Cuba Black

Cuba Black is apparently intended to be clone of Azzaro Pour Homme. Is it? I like Azzaro Pour Homme, but you can tell that the current juice is an extremely crude and inferior reinterpretation of the original formula. Cuba Black matches Azzaro Pour Homme's opening notes fairly closely, but then it starts to do things a little different in its dry down. Current Azzaro Pour Homme dries down into this harsh, dirty-soap scent. Cuba Black goes a different route. At first I thought it was more of an oriental, with some sweet tobacco in there. Then it felt more like an aromatic fougere. After many more wearings though, the lightly sweet/lighty tobacco'd smell seems to have a soapy element to it that somehow makes it smell more in the barbershop sense than the current formulation of Azzaro Pour Homme. I want to say it gets a bit dirty at the base, but it's not dirty at all. Just kind of smoky in the way that One Man Show does. However, I can't stand the base of OMS. The difference here is that Cuba Black's macho smokiness is balanced well with the anise and soapy elements, making it far more pleasant. It's really it's own thing at this point and really nice. Longevity isn't great, as I get about 4 hours with it. CONCLUSION: This is a hidden gem. This soapy-anise-tobacco concoction is exceptionally good and I actually prefer it over current Azzaro and Aramis Tuscany. Probably one of the better 80s-styled fragrances to ever come out. Unfortunately longevity is poor but I really love the scent, top notes to base notes. 8/10

This is another great value from CP - the opening is essentially identical to Azzaro Pour Homme, but I've learned after a Left-Right showdown where the difference lies that makes these not only offsets of one another, but allows room for some degree of yin-yang mutual compatibility. I posted the following comparison on the Azzaro PH profile, so it only seems appropriate to repeat it here: I found the difference between CP Black and APH - it's the musk - there's a considerable leather/musk accord in APH, none in CPB which makes them distinct from one another after the opening notes dry down. I'd now go so far as to say that you could keep them in the same collection and use APH in the fall/winter (when I am much more prone to wear musky/animalic scents) and use CPB in the spring/summer. Another key difference is longevity - not atypical for Cuba Paris deals, I still love them for their value (even their relatively simplistic bottle is somehow an aesthetic delight) - but on my skin I only get about 3-4 hours tops from CP Black, whereas even this more simplistic iteration of Azzaro PH still gives me a few hours with some measure of projection and another 5-6 as a skin scent.

I must confess I have a knack for more or less obscure and inexpensive fragrances (as my reviews can attest). And I can say that many times these products can be immensely rewarding. This is one of these cases. Cuba Black is, to my nose, a well-blended mix of lavender, a HEAVY dose of anise, some "white" flowers, and a woody background. All in all, it is extremely masculine and rugged. There is no sweetness here. I would say it is an atemporal smell and suits any age range. It is suitable for any occasion but more leaning towards informal settings. It lasts some 8 hours, projects very well, and blends perfectly with any lavender-based deodorant/soap. The quality/price ratio is, in my view, outstanding. CB resembles to a certain extent Azzaro PH (another fragrance I love) but is not the same and cannot be confused with it. APH is much more subtle, has more notes, and is more complex; a more "formal" fragrance. None of them is redundant If you like -as I do- this type of smell. Try it! Best,

I agree with gmmcnair, it's the best you can find for this price. It's one hell of a dry scent, very barbershop-ish and masculine. During the drydown, the wood note gets a bit sour or burnt, I can't explain it very well. I need to say Cuba Black fits me better than Aramis and gets me more positive reactions (for one fraction of the price). A total must have if you like dry scents. Also, if you don't wear this kind of scent too often and wish you'd have a bottle just in case, go for this. It won't cost you much and it's of a very good quality.

Took me some time to understand why I like this fragrance. It is a lavender bomb! The opening is balsamic-floral and reminds me of a powerhouse, Ted Lapidus pour Homme. Middle way is so some pencil shaving notes maybe due to scandalwood. The scent keeps being fresh with light citrus tones. Wow, as a reviewer already said, it screams 80s tropical Florida - Miami. I love it!

This is a lovely perfume, it have a sophisticated smell like azzaro, y love azzaro when it dry-down (because it have somthing that disgusting inside when it just spary) but this one as you spray it is like azzaro dry-down i dont have to wait. just lovely. it dont lost that long max 3 hours. but what can anyone expect for 90.Bsf (10$)

What an amazing fragrance, it's just like Azzaro Pour Homme only much cheaper and very long lasting.

