Drakkar Intense

I fully agree with GiveMeADrPepper. There's most definitely an ambery vanilla like note in here that contributes to the overall boozyness of this fragrance. Dare I say there's almost a straight cognac like note to this one. Either way though I absolutely LOVE it. It's one of those rare fragrances that has nuclear projection while at the same time being inoffensive, even when oversprayed. It has a very pleasant and perfectly balanced sweetness to it. I get absolutely phenomenal performance out of this. Probably about a solid 8 hours spraying it on skin and clothes; and I can still smell it very clearly on my clothes over 24 hours later!! I sampled this in my local Boscov's some time back and remembered really liking it and wound up getting it some months later when I saw it for $30 at T.J. Maxx. Pretty sure Burlington has been having it for $25 now. For that price it's an absolute no-brainer. I might even pick up a backup bottle as I'd say it's a safe bet it's not going to stay in production real long. I know the last Drakkar flanker, Drakkar Essence came and went pretty quickly, and now fetches $50 to $100 on eBay. I'd really REALLY love to experience the original Drakkar from 1972 and see how it compares to both this and it's most legendary brethren Drakkar Noir. I mean I wonder, is this even REALLY a proper "flanker" in the normal sense? The original has been out of production for at least 30 years and, including Noir, this would make it the fourth fragrance to carry the Drakkar name. (Noir, Dynamik, Essence, Intense) The only one of those four that was created while the original was in production is Drakkar Noir. So that makes me wonder.......are they even really referencing the original source "DNA" so to speak, anymore? Drakkar Noir strikes me as a likely being a true flanker. But I don't see any similarities between Noir and Intense. I can only assume Dynamik and Essence don't smell anything like it either. I wish they would relaunch the original Drakkar. Even if only for a limited time.

As someone who loves Noir, my hopes were relatively high for this release, and thankfully, for everything it does for such a low price, it delivered more than I expected. TOP NOTES As I sprayed it for the first time, I felt overwhelmed with joy and smiled. I just knew I had scored an unbelievable fragrance, which reminded me of the good days in my fragrance journey. The opening has the distinctive bitterness of wormwood(aka absinthe) but is not off-putting; instead, it adds an intriguing depth that pulls me in. Shortly after, coriander joined the mix. Its spicy and faintly citrusy aroma added warmth, creating a seamless bridge between the bitter greenness of wormwood and the citrusy brightness that followed. HEART NOTES The first note to appear in the mid notes is lavender, a timeless part of men’s fragrances. Its crisp, aromatic nature imparts the scent a familiar and soothing quality. Following this, clary sage steps into the spotlight. This note introduces a grounded and slightly musky dimension that complements the lavender beautifully. The presence of the sage lends the fragrance a mature and self-assured aura. BASE NOTES The base notes bring warmth, sensuality, and depth to the fragrance, strikingly contrasting the aromatic freshness of the initial phases. Vanilla and amber take centre stage in the base notes. The vanilla in Drakkar Intense is not excessively sweet or dessert-like; it is blended subtly and refinedly. It smooths out the sharper, earthier elements of the patchouli and suede, resulting in a well-balanced and harmonious dry down. OVERALL My journey with Drakkar Intense can be a lesson to all of us who love perfumes and enjoy their magical effects. On the one hand, they can be described as expensive scented water, but on the other hand, these scented elixirs create unforgettable memories that we cherish throughout our lives. Read the full review at scentgrail (.) com

