Cassius

Look, Carlisle is one of my top 3 favourite fragrances. Ever. Looking back at my perfume timeline, it is my #1 most worn fragrance (granted, a few of those were probably of me recently wearing Cassius before it was listed on the Fragrantica database). I have owned Hercules before & I actually prefer it to PdM's Herod in terms of olfactory sense, the notable differences & the performance. So I was keenly in the market to get my hands on Cassius for awhile now since I read about it somewhere in the forums, but couldn't find any availability in Australia. Lo & behold, eBay finally delivered. & when I opened my package, before even unwrapping the plastic, I could sniff the familiar hint of Carlisle coming through. Eagerly I freed the bottle from it's packaging (because who really cares about unboxings?) & immediately sprayed on my arm. Damn, this is bloody close! Over the next few days, I tried a few side by side comparisons, & my findings are similar to Mike below. Cassius is at least 95% Carlisle at just 10% of the price! Not sure why this is listed as a fragrance for women, but if you're after a more feminine Carlisle & you had the budget, then you should definitely try La Perla's Let the Dance Begin. Reflected in the difference in accords on Fragrantica, Carlisle is just a slight bit fresher, perhaps a tiny tinge of fruitier, almost negligible unless you're smelling it side by side really. Cassius is a little tad woodier, comes across as a little bit warmer perhaps, Fragrantica lists this as powdery, but it's not what most people would associate powdery with typically. I asked my wife to do a blind test & she managed to pick out the difference, though it took her awhile & a bit of deliberation, but she's got a pretty damn good nose, having worked in the industry in France & in Japan before. Seriously, I considered selling my bottle of Carlisle because I don't think I really need it anymore, just like Hercules has made Herod obsolete in my humble opinion. However, I think I'm gonna keep Carlisle for now because I just love it so much. I already know that multiple bottles of Cassius in the future will help me to prolong the life of my one bottle of Carlisle forever. You know that meme that goes "Nobody's gonna know, they're gonna know, how will they know?". Yup. Nobody's gonna know, unless they come to your home & check your perfume collection. That's the only way they're gonna know. Simply just smelling it off of you, how will they know? P/S: Looking forward to Maison Alhambra cloning PdM's Perseus! =P

I have not smelled Carlisle so I can not make any connection there. I blind bought this because it's similarity to Carlisle which is the DNA Mancera's Red Tobacco is based on, which I have a sample and enjoy the dry down of. To my nose the opening is similar to Red Tobacco but toned down a lot. I get a syrupy sweet cinnamon tobacco kind of note, I am not a big fan of it. Red Tobacco has the same note cranked up to 11. It becomes more pleasant after a few minutes, less offensive syrup more warm spicy cinnamon tobacco. As it dries down it becomes more of a warm cinnamon tinged vanilla. It is very similar to Red Tobacco's dry down, which I enjoy. I do not get any apple. If there is rose or nutmeg I can not really differentiate it from the cinnamon I get, but I do get vanilla standing on some patchouli in the dry down. Good longevity, inoffensive sillage. Below $30 I think this it is a good deal. I am looking forward to wearing this come Autumn and Winter. Update: After a month of maceration the opening is far smoother than my initial review. The "apple" note is faint to my nose but similar to other "apple" notes I've now smelled,(To my nose the apple here, on my Zimaya clones, and even on YSL's Y smell like the skin of a sweet red apple, usually faint and vague at best) Additionally what came across as tobacco and cinnamon is likely the blend of Tonka, Rose and Patchouli. The nutmeg here and elsewhere still smells nothing like nutmeg powder and whole nutmeg I've smelled so I'll just call it some vague baking spice. On a 10-point scale maceration improved this fragrance by 0.5-1 points.

