Itasca

"Itasca" is a refined woody fragrance that balances all its elements terrifically well. Sharp, cool, fresh, piney, peppery, smoky, sweet, soft, romantic, rugged...it's a lot of things! The woods here are realistic, but are composed in such a way as to not make you smell like a forest. Pine stands out with its bracing freshness, but there is also that 'sanded wardrobe' effect I get from vetiver, and the vaguest traces of smoke alluding to a distant campfire. Spices and geranium add a delicate piquancy, and the juicy freshness of citrus and juniper give zest to the heart, avoiding the astringent 'disinfectant' accord that plagues so many other citrus/vetiver compositions. In the background, a mellow tonka bean provides a perfectly measured sweetness, giving warmth and sensuality. Quite easy to imagine a handsome, stubble-jawed cowboy sitting casually on a log pile, carving wooden figurines with a flick knife. I imagine women would go wild for a guy wearing this. It's about one of the sexiest masculine fragrances I've encountered. One of Lubin's best.

Well, I absolutely adore vetiver. It's one of my favourite smells, and therefore, I love Itasca. I also love masculine perfumes, lots of them. The vetiver is divine in Itasca, but really, on me, the little bit of floral, and fruit are quite noticeable, and it smells rather feminine. Must be my skin. On my husband it is very very masculine - sharp, fresh, crisp, smoky, piney, all the masculine things, but it's really a lot softer, less sharp, more gentle, on me. It starts off very fruity/citrusy, quite delicious, with a lovely hint of florals, and then moves into a more oriental, spicy, herby, incense woody, a little piney, resinous ambience, which smells soooo divine! I love it, it's a fantastic combination. But the vetiver is the magical part. The beautiful musty, dry, woody, smoky, bitter-chocolatey smell of vetiver just turns me on; I adore it. So Itasca is a delight, for both of us. A wonderful, slightly bracing, but full of many contrasting smells, and completely delicious, perfume.

Itasca is a well blended complex non-linear fragrance that took me a few wears to get my nose around. The marigold at the top is floral and aromatic, functioning like lavender but smelling very unique at the same time. This is a note I will look out for in the future, it’s really intriguing. The citruses play a supporting role, just adding some brightness at the top. As the marigold fades the spices come to the fore along with the pine and resins, similar to a classic fougere. The final act though is my favourite as it darkens into a pine forest vetiver, lightly smoky with a smooth leather like quality, although this isn’t listed so that might just be me. Itasca never shouts but it lasts for 8+ hours on my skin and leaves a really sexy earthy skin sent behind. I imagine this on a mature man or woman who enjoys the outdoors as much as they enjoy life’s more refined pleasures. Great versatility, any season, casual or formal.

As a Minnesotan, I know all about the woods and forests. I spent many years hunting deer near Itasca. It is a place of breathtaking beauty and scents. I was a little skeptical over how a company based in France could understand and create such a fragrance that represents the mystery and beauty of Itasca's forests. Here's what I found: This was a recommendation from a fellow member. I had never even heard of it but, it really intrigued me. It soon made it's way to my top 5 scents, truly a beautiful fragrance! A very well blended creation with a little bit of everything. The one thing that stays in your soul forever once you have visited a Minnesota forest is the smell of pine. This fragrance has it, and it's used beautifully. It's a pretty linear scent but it smells so good that it doesn't really matter! It's fresh and dark at the same time, green, mysterious and a little bit of warm spice. I love it.

I’m so devastated I waited too long to buy a full bottle. The newer bottles are all I can find but they’re so fugly compared to the one pictured above. I saw a couple listings offering this bottle with the brown and I was so excited to own it one day but now they’re all gone. I don’t want it anymore I hate the new design so much. It’s not even really that bad but the thought of looking at it knowing I could’ve owned the original beauty would make me SICK. The scent itself in the most phenomenal masculine scent I’ve ever smelled in my life. I like unisex fem leaning scents but this makes me not give a damn! Edit: it’s all good I found an original bottle. Feels so good in the hand with this copper outer layer. Also this scent started my journey into masculine scents and I’m starting to prefer them now

If everyone agrees Tauer 02 is a feminine-leaning unisex masterpiece then Itasca must be masculine (not taking likability into account - merely whether the scent is ideally balanced/formulated; if we were talking likeable then obviously it would be Aventus :P ) I don't smell anything evergreen in this, which usually is a turnoff because when I buy a perfume I want a combination of aromas, not just the same experience I would get from picking a bunch of pine greenery and crushing it. It's so subtle. It makes me feel like I'm in the presence of a very mature calm imaginary man. Maybe a very young grandfather. But he smells dreamy, not like simple aftershave. THIS is what I want from perfumes when I'm not looking for a realistic one - notes so well blended I have no idea what the components are.