Drakkar Intense — The "Dad Legend" Remastered Look, I know what you’re thinking. "Drakkar? Really? Is it 1989?" We’ve all heard the jokes about Drakkar Noir being the official scent of high school locker rooms and 80s power ballads. But here is the thing: There is a reason it’s a legend. It smells clean, masculine, and unapologetic. However, I didn't want to smell exactly like my uncle in 1992. That’s why I grabbed Drakkar Intense. 1. The Smell Think of this as "Drakkar Noir 2.0." The Opening: It still has that classic, sharp, "barbershop" blast of rosemary, lavender, and lemon. It hits that nostalgic "shaving foam" button in your brain immediately. The Twist: The original dries down very soapy and mossy. This Intense version dries down warm. They added Amber, Suede, and Vanilla notes. It takes that sharp edge off and makes it smell smoother, boozier, and more modern. 2. The Vibe This is the "Dad Boss" scent. It doesn't smell like bubblegum or flowers (like most modern colognes). It smells like a guy who pays his mortgage on time and knows how to change his own oil. It’s rugged. It’s my "dumb reach"—when I don't want to think about what to wear, I grab this. It just works. 3. Performance For a cheapie, it hangs in there. I get a solid work day out of it (6+ hours). It projects well (it is Drakkar, after all), but the warmer notes keep it from being screechy. 4. The Nostalgia Factor There is something comforting about this DNA. It feels familiar. Putting this on in the morning just puts me in the right headspace to tackle the day. It’s a classic for a reason, and this update gives it enough of a modern tweak to keep it relevant in 2025. Verdict If you miss the days when men’s cologne smelled like men’s cologne, but you don't want to smell outdated, get this. It’s the perfect update to a legend. Rating: 8.5/10 (The ultimate Daily Driver).

* Great combination of sweet, amber, rum, herbal, powder and wood aromas * The love child of Bentley for Men Intense and Drakkar Noir * Brilliant flanker that updates the original in style * A perfect bridge between nostalgic aromatic fougere and modern sweet and fresh colognes * Suitable for men of all ages * Stronger performer * Not unisex * Underappreciated and undervalued * May be too different for those used to the original * Serious competition that is more popular with newer generations Straight up, I love Drakkar Intense. It's a brilliant update of the classic Drakkar Noir formula. The classic herbal, pwoder and wood aromas of Noir are blended with sweet rum and amber aromas and it works perfectly. This is the love child of the illicit affair between Bentley for Men Intense (a personal favorite of mine) and Drakkar Noir. On paper, that shouldn't work at all but in practice it's amazing. Intense is a perfect bridge for older aromatic fougere users and younger sweet and fresh users. It balances both extremely well and is great for introducing the older audience into the newer style of modern colognes and the younger audience into what their fathers and maybe even grandfathers raved about in their youth. Add in strong performance and it's a winner. Launching in 2022, Intense is rather underappreciated, I find, and I suspect it's because of the Drakkar name itself. Younger users won't be seeking out the name and there's plenty of competition for this style of cologne. Bentley for Men Intense and Stronger With You Intensely are just two examples that are far more popular with younger users. This is great for cooler seasons, night use, festive occasions and date night in particular. Great for men of all ages.

So I got this when it came out here in Paris. There was no hype or furor surrounding this perfume in France, like there was circulating in the fragrance community. As for myself: Did I expect a time machine to take me back to the nineties? Did I expect new life and muscle breathed into the neutered behemoth of the original fragrance? Of course I did! I knew it was to no avail but we can have high hopes. However, not all was lost. Upon getting familiar with this fragrance I came to a simple conclusion. The packaging and the title needed a re-work. There is a suede that Clarks uses for its Wallabees and Desert Boots and it is called cola suede. Drakkar Intense should have been called this. The suede note is just perfect in this fragrance and yes there is this cola accord that is created by the supporting notes. As a scent Drakkar Intense is dated (I do not mean this in a negative way.) in that it screams something from the nineties. Drakkar Intense could be found somewhere between Obsession by CK and Aspen by Coty (as Mas7erofreali7y stated brilliantly in their review). Spicy, woody suede, smoothly blended that sits close to the skin and gives a warm vibe. Is this worth owning? Honestly, for the price why not? Drakkar Intense is not truly bottle worthy simply because this fragrance is redundant and seems like it has been done before. Several sprays of this will not envelop you in a leather jacket and sit you behind the wheel of a Datsun 280Z but the opening will at least make you think back to that time when that was a regular weekend occurrence.