Another Alhambra fragrance I love! After Toscano Leather, I was skeptical about Woody Oud, but it exceeded my expectations. While not 1:1 clones, these fragrances offer incredible quality for the price. Cassius feels like a fresher take on Carlisle and Red Tobacco, leaning more toward Carlisle. The opening is different but enjoyable, and the mid-to-drydown stays true to the original while adding its own twist. The presentation is excellent too. I use to be able to afford the originals and owned over 150 from Dior, Chanel, Creed, Tom Ford, PDM, Amouage, Clive Christian, Roja, Zaharoff etc For the price, it’s a fantastic deal. If budget weren’t a concern, I’d always support the original houses, but these clones let me enjoy my favorite scents affordably. Cassius gets an 8.5/10—losing a point for versatility and half for being a clone. Alhambra, keep it up! (Never thought I'd say that) Alhambra if you sre this can yoy please make a clone of these: Bois Du Portugal (2015 and before) Himalaya (2017 and before) Viking & Viking Cologne Italian Cypress Patchouli Absolu

having tried carlisle at stores and with how hyped this has been been online, i decided to blind buy. at first i was really disappointed, especially due to the alcoholic, vinegary opening that supposedly was to resemble green apple! i am rarely nauseated by a fragrance, but this was an exception. having bought from lattafa before, i thought id give macerating a try. only a week or two later and it is a totally different beast. it's sophisticatedly gorgeous, and although close to the og, it's not as spot-on as others have expressed online (to me at least). is that a bad thing? that's up to you, but to me, i can confidently say i prefer this over the original.. yes it's a bit sweeter and less fresh, but it's a lot more wearable. the closest way to describe it is that it's "warmer", more of a nostalgic scent. it is still wearable in hotter weather. longevity is great. i thought projection was awful but somehow others around me can smell it..? im definitely not anosmic to it, which is a bit strange. keep that in mind if you feel it isnt projecting. MACERATE!!!!

@lostnose2 - most probably you have the latest batch of Cassius as you have recently put your review on, I have the release patch from 2022 with old bottle and after eight months of maceration this thing became absolutely amazing linear in scent profile though, however projection improved and became moderate from zero. Longevity was never too bad however it became almost 10 to 12 hours and on clothes over a day easily, it improved in its character however it does lack the depth of original Carlisle, which is not the case anymore since they have watered it down to 81% from 77% which has made a hige difference. Is it for old concentration it does worth every penny however it's not anymore so Carlisle is far better and superior in terms of longitivity and performance minus the dense character which it develops a bit about 30% but thats its along with linear scent profile, but still great and a solid compliment puller for me.

For me, this is it. Almost as perfect as a fragrance can be. Better than Carlisle too in my humble opinion - why? Because to my nose, the nutmeg note in Carlisle is way louder than in this one, making it more ''niche'' smelling and not as versatile for different occasions and settings - which makes this one more versatile and more wearable for use. Which automatically means, you could wear this more often in various settings. To my nose, this smells more oriental and overall of lower quality than Carlisle, which for some people might be a bad thing. For the majority of people, considering the price point, this information won't be of value. In short, it captures the overall essence of the ''good'' in Carlisle and dismisses the somewhat ''bad'', with naturally lower quality oils and less darkness. For a fraction of the price. Alhambra... oh what a Maison.

I agree with the reviewer below me @Anglichanin—the opening is nuclear, polarizing, and will fill a room with just 2 sprays. If you're going to rock this fragrance, I recommend giving yourself some time before you go around anybody. This thing is going to be in someone's face with no apology. But once that opening settles, it’s actually quite nice. It definitely reminds me of Boss Bottled Absolute. I don't know exactly how close it is to the real Carlisle it's inspired by, but it is very close to the Dua Brand version of Carlisle that I own. I will be testing Carlisle soon to see how it compares overall, so my review might change after that. My rating: Opening ➡️ 6.5/10 (only because it starts off so rough) Mid/Drydown ➡️ 8.5/10 (it gets very good as it settles) Overall Score ➡️ 7.5/10

I was skeptical first out of the box I sniffed the cap I thought this might be too spicy for my liking, but after spraying it on my wrist I was like damn this stuff is really good and of high quality. It reminds me of a nostalgic scent that I can't recall but I am enjoying this so far. It's luxurious, classy, rich, well-blended and the nutmeg note makes it so good. I see myself wearing this in special occasions while rocking a fancy outfit, it just screams maturity and confidence. I believe this is quite versatile yet it can be a bit too much in hot climate. One spray was enough to fill a wide space in this case, the office, damn this thing is loud and projects very well. Overall, I am happy with my Cassius bottle and can't compare it to Carlisle cuz I never tried it.