Before I start, I want to reply to a few reviews, I don't know what people do to get 10+ hours of performance on this scent. I only got about five, six tops with an hour/hour and a half of moderate projection. That said, I like the smell of Cuba Black. This is a scent I wore to a Sport Clips and it fit entirely. Even though Sports Clips is modern, the smell was still barbershopy like the Cuba Black I wore. I think it also has a teatree accord that matched the shampoo I got while at Sports Clips for their MVP treatment. To me that is a unique scent to the fragrance game. You don't see it at all. Cuba Black is an old scent but at 29, nearly 30 I feel it can be worn by people my age too. It's a nice basic barber shop in a bottle scent. It's not complicated and a dumb wear. I must say of the three black Cubas, this is the least of them. That said, it isn't a knock on it because honestly Cuba Magnum Black is Cuba Black with a Dior Homme cacao accord to it and Cuba Prestige Black is a dark and herbal Coty Aspen so it is unique to that style of scent. This, is a common barber shop scent. Not saying it is a bad thing, just it is not a super unique and distinct scent. Cuba Black I feel is a bit off to theming. I don't know what color I would assign to Cuba Black BUT, the color Black don't fit a barber shop scent. It isn't really dark of a scent and I don't find a barber shop that dark either. Cuba Black is a nice scent but I can't rate it anything but a 7.0. To me, it is nowhere near the better Cubas like Prestige (Classic), Royal, Magnum Black and even Winner and Gold, but it is nice none the less. It is a dumb reach clean scent.

What have I been SMOKING ? These cigar shaped Cuba fragrances are the best entertainment short of sparking up a... uh, "smokable product" . But likewise, you DO have to inhale ! Each Cuba has the same cigar tobacco undertone to them, on top of which a different scent/combo is layered. BLACK, is fresh, spicy jasmine over top of pungent cigar tobacco. The ensuing effect is that of a full-bodied, slightly salty, licorice tinged Oriental that carries itself with surprising balance and character. Projection is quite satisfying for the first 2 hrs. Then it becomes softer, quickly losing it's complexity as it dries ( Hey, I'm shocked there was ANY to begin with for a $10 fragrance ). But the scent is still noticeable enough to be enjoyed for another 2hrs or so, if you dig it. The Quality (and I don't mean the smell), is in line with something like Victorinox's Swiss Army line of scents, if you're familiar with those...but with more imagination and character. ( For less than $10? ). Which is to say, that Cuba Black.. is NOT half bad for a cheapie! So far, Cuba's kitschy line of cheapies have all been surprising, in mostly good ways. At this rate, I might need to buy myself a humour(dor) for their storage ; ) Longevity:5/10(in base) Projection(Fall temp):6.5/10(in mid) Art/Creatives:8/10(bottle,concept, composition)– in the 30ml cigar flacon. How:Casual,anytime,fall,winter, for the Fun of it !

For the price, its a no brainer. Ignoring price...it's still a very good scent. Very reminiscent of Azzaro PH and Rive Gauche PH. A classic barbershop scent, very masculine but also quite soft. Clean smelling with a strong black licorice/anise scent. Woods emerge as the scent dries down and the licorice fades, but it never goes away. Cuba Black is much less complicated than those two masterpieces, but is also a fraction of the price. I am a huge fan of Rive Gauche, but whenever I go to buy a new fragrance I skip it for something else, for one reason or another. Eventually, I will pick it up, but for now, I can't argue with getting Cuba black for $5. Every time I shave at night I throw some talc powder on my face and put Cuba Black on my wrists for myself. Not a scent I wear out often, I will reserve that for when I get the more dynamic Rive Gauche, but rather a fragrance I wear for myself. Projection and longevity are below average to average-ish on me, but then again I really only wear this for myself. I can still catch wafts of it after several hours, which is really all you can ask from this.

