Tabac Exquis

While holidaying in Amsterdam a few weeks ago, I also went to visit Perfume Lounge (a niche perfume shop I cannot recommend enough for its excellent service, selection and enthusiasm). One of the scents I tried was Tabac Exquis, a newer one from Caron. I've tried my fair share of ambered tobaccos, but most have been too sweet for me. Was worried it would also be the case with this one, considering the chocolate note, but knowing Caron quite well I was hopeful. I wasn't let down. This really isn't gourmandy or overtly sweet. Tobacco Exquis is dark, round and smooth with an almost dusty-dry savannah-like feel to it that is hard to explain (only ever tried the same with Dune and they are - otherwise - nothing alike). If someone has smelled raw cacao-beans, they know what I mean. Raw cacao beans taste very bitter, but here it's only the smell that is captured and what might usually be perceived as bitterness is completely smoothed out by the honey. I don't get much tobacco in this, but a whiff of cinnamon, some ambergris, quite a lot of tonka and a little less myrrh. It's deep and delicious with a velvety feel to it, almost like some of the best dark coffee roasts and somehow it matched the extremely hot weather that day perfectly and I felt like I had been relocated to a far more exotic place. I didn't buy a bottle that day, since I already had a few other things on my list, but it's a must have and I need it in my collection. I see it is listed as a femme perfume, but there are quite a few with the same scent profile for men and this can easily be worn by a man.

This is a very nice ambery, tobacco, vanilla fragrance with chocolate and tonka. Obviously not unique and similar smelling to others, but the cocoa and chocolate note is evident here and very nice indeed. You get the chocolatey note and the dusting of cacao combined. It has an aromatic and dry feeling to the vanilla, so it doesn’t really step into the full gourmand territory. The honey is really the only note that adds some sweetness, and it’s a dark honey. It’s not syrupy or sweet, but it’s still very much detectable. I just picked up Amber 23 and it’s very similar in scent minus the fruitiness, and obviously better quality. It also is in the same realm as Angel’s Share, but only the tonka note is similar and that’s it. I don’t get any other similarities or any Cinnamon. I’m really liking this and the bottle too. This is definitely getting added to the list.