A new Guy Laroche drakkar which gets as well good reviews and is sold as a cheapie – that’s worth a try – I bought myself a 50 ml bottle for €22 and the scent is pleasing though it feels very old school – like an eighties scent though Sauvage Elixir is also more old school than the original – the moment I sprayed Drakkar intense I got immediately a feeling that I know this kind of smell – the opening reminds me a lot like Francesco Smalto pour Homme, the original Drakkar Noir is also compared with Francesco Smalto Pour Homme, the opening of Drakkar Intense is not identical but it has the same vibe – in the drydown the comparison is almost completely gone and the lavender gets very prominent, only the smokiness re-appears again in the drydown – nice scent, not groundbreaking, lacks a bit in longevity which is forgettable due to the low price. Maybe certain new men perfumes will go more in the direction of eighties scents, more soapy green spicy lavender – the last years I noticed that the young scents are more ambroxan style crowd pleasers like Sauvage EDT, Dylan Blue, Percival, Sedley, Luna Rosa Carbon etc, and on the other hand there are more lavender/sage new releases like f.e. H24, Sauvage Elixir, YSL Y Parfum and now Drakkar Intense which pleases also a lot of people – now its waiting for combo’s of both – today I like to blend already H24 with Office for Men from Jeremy an ambroxan style fragrance – the combination is super, really appealing and sexy – I have to try it as well with this one

Drakkar Intense is what you get when you try and tip your toes into old-school fougere, but with a more modern, contemporary twist. It smells kind of like a very high-quality and masculine body wash. That's not a bad thing at all. Many modern blue and fresh fragrances are going for the "fresh out of the shower" vibe, and this definitely has that, but with a scent profile that will stand out a lot better against the backdrop of what's currently popular on the market. If you're a younger guy that's interested in fougere, but think that category of frags might be a bit too old school for you, try this! Quite versatile, office safe and inoffensive. All of that, while still having character, which isn't easy to do. Add the great price on top and you've got what I consider to be an underrated fragrance. I've heard it being compared to Bentley's Intense, but I believe that similarity to be superficial. The Bentley frag is very heavy on the incense and quite frankly isn't for everyone (including me). This I find to be less in your face and more mass-pleasing. It's kind of difficult to compare, as there aren't many frags like this on the market. I also can't compare it to the original Drakkar, as that one has been discontinued for a very long time and I've never had the chance to try it. Don't sleep on this one. Try it.

I am remarkably pleasantly surprised. As celebrated as Guy Laroche is in the frag community, I have come to place Drakkar in the, “cheapie,” category. Noir was the first cologne I ever owned as a teenager and had fond memories of wearing it with pride. Fast forward some 20 years later and my enthusiasm for frags grew exponentially. My collection ranges from Nautica to Amouge, from Davidoff to PDM. With Drakkar Intense I was expecting something pretty basic...a safe barber shop vibe. I was initially more interested in it as simply a fun throw-back to my youth, but I was surprised how much deeper and complex it was to what I was expecting. I’ve had my arm up to my nose for the last 2 hours and I can’t stop smelling it. That’s always a good sign. I’m guessing it won’t be my absolute favorite frag purchase of the year...but for the price tag and the fact of how pleasantly surprised I am, I’m chalking it up to a great start to the year toward my collection.

A less complex, but just as uncompromising version of the original. I get some distinctly dry herbs similar to the original, but smoother. I get a slightly anise-y herbal touch as well as a rosemary similar to the rosemary smoke some bars use for cold-smoking cocktails. Lavender is less smooth and less prominent than I would've thought, still with this slight smoky aromatic feel. All the aromatics seem dry and smoked, rather than fresh and oily. As it begins settling, it does get a spicy herbal patchouli note. pretty patchouli forward. From a fougere, I would've loved a bit more moss in the base notes, as it is kind of dry and patchouli-centered, without really giving much attention to anything else, aside from perhaps a slight suede backing, but not really enough to be a noteworthy aspect. Easily wearable To some people it would probably be redundant if you own drakkar noir, but if you're stuck choosing between the two, both are great choices.