This is a clone of Carlisle - Parfums de Marly, which I have never smelled but I don't need to. Cassius is fantastic. I bought this as a blind buy because it was only $16 on Amazon. At this price point, who cares? It's an amazing value. Even if it doesn't smell like Carlisle, it still smells rich, expensive and delicious. Great fall and winter scent. Great buy overall. When fall rolls around I'm going to buy a second bottle to keep in my office desk. FYI: Like most Maison Alhambra's this will need maceration and maturing. Give it a few months of sitting before judging. Also this is most definitely a masculine scent. I'm not sure why Fragrantica has this labeled as "for women" in the title.

Practically a dead ringer to Carlisle. Performs very similar to Carlisle as well. Banger purchase for $27, after testing this fragrance for a couple of days I sold my bottle of PDM Carlisle. You want to support the originators but the price you pay for luxury fragrances are egregious. Fragrances, boxes, and bottles do not cost anywhere near $350+. (Not to forget they watered down their fragrances recently) If they respect the customer more and not just as a cash cow I’d give my support back and purchase from them again. Until then. This fragrance (clone brands) are the prime example of customer service.

Sweet with patchouli, a little amber and a hint of apple. This has to be one of the best price-to-performance fragrances on the market. In my mind's eye, I feel like this (and Carlisle, for that matter) would be the fragrance of choice for a young, confident, preppy male. It smells sexy as hell, but it's obviously a synthetic fragrance, best suited for colder weather. It's a very masculine fragrance, and I feel like it leans a bit younger in terms of appropriate age. I don't think it would be suited for older, mature men to wear.

Esto es patchouli puro con vainilla e incienso, bien dulzon, si es verdad que cuando abre se le siente la manzana verde y un poco la rosa, pero esto es patchouli puro.. No es para todo el mundo pero en lo personal a mi me encanto este aroma, si es verdad que huele super a brujeria por la combinación del incienso con el patchouli pero esta muy rico. Proyecta y dura bien, no beastmode pero si es bien para su excelente precio. Es un aroma demasiado unico y elegante.

This is good. Opens up sweet fruity apple with nutmeg. Nutmeg quite prominent. As it dries down you get soft rose and tobacco like tonka. Finally ends on the patchouli vanilla with the apple running the course. Bit rough when new, few months on its beginning to even out with the notes becoming more distinct. These things really do need some air introduced to them and left a while to blend properly. Comforting, universal and masculine, 30 +. 8/10

Never smelled carlisle , but all I can say that this is a gem of a fragrance, very masculine, earthy and sophisticated scent. I live in India got this for 1349rs ( 16.08$ usd ) which is an absolute steal , do let it macerate for 5-6 weeks it will smooth out even more, great fragrance for winter and fall. Also the performance of this is amazing I can say 9+hrs of longevity on my skin and on clothes till the next day.

This is very close to PDM Carlisle. I am wearing this on one arm and Carlisle on the other. It is hard to tell between them. Carlisle in the beginning is a bit different and I think it is the Saffron coming through, but then they dry to pretty near identical. Hard to beat this one for the price difference. I would say that I give the win to Carlisle but it is very close.

This is not a clone, this literally IS Carlisle. I haven't smelled a better clone of a popular fragrance yet. Unreal. The only difference is that the original lasts longer, but smell-wise I can't tell the difference. Cassius' availability is very limited, though. I bought both of my bottles in Germany, but I can't get it in my country. I hope this changes soon.

It smells a lot like Oud Pimienta by Natura, which I have. The rose is very prominent in the minutes after you sprayed along with some spices and patchouli. Also, the tobacco here (which isn’t listed) is sweet due to the vanilla, but not cloying. Great fragrance with a moderate projection and a bit above average longevity. Bang for buck, definitely.