Lubin Itasca...I was looking to try this one for a while as the bottle looked interesting and the themes seem right up my street. Man was I right! Itasca opens with a perfect breeze of citrus, masculine pine, woods and vetiver, and resin fresh but earthy and perfectly evocative of lakes flanked by forrest. This is in a typical mould of woody aromatics leaning toward the masculine on my skin but absolutely unisex by the same score. It's not a deep sledgehammer of a fragrance and has a subtle classy feel to it without being intrusive in any way. The drydown transforms the heart of pine into a resinous, amber which is very slight and close to the skin but smells amazing...almost leathery. Longevity and projection are not all that great but Itasca is worthy consideration...I enjoy it!

Itasca is a beautiful perfume, offering a very dry way to evoke the idea of freshness and forests. There are certainly coniferous notes in here, but they do not dominate as they usually do in fragrances which feature them: the dryness of the vetiver, the geranium, and the light spices make the entire thing seem crisper and cleaner. I grew up in Minnesota, and this does not remind me so much of the deep woods up north that the advertising copy pointedly invokes, but rather the peaceful feeling of the many Minnesota lake cabins. This would be a wonderful scent to wear to the office because it's not at all cumbersome. It may be a little lighter than I would like, but this makes it actually ideal for four season wear (this is actually very wearable in winter).

First of all let me tell you that Le Vetiver and Itasca are two completely different scent (I have both). Le Vetiver is citrus based and more aromatic with very prominent vetiver note. Itasca is a warm spicy woody scent with vetiver hiding behind other notes. Overall I fell in love with this scent shortly after I sprayed it on my wrist. All notes are blended well together and the fragrance is very smooth but rich. I get freshness from fir and pine, some sweetness from spices and cedar and a hint of smoke that seems to tie all notes together nicely. This scents evokes memories of my childhood and those magical winter holidays when the house was filled with aromas of the real Christmas tree and spiced mulled wine.

Yes! This is what I would love my man to smell like. It opened with a fantastic mix of vetiver and pine simply taking my breath away. Soon citruses joined in and I was left with a lovely heart part where still vetiver plays the biggest lead, but also smoky incense joins in followed by balmy resins making this very sweet, sexual and comfy. It has the best qualities one could ask for, it has a great silage and staying power is superb, it is made very masculine and strong yet subtle enough to make this a perfect go to scent for everyday use. Do try this, a lovely surprise for everyone who loves vetiver. Surely will get you many compliments.

Breathtakingly beautiful vetiver centered aromatic scent now available in a more concentrated EDP version. The perfume is a tribute to a legendary land of ancient American Indians and evokes the aura of an unknown mystical region. The perfume opens with notes of citruses, neroli, marigold and juniper berries. The heart has notes of cloves, nutmeg, sage, geranium and tonka bean. The perfume settles on the dense vetiver base surrounded by benzoin, incense, amber, cedar, pine and fir. Unisex masculine leaning with pronounced sillage and projection and very good longevity. Absolutely beautiful and eminently wearable. Enjoy!

Vintage scent profile with a modern execution — this one is a real GEM... This fragrance may put a few extra hairs on your chest...much prefer this type of “manliness” to today’s direction of fragrances that smell like poop, sweat, or urine — usually draped with oud or other middle eastern try-hardism (I don’t like the dethroning of euro masculine fragrance leanings for this rank direction)...Itasca melds aromatic, spicy, woody, and resinous facets seamlessly to produce an apex “alpha male” aesthetic that has an ultra foresty vibe...has formidable performance...and is of good value. Get familiar...