Honestly, if this fragrance came in a bottle from TF, MFK, or Marc-Antoine Barrois, it would undoubtedly elicit a flurry of admiration, and people would readily lash out $300 for a bottle. But due to its Drakkar branding, it tends to remain overlooked. I can totally see this scent becoming one of those hidden gems that, after a decade, might disappear and fetch a high price. It shares a similar vibe with Penhaligon's Tragedy of Lord George, Cartier Pasha Parfum, and Beau de Jour, while also giving off a nostalgic shaving foam smell a la Rive Gauche. I’d even say it outshines BdJ in terms of scent and quality alone. It starts off reminiscent of the original Noir, then shifts into a mix of herbs, moss, and patchouli, ultimately landing on a classy shaving foam smell. The absinthe here is similar to Creed Viking, so those who are not fond of that note may wish to avoid this one. I find its performance comparable to other fougères.

This fragrance smells like getting nostalgic about the time you experienced deja vu about having a future premonition. But Dr, you say, you confound us with your superfluous oratory. Read on, dear Fragrantrican. It’s 9th grade in 1988. I wear Drakkar Noir to feel older, a future version of myself- more capable, more serious, and infinitely more attractive. I’m now most of those things Drakkar Noir made me feel. Drakkar Intense hits with waves of nostalgia for those younger days long past. I wear it to make myself feel carefree, less serious, and infinitely more attractive like I used to be. Less soapy, less mossy. Bitter wormwood, sage and juniper berries swirl around the original Noir. Hugely retro, mildly modernized. If you wore Noir as a teenager and aren’t happy with reformulation, get this. It might not make you the guy the youthful you hoped you would become, but at least you can smell like him.

Several compare Drakkar Intense to Azzaro Homme Intense. I found that A.H.I has a more herbal base with more of a wet leaf/woodsy vib. With Drakkar Intense, I pick up Patchouli with a soft sweet powdery vib from coriander and suede. Wormwood and Clary Sage gives this juice a well balanced blend. It's been awhile, at least 6 hours, I can still smell the powdery vib from the coriander and patchouli. Longevity and Sillage is decent enough to consider buying this juice. If there's one thing that threw me off was the name. This is not "Drakkar Intense", this should have a different name. I understand the marketing and the brand name, you're likely to have someone buy it. The aroma is nothing like the orginal version, maybe 0.09% is similar...if that. Nonetheless I really enjoy this juice, perfect for evening wear as well during the fall and winter months. 8.5/10

Little bit of Drakkar Noir... Little bit of something along the lines of Azzaro PH Intense (2015)... Slightly modernized fresh-ish Fougere with a touch of a warm boozy quality. Really digging it. Not as Cinnamon, boozy, warm spicy as APHI... It's more Earthy, fresh spicy... But does have some warm qualities. I do like Azzaro Pour Homme Intense more... Which I only have about 1/2 of a 30ml left... If I can't ever find another bottle of it (which I have to believe the bigger online sellers will get back in stock)... Drakkar Intense will fit in nicely. I have heard about performance issues and I tend to have skin that eats fragrances for lunch... But I get decent performance. 5-6 hours easy. Might get close to the skin after 2-3 hours, but not bad at all. Really glad I picked it up. $30/100ml.

One part barbershop fougere, one part Azzaro Wanted By Night, one part Burberry London. The notes do not give an accurate picture of what you will experience. Yes, there is lavender, but there is also a healthy dose of eugenol that gives it a pronounced cinnamon/clove accord, along with two violet aromachems, two balsamics and geraniol. The combined effect is a warm, moderately sweet, fruity cinnamon pine tree fragrance grafted onto an ambery fougere base. This adds some maturity to a cozy scent, simultaneously modernizing an old school accord. It is definitely a cool weather fragrance. It may not be the beast performer that Drakkar Noir is, but it lasts longer than most of the reformulated Creeds that I have tried at less than 1/10th the price. This is lovely stuff.