Great buy!! It smells really luxe and the price is so affordable. Many reviews have said it’s similar to PDM’s Carlisle & I can’t wait to see if that’s accurate. Cassius Is more an autumn/winter fragrance but I live in a tropical climate so I don’t care that. It’s summer in my country all year round. lol

#669 in my "Tour de Fragrance" I created this review when I first purchased this and it wasn't in the database yet. Don't have much to add here. As others have noted it's a PDM Carlisle clone and a very good one. I know I've bought my last bottle of Carlisle. I will keep this on the shelf hereafter.

I just wore this to the pumpkin patch with my family, it’s perfect! Unlike some other reviewers here, luckily I most certainly DO get the apple! Along with spices and all the other good stuff. It’s a 10/10 for me for the fall time. I find it totally unisex but then again I like dark heavy stuff.

I'm testing this next to my sample of Boss Bottled Absolu. My wife preferred Cassius and I do too. The scents are very very similar. For sub $20, at least when I bought mine, if you want that DNA Cassius will get you there. It's much less syrupy and thick than BBA, and I think more wearable.

On my skin it has a dominant tobacco scent. Not sure exactly what is contributing to that but I really enjoy it. I've had this 4 months now and performance is very good. Let this macerate! This has a lot of similarities to signatures no ii from alhambra.

It’s a great fragrance. Lasts long and has a pretty good projection. It’s really masculine. To my nose it smells like a Christmas tree but in a good way. Definitely a winter and late autumn fragrance. I can smell this on clothes even days later.

The opening is kinda meh, but when it settles it's a beautiful masculine masterpiece. It's in the same ballpark as Boss bottled absolu but owning both is definitely not redundant. Gorgeous scent no less. Considering the price this a 10/10

Still in shock how they get it so bang on close and great in performance at the price of a bag of peanuts. This and Hercules (PDM HEROD) from Maison Alhambra are best alternatives to these niche frags with ridiculously cheap price.

A great alternative to PDM Carlisle with excellent performance. Perfect for cold winter nights. The price is ridiculous low for what you get. It costs under 20€ and it's a real steal. One of Maison Alhambra's best in my opinion.

Although the notes of the perfume do not mention oud, the dominant note is oud, along with a slight sweetness from saffron. اگرچه در نت های عطر اشاره ای به عود نمی شود، اما نت غالب عود به همراه شیرینی اندکی از زعفران است

My one knock on this fragrance is it doesn't last very long. It starts out powerful and you get the impression it's a beast but then it goes away quickly. I still absolutely love the scent profile.

Just got thos today, I absolutely love the scent. To me it smells like there is a prominent tobacco note in this. Either way this is a beast and will be one of my faves going forward. 9.5/10

I haven’t got the chance to smell Carlisle but this one is a banger! Straight up it reminds me of Boss Absolu! I’m inlove with this. Tobacco, leather, and vanilla

absolutely broken nose under me. my god... do not trust anything u read on here. its gg fragrantica. u allowed bots and shills to win.

As much as I love Carlisle, this is very well done. TheScentsConnoisseur's review below is spot on 👇

How did 4 people say this is like detour noir????????????????????? Unbelievable

@joey3105 FW version is okay but this is better mate.