Amazing scent. It opens strong with smokey incense, pine and juniper. Instead of coming across dark or brooding theres an ethereal, transparent quality to it. Like crisp, cold mountain air fragranced by a nearby campfire. It eventually dies down to a soft vetiver tempered with ashy incense and some just-subtle-enough spiciness. Lasts a solid 8 hours on me and it never gets boring. The aforementioned transparency makes it wearable at all times of the year. I really love this and will probably be getting a bottle soon!

After having a sample for a few years, last spring I bought a full bottle but chose to wait until colder weather to become better acquainted with it. This is my new go-to winter delight! It doesn't fit in any rigid perfume genre and that adds to my pleasure wearing it. As the perfume develops on my skin I smell incense/resins, I smell spices, I smell citrus, I smell greenness and herbs and most definitely a forest of conifers!!! Definitely a new love!!

This is breath of FRESH clean early morning air, in the great outdoors. Manly and clean yet beautiful. Refined, spicy vetiver, without tobacco and I pick up an ever so slightly minty clean scent. Underneath it all the incense gives it some balls. Manly and beautiful, I love it from start to finish. This can easily be a signature scent. Read Jack Hunter's review, he gives a great break down of this fragrance.

this is a successful variation on the vetiver theme. it is really jazzed up with sweet woods, spices and a beautifully astringent vetiver note that lubin does well. it doesn't really remind me of ontario (or minnesota for that matter) but like a jazz tune, you can call a perfume practically anything..... bought it and really enjoyed it this spring

Definitely too masculine for me, but the quality of Lubin is certainly there. Vetyver is a note I struggle with because it can go sour on me easily. This is nicely balanced with woody and green pine, so while there is a good dose of vetyver, the other notes are very complimentary. Lovers of woody evergreen perfumes should give this a shot.

I’m wearing Lubin Itasca now, and it’s really, really good. Fresh, soapy, piney, and woodsy. The dry down is great. Could a women wear it? Yes of course, but to me, this has masculine vibes from the old school perfume days, but with niche quality. Unfortunately, no one is going feral on me, but who knows? Cheers my fragrant friends.

Itasca is a wonderfully spicy, woody, incense and resin nuanced, fruity, florally vetiver. It is absolutely stunning. A unique masterpiece. I can't get enough of it. It sends me into delirious bliss. I really love it. It's so fresh and scintillating, but also has some warmth, and softness. It's delicious.

I really like it a lot with more wears. A woody vetiver seems to be the focus though there are several other elements present such as pine, spices, smoke, tobacco, and musk. It's not a fresh woody scent nor a dark scent, but a rugged lumberjack fragrance. Masculine, complex and attractive.

I like it a lot. This is very special and unique fragrance. Kind of classy ingrediens but together they make something unusually resinous, a little bit sweet and dark. I can recommend Itasca as everyday scent and also for special occasions. Shortly I can say, it makes me happy :-)

Great vetiver scent! I'm not really friend of vetiver fragrances, but this one is an exception for me. Vetiver is well balanced with resins and amber with the result that the composition is perceived as a gently, truly rounded scent.

I see reviews on the "EDP version" below. I wasn't aware of an EDT, can anybody confirm this? This is one of my all time favorite frags!

One of the very best Vetivers I've tried to this date. Great work DeLubin.

A beastly and beautiful spicy Fougere!

Picked up the edp version of this from a fragrance group and have been wearing throughout the day. It isn’t quite what I expected I was thinking it would be mossy and foresty with lots of pine and herbal notes with a touch of dry spice and incense. It is kind of like that but the blend is architected in a way that none of the notes are prominent and they instead all come together into one kind of distant/haunting scent that is hard to nail down. It’s woody, earthy, spicy, green, watery, smoky, resinous, lightly floral and boozy all at once, but it doesn’t particularly lean in any strong way to any of these descriptions. This could be taken in a couple of ways. That it is so well blended in all of its notes it is unique in its uniform nature. Or that it is “flat” like a well tuned studio speaker/monitor and the bass, mid and treble is in perfect balance but therefore doesn’t have a “personality” to it. I’m not sure how I feel at the moment and maybe that is a sign of a very interesting fragrance DNA, or one I find a little boring. It seems to be a bit of column A and a bit of column B.

