to lift. Black Calamus gives average performance and decent durability. It excels are creating a personal bubble of dark, exotic woods. Overall, a well blended and elegant smell. Definitely worth sampling, but the calamus & papyrus combination won't be for everyone. A beautiful scent that is dark, exotic and mildly challenging in the opening.

Oh I knew I would love this. Spicy, peppery, smoky labdanum. Not unlike my signature frag, what's not to love? Subtly sweet, but quickly turns dry and even a little sour(ish) leathery incense on me. That papyrus note kicks in too which to me is always a little too dry. I'm in love with the opening, not sold on the drydown, I'd say it's rather masculine. Which I don't mind, but the drydown is a little too dry / sour / herbal for me to be able to wear - sticking to Embers by Rouge Bunny Rouge. If you love this, that is definitely one to try. Edit: My skin is sweetening this up fast. Super nice after the dry / herbal phase is over and my skin chemistry tames this beast. I smell nutmeg. **120+ Bloom, Jovoy, Les Senteurs and other niche house frag samples up for swap UK ** ** PM me! **

I really like this. It was a blind buy for me as I was able to get for an incredibly low price along with the purchase of another fragrance and am a huge fan of amber spicy fragrances. This is just that. I really have no idea what calamus smells like on its own but this most certainly is a very warm, spicy, woody fragrance. It’s a bit sweet as well and aromatic. I’m mostly getting the papyrus, black pepper, labdanum, and juniper. I can see why some wouldn’t like it but I enjoy this.

I am not very good at identifying the listed notes in the scent itself. To me it is a very resinous, balmy perfume, that is pretty much all I get, along with probably some vanilla and oud. Not sure whet papyrus or calamus smell like, maybe that is it? Somehow it makes me think of bee propolis. This is a very deep, dark and rich, a bit sweet scent. Truly unique and with stellar performance!

This is interesting and unexpected. To me, the opening is sort of a dense, peppery labdanum. Very unusual. The dry down smells like a warm, dry, grey stone baking under the sun mixed with a gentle whisper of pink rose. It's very enjoyable, though probably not for everyone. The dryness, the subtle sweetness, the outdoor quality... this is beautifully crafted. I'm extremely impressed!

To me it's truly animalic and even sensual In the beginning it can be way overpowering but as soon as it settles down, it becomes more smoothy and nice, the drydown is really awesome here Laudano Nero? On my skin I only perceive it in hours since application Before that it's somehow closer to Shalimar & Black Afgano

smoke, a kind of metal factory/garage dust, charcoal, cardboard, brown scotch tape, slightly sour and animalic.

Sweet, too sweet, but not unrefined. It’s a scent characterized by a sweetness layered with fruity, candy-like notes. Actually, it’s leather, in the style of prototypes like Bronze Wood or Malaki by Chopard, Nasomatto, Fortis — those territories, just probably more outdated? No, it’s a new fragrance, so it’s simply a regular dark gourmand.

I tested this one from a dab on sample which can be tricky vs. spray samples. Anyway I get a ton of labdanum from beginning to end. That luscious balsamic accord is wonderful. Blended with other spicy notes such as calamus which is similar to cinnamon the smell is stellar and then the slightly smoky dry down. Dammit I should love this but I don't. The big reason why is because when I think of this type of scent by numero uno comes to mind, Laudano Nero. ATM the cheapest I see for Black Calamus is just under $150 for 50 ml. Laudano Nero can be had for $1 per ml. You are a fool if you pay triple the amount per ml of this over LN!!

Interesting opening, but it dries down very quickly to something forgettable with a cheap base of amberwood. There's zero Oud here. I don't get any labdanum neither; it smells very woody on me. Hard pass.