It's really funny, let's not judge what we smell at the opening... in perfumes that left the factory two or four months ago. There must be a strong alcohol kick and some mess. We keep forgetting how much it costs. My personal advice is that if we have already made a decision and buy very cheap, Arabic clones that are ten or twenty times cheaper than the original perfumes of well-known brands, let us at least try to act logically and treat it with some reserve. If I need clones or fragrances inspired by expensive perfumes from my collection, then... I buy spring and summer fragrances around August, September or at most October. And the autumn - winter ones are bought in December and January. All this so that these scents can properly oxidize, mix and mature. And this is a very simple recipe for success... for ridiculously little money. Patience!!! Good clone, or rather an inspired scent... a clone could be something that actually exactly reproduces the scent of the original. However, Cassius deserves respect, the parameters are average for now, well below the original, but my bottle is only four months old and will only be used in about 9 months. I hope, I am even sure, that this will never become a "beast", although, like many other perfumes from Maison Alhambra, after this "home maceration" it will have sufficiently good durability and projection. This is a penny frag and we should be patient. Nothing will be the same... for $15, let's be serious. We need to wait 6 - 10 months and only then let's evaluate it thoroughly, critically. Like Carlisle, it will be a good frag for quiet, intimate meetings, for evenings... but not too formal ones. Of course, Carlisle, which is an outstanding fragrance as a whole, will have more uses. These are not just the same notes but it's quite close. Let's not be children, not at this price. 😉 I think that Cassius, like its progenitor, cannot withstand the cold of a real winter, so in a moderate climate it will be a good fragrance for spring and autumn. Quite well presented nutmeg, tonka and patchouli... although the scent is not too sweet. I don't know what it will smell like in a few months, let's wait. The beginning is very promising. Generally, this is what I like about PdM fragrances and some of those that are inspired by the French brand... they are intriguing, subtle, despite their good parameters, they are not burdensome to the environment and have an undeniable class. They are not intrusive with their presence. Our sillage should not be felt throughout the theater, restaurant... or our entire corporate briefing room. This could be a form of tactlessness and bad manners. I think so...

TL;DR Cassius isn't PDM Carlisle, but it is probably close enough for most people and the value is too good to pass up. I came to Cassius after I tried PDM Carlisle at a department store and loved it. Like a lot of cheap fragrances from Middle Eastern houses, this needed to mature a while before it was remotely reviewable. After having let it sit a few months, these are my thoughts. To preface, some of this may sound like I'm not a fan of Cassius, which is not at all the case. It does pale in comparison to Carlisle for me, I love Carlisle and have a high standard that I don't think any clone could match. But I wear Cassius often especially in cold weather and I hear nothing but good things. Is Cassius a 100% clone of Carlisle? Of course not. To me Cassius is simultaneously more approachable/simple and less well blended than Carlisle. There is less spice and warmth, more of a clean and unisex feel to Cassius. I think more people will like Cassius than will like Carlisle because of this approachability. Two friends who are around me often say it is among their favorites I own. I also think Cassius is more wearable in more contexts than Carlisle is. Carlisle to me is a deeply introspective and powerful cold weather fragrance. Cassius can be worn in the fall, winter, formal, informal etc with broader success. Cassius falls short of Carlisle in blending: the ingredients seem to sit less happily and smoothly together than they do in PDM's offering. The patchouli sticks out a bit more on the drydown where on Carlisle the patchouli is concentrated in the opening. The vanilla in Carlisle is richer and deeper, less clean and more textured. The apple in Cassius is more of a caramel apple than the crisp green apple PDM is so good at capturing. I prefer all of these qualities of Carlisle. As such, assuming equal pricing, it would be Carlisle no questions asked. That being said, when one is over $300 and the other under $20? It is a no-brainer. Do not expect Carlisle as you will be disappointed. Do expect to get your money's worth and then some on a close enough approximate. For 99% of us, a scent like Carlisle is a seasonal or every once in a while grab, and Cassius will do that job well enough. I simply couldn't justify the price of Carlisle despite how much I love it, and owning Cassius doesn't leave me missing much.