Very interesting perfume from Lubin. Pine is the shining star here, other ingredients highlight the different aspects of the pine accord during different stages. Opening has a cool freshness to the pine accord, in the middle stage geranium add a floral soapiness, presence of clove is also very noticeable. In the dry down beautiful earthy vetiver work in harmony with the main pine accord. There is a hint of resinous sweetness and delicate floral touch through out the whole development. Complexity of this perfume is amazing, always keep changing. It exude the quality, smell very natural. And performance is excellent on my skin, easily last 10+ hours with good projection. Looking at the comments, smell seems very different on different people. Some says it’s very masculine, some says it’s quite feminine. On my skin those floral notes are projecting quite nicely, I like that. I still think this is a perfectly balanced unisex perfume on paper, but it can be masculine or feminine based on the skin chemistry. Overall it’s an excellent perfume representing it’s genre.

A very decent citrus fougere (no thrills or surprises here) that can make a nice dignified masculine for everyday use but perhaps somehow redundant since we have many choices in this category of scents. The accord of dry citrus with woods (mainly vetiver, fir and pine) is conservative and classic and smells very congenial in an aromatic way. The overtly polished and tidy composition makes the fragrance a bit tedious after repeated wearings, especially given the sophistication and elegance that fougeres can innately have. Also the heavy hand in the use of some deodorant aromachemicals started causing me headaches after a while. Nice offering although there are other scents in the great Lubin line which are more interesting and beautiful. In the same motif I prefer Acqua di Parma’s Cedro di Taormina or Aventus.

Itasca opens on my skin slightly fruity and boozy but it is also grassy and earthy. While the boozy accord stays, the vetiver seems to be pushed in the background rather quickly. Here and there, I pick up traces of vetiver, but the heart evolves into a watery (not aquatic) coniferous tea-like smell. Itasca is not sweet nor resin like and after some time it shifts again by adding a fresh pine needle and, by this stage, it is slightly smoky while retaining the freshness and boozy, green, herbal. Itasca is a well done and mixes the smell of a forest after the rain, forest fruits, spices, green and earthy elements. I think it complements a man very good, having the earthy elements backed up by unsweetened fruits, good longevity and close projection. Scent: 7.5/10 Longevity: 8/10 Projection: 6/10

I love this scent. It is masterfully blended with many notes that invoke the outdoors, but vetiver is what stands out the most. It lasts for many hours but is not a beast, which means it can safely be worn for almost any occasion. I don't find it as original as Korrigan (one of my all time favorites), but the way Ferrero brought Itsaka together is clearly the work of a master perfumer. I love wearing during warm days because I know it refreshes me and appeals to those who enjoy pine/fir/vetiver. I am a bit surprised more people do not talk about this one. It is far better than some very expensive fragrances from the big names. Well worth a sample and full bottle worthy.

It is a Nice Fragrance, Woody, Spicy, Balsamic and Ambery. Itasca is a Modern perfume with Classic Style. I tried it in store and I received a sample of that last week. It opens up with a bit soapy fresh spicy, citrusy, floral and spices notes in the background then dry down is semi sweet balsamic, resinous, ambery and woody . This is perfect for the spring, fall and winter. Lubin Itasca is on my Radar and I will buy it. If you like a modern and Unique Scent, You will like this one. Longevity is good. Highly Recommended. Two Thumbs Up. Rating : 8 / 10

I caught this marked 25 percent off at my retailer and could not pass it up. It is remarkably well crafted and unlike anything else I have sampled or owned. It makes very smooth transtions and is not overbearing at all. I like the "woodiness" about it most of all. The fact that it is not commonly worn is a definite plus. If you like the unique fragrances this is worth a look.

Stealth wealth in one word. This is a gentlemanly and classy fragrance, beautifully blended with subtle fresh spices and a woody backbone. It has a slight balsamic touch. It’s actually quite versatile. I’m surprised it doesn’t get more attention in certain corners of the fragrance community. Longevity is good and projection is fairly decent. I really enjoy this one.

Great scent for those looking for something professional, yet also a bit daring. Feels very classic in its construction. The amber and pine/fir notes flow well with the juniper and vetiver; giving an impression of a warm and sharp scent. Serious but playful, like a nice dry sense of humor. Longevity is great, 10 hours plus with an arm-length silage.