Not bad smell ..... In the beginning I have the "Azzaro feeling"! But only at the beginning ... It's a bit dirty, a bit more confusing. After 20 minutes a soap bubble is coming, which is absolutely a veteran fragrance ..... Azzaro's similarity sometimes only works sometimes .... Actually it's transformed into a retro barbershop smell, which is a bit more mature and softer, perhaps due to lavender ... The base finally brings the wood-masculine atmosphere of the 80's. This way we get a Smalto, Krizia, Polo or something that is not a bad end product .... I think we can work over an age of 35+ for an ordinary sign signature, which is quite universal for everyday life! Value for money is attentive ... If I started with Azzaro's similarity, I would contrast the two scents: Azzaro PH - 10/10 - Classical, clean, unique and timeless .... Compared to Cuba Black - 7/10 is old-fashioned, dirty, soap, but good in power ... A good, but not a substitute for Azzaro's scent!

I purchased this in the 4 pack Cuba America (CUBA BLACK-CUBA GREY-CUBA BROWN-CUBA GREEN). In these 4 are less of a tobacco scent unlike some of the others like CUBA RED which is more like a good cigar. I am so fascinated the Cuba line cuz they are so cheap and have really good scent to them that far exceeds my expectations every time! With that said the only problem is their longevity... You really have to apply them to your cloths along with the normal application to get them to last. I found the Cuba Black to be a lot like the Cuba Brown with a little more citrus zing in the background and complexity. Wood yes and again nicely soft but the main thing I got out of this from the first spritz, was the sweet blast of licorice / anise vibe. I think there is a warm tobacco lingering in the mix also. I really like this one, the more I smell it, it becomes more complex. This one I can chew on!

Good fragrance smells exactly like Azzaro pour homme in the opening ...maybe this is a little smoother can’t say I get the similarity to some of the reminds me of section ,it’s straight up Azzaro pour homme Dry down however is soapier than Azzaro hearing towards paco rabanne pour homme territory Lasts and projects the same as modern bottles or Azzaro ,I.e not very well but it’s bearable For the money £6 100ml it’s a steal if you like mature fragrances and it smells and performs the same as modern batches of Azzaro Cuba black dosent fit either ,should be Cuba lavender or Cuba anise or something 😂

What a coincidence, Dad got this as a gift on a Christmas exchange at work and last week I got myself a bottle of Azzaro Pour Homme HAHAH! If you know Azzaro pour homee and want something less sweet and even cheaper, Cuba Black is for you, it's pretty citrusy, actually, just like the opening on Azzaro Pour Homme but instead of the sweeter soapy drydown of APH, Cuba Black remains pretty green and somewhat mossy. In my opinion not bad at all, if Azzaro Pour Homme is your signature you could get Cuba Black as a daily fragrance and save Azzaro pour Homme for colder weather or nights out.

A light, simplified and less sophisticated rendition of Azzaro pour Homme's top and middle. Rounded up and crafted for casual wear. Is it interesting then ? Not if you have the true Azzaro, but if you don't and want to have an idea about it, Cuba Black is a great deal. After the "photorealistic" top notes, it develops differently, quietly, more linear, but still nice and classy. Cuba Black is a quality "barbershop" fragrance that never smells cheap with a cool and funny bottle. Forget about the bomb projection and assertiveness of the venerable ApH, though !

Very nice, to me it's almost identical to Azzaro pour Homme except Cuba Black has less projection. Starts off with some rum. Then the anise comes through. Ending stays nice clean and woody. Sillage is only moderate though. Staying power is OK. An "old school" cologne for the mature man. It doesn't cost a lot but Cuba Paris Black is an extremely nice woody EDT. If you like the classic Azzaro pour Homme (and who doesn't?), this is a good cheaper alternative - just a pity that the sillage isn't as good.

I guess I am gonna be the first person to say the truth about this fragrance: It is not a clone of Azzaro Pour Homme Eau de Toilette, but a clone of the Azzaro Pour Homme Deodorant, and no, the deodorant does not have the exact same aroma as the EDT, just some specific notes and nuances. And if you consider that, you will realize that it is almost 100 percent the same aroma of the Azzaro Deodorant. So if you love Azzaro Deodorant like I do, you will definetly love Cuba Black.

Discount fragrance or no, this one is quite lovely. It has a dark, boozy quality to it that could be depressing to some....the woods are dark, tangled, brooding, and beautiful at the same time. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I find it to be delightful, and has decent longevity and sillage to boot. For a bargain buy, it's hard to find more distinctive and lovely.