Smells like 27 87 genetic bliss! Boring. A molecule 1 you can smell.. it's OK

My first thought: "Black Collection"...it better be good. I have no idea what calamus smells like and neither does Siri. In Vegas, they say to always bet on black. Let's see if the advice pays off...The opening is mostly black pepper with spice and something medicinal. Then it goes to a labdanum direction where the amber accord is really deep and serves as the unintentional invocation to the "Black" characteristics. Vanilla is thrown into the mix and as a result, it adds to the amber accord but never stands alone. Who invited a beautiful powdery rose to the aromatic spicy party? It's by far a monkey wrench to an already insecure offering and the antithesis of the seasoned flow. This ingredient almost changed my entire opinion regarding this big bottle of boring. The BC goes deeper into man territory with a smokey base of juniper and woods but fails to ascend this to "worth checking out" status. This is riding the fine line between niche and designer quality. Any fragrance with the word black/dark will almost always intrigue my interest. BC led me to the water but I'm afraid i can't drink it.

This has a very labdanum and incense beginning, which morphs to include papyrus (which I adore) and damp, green notes (probably driven by the coriander and juniper). Eventually, the oud takes center stage and light, indistinct florals prevent it from being overpowering or fecal. I like an oud/rose fragrance as mush as the average aficionado, because that's just a lovely combo. But I like this more because it provides those tried and true floral/oud/labdanum notes, but tempered by the prominent green, papery calamus and papyrus. Oud and labdanum lovers should definitely give this one a try. However, I think those often scared off by heavy, woody, oud fragrances might also want to sample this because of the unique diversity of notes. While I have many bottles with oud, papyrus, incense, and wood notes, I don't have anything that combines them all in this manner. The final scent is a true love for me and an immediate bottle buy.

This is an unusual perfume to describe. In a nutshell I would say it's sharp and sour with a faint sweetness that intensifies over time. The labdanum comes through pretty well. I don't have much experience with papyrus or calamus, but it seems to create an effect of plastic - whether it's burning or fresh plastic I can't say but it's oddly pleasant. There is a sour sweetness coming from somewhere - maybe the mixture of juniper and calamus. The dry down is very sweet which is probably the vanilla holding the fort. It lasts at least several days on paper. I would wear this, but I wouldn't purchase a full bottle.

Again a great apart reaction and activation on that 5°C dusky brisk that Black Calamus. Get the cigarette smoke blured out a bit, a bit more woody, heavy awesum masculine musk. There's a happy like element after the opening and premid sillage phase, home bringing memory hit, personally can't tell if it's the Vanilla or a positive part of Incense but it's what I'll be chaseing r there. Great unpretentious piece, luv the Carner Black collection, different galore, artsy and along the Bestial collection, got the real neat assembly.

I wish I'd gotten the experience the previous reviewers did. I adore Labdanum, coriander, vanilla. But I don't get that. On me, it’s awful, piercing wood alcohol with powdered sandalwood incense elements. Very scream-y, sharp, loud, and nothing of the listed notes comes through. It’s just loud loud fermented wood alcohol. Simply awful. Funny because my skin normally amps sweet notes, but here, that's not the case at all.

Black Calamus dries down to Carmin Santal by AC, but with added powdery labdanum, which makes it somehow quieter and Carmin Santal remain a bit sweeter. If you like one, definitely try the other. I’m crazy about both. Update: Byredo Selier is a more leathery version of BC

Finally got samples of this and it is great. Similarities with Donna Karan Black Cashmere (that I own) are spot on. This is a gem since Black Cashmere is long gone. A bit funky, that I love, and ambery.woody goodness. Gotta get a full bottle.

Interesting, it has a green flowery note really appealing, with a strong base (probably labdanum/oud). I really want to like it initially, but at the end it has for my taste too much sillage, and with a sweet end which I don't like.

Liturgical incense and concentrated yeast extract. Smells like scabbing a vegemite sandwich off the nuns who lived onsite at my local Catholic primary school. Firm like from me.

Another dark smoky "oud" fragrance with a hint of sweetness that's somewhat above average; I like it better than the other two, which is not saying much about this collection..

I don't know the smell of Calamus but I detect many spices,a covered rose by incence and a thin line of oud.Sillage is monstruous,for bombs' lovers. Nothing special.

Smokey black pepper. No oud in here other than labdanum, incense, black pepper, junipers, and some styrax.

selling this (95% full) in Ireland/Europe - feel free to message me, 60 euros + shipping.