A nice aromatic woody fragrance with a lot of juniper, fir, and vetiver. A drop of citrus essence makes it more lively. A slightly aromachemical feeling matches with a naturalistic tree scent. Nothing negative to say about it. 8.1/10

This isn't a bad perfume if you like woodsy scents with amber lightly hovering in the background and want decent sillage and a long weartime. On paper it was right up my alley, but it was just so well-blended that to me, nothing stood out about it to give it any personality. Maybe my reading on it is grumpy and someone else finds it smooth, nice, and really wearable-- it feels very calm. It's also quite dry, which I gravitate towards. I'm not really getting any of the floral or citrus but it seems some people pick up on that more than others. I said "woodsy" but this perfume does not have any of the wildness of a forest that the description suggests. It feels very indoors and tame, like live oak tabletops and driftwood lamps. I think again that comes from it being so well-blended that I can't pick anything out that really takes me somewhere. I would probably like to smell this on someone, I just wish there was more about it to grab onto.

Soapy and uninspired. Try a Sloughhouse, many Sloughhouse ~ you'll find a beautiful, true fougére. Honestly, this smells blah - safe.

I'm kinda testing this blind, getting samples from the lovely reps for the brand at an event. While they had the whole brand on display, this is one that stood out to me to test at home. Itasca opens woodsy, maybe patchouli and vetiver, but even if I'm wrong with those quesses, it is definitely in the vein of generic aromatic-woodsy that is far from anything I recall picking out (maybe it was handed to me unbeknown). I don't get a great sense of its personality because I feel I've smelled this a dozen times before. It is relatively mainstream, just more clear without that alcoholic mainstream thing. After drying down, I get a more woodsy base with hints of vetiver, and a bit later a fresh and clean spicy soap lift in the air. It's at this point in the fragrance's development that my interest turns from neutral to dislike. While at skin level there's a pleasant and familiar vetiver-wood tone, in the air as I walk around it carries a dry powderiness, the likes of which become almost talcum-like. My visceral reaction is to wash it off. Looking at the notes, um the number is overwhelming! Clearly not all these notes are clear and present or coming through. Clearly the vetiver stands out and different notes rise and fall throughout the wearing experience. Overall, even in the category of heavily-noted aromatic fragrances which I feel don't project a clear personality, this is a no simple from the strange combination that an hour after application I want to get far away from.

From the first suction and from the first second to the last Itasca exudes class and masculinity on all four sides with a retro style. There is nothing feminine, no room for sweet floral notes, dusty and delicate, all the chords are very classic, exude testosterone and are very typical of vintage men's fragrances, the main agreement is attached vetiver citrus aromatic rich powerful Many woods, Iso E and a balsamic touch similar to Vertofix slightly sweet. Itasca not bored, is made with a complex resolution, thin and multilayered structure is made from a masterly way with a very high quality. The composition worthy of occupying a large gap between the large "masculine classics" of all time (and that is from 2010). During drying liegeras notes also detected a delicious snuff, but, needless to say much more, this fragrance is worthy of smell. If you like to see a fascinating, very classic fragrance, retro cut, in the purest style Guerlain Vetiver before reformulations or like this, or think, try it. It is unique in its kind. Lucien Ferrero very well Rating: 8

Itasca is a wonderful gem. It's not a vetiver fragrance as such. Neither do I find it particularly piney, herbal or astringent. But it has a bit of each of that. Consider all the fresh, sporty aftershaves and fragrances for men that flooded the market in early 2000s before things started to become calorie laden. Think of all the Gillette aftershaves and the Cool Water inspired fragrances. Some of them were green, some aquatic, some a little woody. All were fresh. Now take all the good renditions of that style. And then take all the best elements of such good renditions, and bottle them as an eau de parfum. That is Itasca. It is invigorating, fresh, green, foresty and smells wonderful. It is neither juvenile nor mature. Perfect for all seasons, and almost all occasions. It successfully evokes an aftershave vibe due to its associations with fresh modern aftershaves, but is much classier. Good projection and longevity. Excellent stuff. 4/5 (positive)

Out of all of the fragrances my husband has purchased (and he has the best of the best from MFK to Creed to Profumum Roma), Itasca is the most traditional, symphonically masculine, and “sensual” scent of them all. This is the most attractive male fragrance I have encountered so far on his fragrance journey. Unequivocally, the perfumer magically bottled up every masculine and alluring aspect of a dying American male culture. It’s nostalgic yet timeless - it’s simple and woodsy, yet simultaneously sultry and complex. Unquestionably, a masterpiece of niche perfumery. I don’t want to write a thesis about it; nevertheless, I wanted to note the importance of this fragrance to me. My style is classic/vintage “feminine”; I am not into anything alternative or peculiar or bizarre — consequently, I am attracted to classically/naturally masculine, and this fragrance embodies that appeal.