Guy Laroche Drakkar Intense... ...only reminds me in the far dry down of the original Drakkar Noir. The opening is ambery spicy and the middle has a surprisingly boozy note. In the middle of the drydown under all those layers one can detect the original Drakkar Noir DNA. The longevity is better than my current formulation of Drakkar Noir which i appreciate. In other words i would like to encourage the makers of Guy Laroche to bring the current Drakkar Noir up to the strength of Drakkar Intense. I don't understand comments like "for the price one can't expect much"...... Would a person have expected less if it was cheaper or even more if it was more expensive? A few things should never be interlinked and connected with a fragrance..... 1. TIME 2. MONEY 3. GENDER

I smelled this for the first time at Macy's about 3 weeks ago and I was hooked from the first spray. I had to order a bottle. They didn't have the 100ml or else I would've bought it right then and there. From opening to drydown, I'm absolutely loving this scent. It's a fresh, spicy, soapy, warm, masculine scent. Classic with a modern touch. I think it smells amazing! And at it's price if you haven't tried it...you know the rest. Update (12/31/24) This was my work out fragrance today. I love this scent! I wonder what this would smell like with the highest quality of every ingredient. Don't know how much that would help performance as this is not super long lasting. My answer to that is... just spray some more. What else can we do?

For the ~$25 price tag you can't go wrong. 3 season (minus summer), evening frag with a mature blend of comfortable masculine scents. Boozy suede dominates this past the dry down with the herbal presence of patchouli and lavender preventing it from JUST being an Irish pub. If you're past your mid 20's and can grow a full beard, you'll probably want this option in your collection. Performance isn't crazy, nor would one expect it to be at this price point, but it will project for 3 hrs. easy and still be discoverable if someone gets close for up to 8 hrs. If you like those trademark man frags like Fahrenheit this is absolutely a safe blind buy but if you're young and into fruity stuff you might want to try before a blind buy.

Recently received a sample of this ( from a FragranceNet order ) and man, was I impressed. It kind of takes the original DNA and makes it more boozy, cozy and more of a barbershoppy smell. Smells amazing too and will probably get you compliments. Performance wise, it's the same with Drakkar Noir. 6 hours with a medium projection ( on my skin ). I recommend Drakkar Noir for the spring and summer mainly, preferably in the day time. And I recommend Drakkar Intense for the Winter and Fall, mainly in night time. Lastly, is it blind buy safe? Yes, absolutely. If you love boozy, aromatic, fougere's this is for you. 9/10 In conclusion: Smell: 9/10 Longevity: 6/10 Projection: 6/10 Drakkar Intense: 8/10

One of the spiciest and warmest scents I've ever had and all the better for it. It reminds me somewhat of Brasil Dream for Men by Estée Lauder. It suits autumn and winter for sure, and perhaps a warm summer's day as a change of pace from the usual fresh fragrances. However I agree with several of the comments below that it performs surprisingly poorly (pathetically actually) all round - certainly in cool weather which is when I was using it. Perhaps it might perform better as an unlikely hot weather scent although I can't attest to that. Anyway, I can just about recommend it, especially given it's low price, but I wish its performance was so much better.

!!!! To me, this one is genuinely something great. And after it’s full dry down this to my nose is very similar to the backbone of Carolina Herrera nightfall patchouli. Yes it resembles drakar noir from the 80’s no it’s not the same as this a more modern twist on the original drakar being also different and pre dating drakar noir! This one is cheap, but doesn’t smell cheap.. if you’re disappointed and complaining about this one ,... just move on,. And find a New hobby 🫶 . For the record I was born in the 70’s grew up in the 80’s , and according to my parents, I should have been dead or in prison by the 90’s ,!! Yet here we are 2025✅