I got this one in a pack of 4 with Grey, Green, Brown and Black for only $11. Those were my preference in order! Who could complain about getting those for so little!? Even though this one is my least favorite of the 4 this one is still pretty good. Overall 7/10

Just confirming that at least on me it's extremely close to Azzaro Pour Homme. Close enough not to buy another bottle of the Azzaro as I was planning to at some point. Lasted twelve hours plus on me today but I did over apply. Excellent value.

I can't believe I'm the first person to say this reminds me of Drakkar Noir! Like near identical. This seems slightly less spicy, but it may just be less potent than Drakkar Noir.

probably the best of the Cubas, not that tobacco strong, much more lighter,relaxing and good for office work,a fragance than doesnt offend anybody

I genuinely enjoy this more than Azzaro. It’s less medicinal, softer a little greener and a tad powdery. For the price it’s well worth a look.

A tad similiar to APH, but not that harsh on the opening. Doesn't stay long enough to comment on the growth, and poor projection.

Realy small longevity (1-2 h), but I like that small. Disappointed is just by that bad longevity.

This is NOT a clone of APH, one of the top 5 in my ~300 bottle collection. It is similar enough that it will remind you of it, but it is not a clone. It has that harsh soapiness to it that many old school frags have. I don't need a $12 clone of a $30 frag and I'm glad this is not. After wearing it, I wouldn't buy it again, but for $12, it doesn't hurt my feelings and I will work it into the rotation.

Smells like Denim. Typical dated oldschool man scent. Good i did not get the original Azzaro version. If you like Denim,Masculin by Bourjois and this genre of 70s oldschool fragrances you will like it.

#29 in my "Tour de Fragrance" This smells nothing like Azzaro Pour Homme which I kinda like. This smells like an old piece of lumber from your garage. Fortunately, the sillage is zero, so if you don't have time to get back in the shower and wash it off no one will notice it. But hey, you paid nothing and got nothing.

@Flirtboy I wouldn't be surprised if it was around in the 90's knowing how old it smells. Even in the 90's it would be considered so outdated, but people 65yo and older could probably pull of this. The people comparing it to Dior Homme should be executed.

Another review from the back of my cabinet. I purchased this along with the original and prestige versions. These are ridiculously inexpensive fragrances but they all smell very nice. Cuba Black is a nice barbershop vibe with licorice fragrance. Sweet but not cloying. Anise or licorice isn't listed as an ingredient but like others I find this the predominant note. There is also some generic woodiness and citrusy floral in the background. It is the lack of specific but generic scents that perhaps lead to some using the term synthetic when describing Cuba Black. Whatever it is Cuba Black works. I don't sense the similarities to Azarro some mention. The fragrance is friendly and pleasing, even sexy and will tend to draw compliments. Most "cheapys" will disipate rapidly. Not so here. Cuba Black has nice silliage and tremendous longevity, we're talking about 12 hours here. Lots of bang for the buck for an affordable everyday, informal fragrance.

Greetings, It's a cologne that could be described as "traditional". When I say that I mean Oakmoss, Citruses and some Musk. Vetiver and Some bittersweet notes. Add a bit of traditional Bergamot+Lavender Cuba DNA and you get a good old barbershop style primal fougere not focused too much on any any of the notes. Devoid of originality, yet speaking of the past it does have a bit of dignity and could find fans. I do believe it is a homage to Azzaro pour homme or any 80s fragrance. I personally think that Antonio Puig Quorum is a bit more interesting, and this fragrance could have been a little miracle of sorts if Pine notes were added. Despite it's flaws, it's kicking well in terms of potency and has a limited amount of sillage, which makes it a nice scent to have in a collection. It's an impostor 80s fragrance but it does the job well. 7/10. Can be a blindbuy if one is interested in 80s or early 90s fragrances. Quite charming.

Whoa, this is some brash and obnoxious stuff. It makes Jade East smell smooth and refined by comparison. It smells like am amateurish attempt at copying Azzaro Pour Homme. Cuba Black is a benchmark in crudeness. The loud synthetic sandalwood note paired with the smell of sawdust smells so wrong, making this fragrance completely unwearable. I wear power scents all the time, but this fragrance sucks. Just because it's strong doesn't mean it's good. P.S., I wonder if this has been reformulated. I reviewed Cuba Black here in 2016, and I don't remember it being this crass. It struck me as a good dupe of Azzaro Pour Homme, but my new bottle does not. My new bottle smells terrible.