I did not really plan on donning a made-for-men fragrance today, but that is what Lubin Itasca apparently is. I see that its alternate name is Le Vétiver. To me, this is a very aromatic woody and greenish scent. Which makes sense, given the note pyramid boasting Fir, Pine, and Cedar, along with the vetiver. Itasca essentially offers a fresh forest with pine needles and juniper berries included! The sillage of this fragrance is rather big, so it's not for someone who prefers to wear scent discreetly. I would not call this a vetiver cologne, because the green forest elements dominate to my nose. I read that Itasca was inspired by the lakes of Minnesota, but for me this would be a nice bottle to have around to evoke memories of long hikes in the Rocky Mountains.

This one starts off quite pungent. The citrus/fruity side may be present but it's overruled by neroli, cole and clary sage. After a while the sharpness mellows and vetiver and what I assume to be the geranium become prominent factors. This is actually nice enough for me to go ahead and order some geranium frags (a note I have little to no expertise with). By now the scent is drifting towards the herbal/aromatic woody base. Pine and fire balsam set the frame, nicely balanced with the rest. Overall I'm not immensely impressed but that's probably due to my taste. It's certainly well structured and executed and I very much recommend to try it if you care for vetiver or balsamic scents as this is a combo that works.

It opens with a citrus and a strong pine note with vetiver in the mix. I like the piney freshness of this one and I'm picking up grapefruit and something sweet mixed in as well. The great thing I like about this fragrance is how the pine and fruits with the vetiver go so well together. Whats this.... as time has passed I am getting a strong geranium note coming through and mixing with the above notes. Its getting more woody now and a bit sweeter. This scent is so well balanced and I like it a lot. To sum up a fresh piney vetiver fragrance with woods and fruits mixed together in perfect harmony. A good masculine fragrance and I get six to seven hours from it.

Testing it today from a small sampler, it made me think of Jil Sander`s Scent 79 man (The Essentials), which I own. Sprayed that one on my other wrist and arm, and let them and my impression of them develop for a while. To me they are like siblings with a strong family resemblance, with Scent 79 man a bit more on the fresh side. The main accords and the perfume pyramid are very much alike ( like twins with a little difference ;-) * ). I wish there were a feature , an algorithm on fragrantica, to find similar fragrances based on the main accords and the perfume pyramid, and not only by single ingredients or perfume families like e.g. "amber-woody".

The incense comes on hard and strong here, and is the main note I get throughout the wear. Eventually it does mellow into something more forest-like, which after a while gives the impression of attending mass in a woodsy cathedral, which is quite the vibe. Not as long-lasting as I'd like, and it'd be a knockout if the incense weren't so overpowering, but I am intrigued and will probably wear it again when the right occasion presents itself.

Another fragrance I don't quite understand: Itasca. I smell apple orchard, some apple juice, some vetiver meekly whispering from under the woody sweetness, and a bit of citrus, a bit of mandarin and juniper berry (actually, quite a bit of those two), followed by a vague dusting of pine, cedar, moss. Smells very buttoned-up, eager to please, a fragrance by committee for the guy who fears making a faux pas more than death.

I ve tried that for 2 weeks now. I decided to buy following excellent reviews by various connaisseurs rating this as a masterpiece. Certainly this is a very nice green fragrance with good longevity and very pleasant to sniff but not quite sure I get the masterpiece it is supposed to be

If bright woody scents is your thing and you don't mind a side dish of florals, then look no further. This scent is a good representation of the new school vetivers. Average longevity, great price and all the way unisex. Overall, not too much to complain about in terms of value...

Long Lived Lubin makes beautiful, quality juice and Itasca is no exception. Deep forest vibe with added clove, tonka and nutmeg.. Mmm. Such a great combo of notes to emulate the great outdoors. Unisex but would be sensational on a guy. ✨