Woof this one is strong and unattractive to my tastes. I'm a 39 year old man and I normally don't mind stronger or old fashioned colognes. Can't really add to much to what has already been written about the scent and notes. As far as projection and longevity I have no idea because I couldn't justify wearing it after spraying it on paper to test it. I currently own 13 from the Cuba line and this is probably my least favorite (maybe tied with brown both of which I will never wear). It might be a good scent for someone 55+ but for a mature 30 year old or 40 year old I'd say there's vastly better options.

My husband is a huge fan of the Cuba Paris line because of the low price point (about $7) and the longevity (around 10-12 hrs on most.) He picked this one up randomly at Ross to test out and was pleasantly surprised. Cuba Black has a very fresh scent, probably due to the lime and bergamot. It is clean, woodsy, and still floral while having a bit of spice kick to it. Both my husband and I were impressed with how well blended it smells. It doesn't last as long as his other Cuba Paris scents by about 2 hrs less. However, he loves it and it has gone into his regular rotation.

This is an EXCELLENT knockoff of Azzaro Pour Homme, though kind of pointless, since APH is an inexpensive scent. Black smells like there are no top notes, and that it's all aromatic middle and base accords, kind of like Azzaro Pour Homme. You don't get the anise blast like you do with Azzaro, but rather Cuba Black is very well blended and balanced. Sillage is quite good, though not brutal, and longevity is about 8 hours. Cuba Black is well worth trying, and it captures the warm, macho aura of Azzaro Pour Homme. My rating: 8.5/10

I can't really compare this fragrance to another, but I will say this much, it screams tropical Florida. Imagine you are walking down the streets of Miami, or Tampa on a warm summer night and you've got nothing to worry about but just want to soak in the moment of the tropical weather and the woody/beachy scenery around you. That's what this fragrance invokes. It's a definite underrated cheapie, but it definitely packs a lot of power. I highly recommend this one, especially in warmer weather.

I just bought Cuba Magnum Black and it smells exactly like Azzaro - Pour Homme. Some say Cuba Magnum Black smells like Valentino - Uomo or Dior Homme. But my bottle smells just like Azzaro - Pour Homme. Is there a mix-up with the bottles or what? Does anyone have them both - Cuba Black and Cuba Magnum Black? I know that Cuba Gold and Cuba Magnum Gold smell the same, like JPG Le Male. Is it the same here? And if it is, which Cuba smells like Dior - Homme?

Cuba black smells like an old soap. Or an old barbershop. There is a strong lavender/soap smell, nothing more. I'm not saying it's bad, but I would recommend that for a man 40+ minimum. Not for youngsters at all. Also it lasts surprisingly long, I get 5-6 hours of medium sillage, which for £9 perfume... I'm not complaining! Overall: Good fragrance for older, clean, smooth gentleman.

Not my favourite Cuba Paris offering. I don't know how to describe it other than smelling like italian herbs and pencil shavings. I'm guessing that's the synthetic "sandalwood" and the rosemary and basil. I wouldn't buy it again. I just happened to get the gift set with the cologne, body spray, and aftershave for cheap. The body spray and aftershave are complete garbage though.

Impressive. I actually like this one better than Azzaro Pour Homme. Azzaro starts off smooth but somewhere along the lines, it becomes stale and plasticky due to the musk. This one is woodier and softer, less in your face and retains the Azzaro barbershop foam opening well through out its duration. A winner.

For me, better and stronger than Azzaro. Cheaper too!! I remember it having a salty accord running down its spine, that I liked a lot. I went through this bottle quickly, it most likely was the skinny cigar bottle.

Cuba paris "black edition" smells exactly like calvin klein's Obsession!! 100% identical both perform the same 4-6 hours!! Overall great classic scent, woody,spicey sharp floral!!

No. That is nothing to do with Azzaro PH or Drakkar Noir. It's just a generic old school shower gel scent without any interest and similarity.

I found the solution to the longevity problem. I blend my cheapies with oil, it makes them last longer.

it's a barbershop scent that should perfectly fit men older than 80 years.

This should be called Cuba Brown, because it smells like shit!

For me, it's a Dupe of Active Bodies Byte Adidas

Can anyone tell me what is "sillage"?????