Upon initial application, the fragrance presented a predominantly vanilla accord, characterized by its sweetness and femininity. However, approximately ten minutes after application, an intense, leathery, and earthy note emerged, causing an adverse reaction and subsequent headache. The intensity of this note was overwhelming, prompting an attempt to wash off the fragrance. Unfortunately, this effort proved ineffective, and the combination of the fragrance and the aromas present at an Asian buffet resulted in a nauseating experience. In comparison to other fragrances such as Ombré Leather, the intensity of this particular fragrance was significantly more pronounced, evoking an impression of decaying, heavy leather. However, after allowing the fragrance to rest for approximately one month, a noticeable transformation occurred. The leather note became less prominent, while the vanilla accord also diminished. Patchouli and other notes became more discernible, albeit still exhibiting considerable strength. Two to five sprays proved sufficient to fill an entire room with the fragrance. Despite the initial challenges, the fragrance has undergone a positive evolution, transitioning from an overwhelming intensity to a more balanced and enjoyable composition. While the initial experience was unpleasant, the fragrance's performance in terms of longevity is commendable, justifying its affordable cost. It is recommended that the fragrance be allowed to macerate for at least one month prior to use to allow for optimal development and refinement of its notes. Smell: 7.5/10 Longevity: 7.5/10 Sillage: 8/10 Overall performance 7.75/10

For the price, this is a great buy. Is it Carlisle? Absolutely not. Does it work? Yes! I don't get the comparison to Red Tobacco or Boss Bottled. Just doesn't feel the same as either. It is in the Carlisle ballpark but missing some depth. Really missing some depth. But I certainly appreciate the value. I have worn this a few times over a month of having it. I have also used test strip randomly throughout that month. It lasts at least a day on the test strip. Several hours on clothes. Only a handful of hours on my skin. Which again, for the cost, it doesn't matter. Great value. What I was surprised by is the lack of projection. I used multiple sprays (sometimes 5, sometimes 6) and never received a reaction from my wife. Normally she complains when I use 2 sprays of Red Tobacco Intense or 3 sprays of London Twilight by Destino Paris. She mentions they are too loud. But for this, no complaints, no compliments, no mentions. I can still smell it. Nothing from her. However, the first time she experienced Carlisle, whe was hooked. I still don't want to pay that price. A friendly Fragrantica member pointed me to a discounter for around 200. But, still hesitant. For now, I will stick with this and dream of Carlisle.

This is a better clone of "Carlisle" than "Tafakhar" could ever hope to be...and is in-between "Carlisle" and "Mystery Tobacco". While it does have a similarity to "Red Tobacco", this is MUCH more wearable. "Red Tobacco" just wears you out after a while because even at one spray...it's SO powerful!! I've been wearing my first bottle of "Red Tobacco" less and less because of that, and wearing "Exclusif Tabac" and "Mystery Tobacco" more and more. I've still got a whole other 2019-batch bottle of RT in the closet...lol. Having just finished my last bottle of "Mystery Tobacco" I'm ready to move on from that fragrance and look to cheaper alternatives...and "Cassius" feels juuuuuuust right! It's not as bright in the opening as "Mystery Tobacco", but it also puts a niiiice smooth and sweet VANILLA tune into the fragrance that makes it AMAZING!! Hopefully this doesn't get discontinued like "Exclusif Tabac"...in fact....I better pick up a backup bottle just in case!! This is too good to miss out on.

It is a 1-to-1 clone of PDM Carlisle. It is scary how close it is. When I first smelled it, it reminded me of rotten apples dipped in vanilla, and it was a bit challenging for me. However, the vanilla combined with the tobacco, nutmeg, and sour apple is amazing. I also get a cotton-like texture from the scent, which is a plus in my opinion. The nutmeg in this is quite addictive to me, and the overall scent profile is just so addictive. I always find myself wanting to smell it again. Maceration has helped it a lot. It has become more mellow and stronger at the same time, and that rotten apple smell has gone away. The darker notes have really come to life, and the patchouli has become more detectable. The scent profile has also become more smoky and ashy overall. The performance I get is around 7 hours or so, and it becomes a skin scent after 1–2 hours.

A good dupe but not 1:1, it’s missing the bright fruitiness Carlisle has in the top. The mid and dry down are very similar. Spray them side by side and it’s pretty easy to tell. If you like the smell of Carlisle and want something similar to wear daily this is fantastic for the price. But for me Carlisle is a fragrance I choose to wear on special occasion and that minor difference in the brightness and fruitiness is what makes Carlisle amazing, so for that purpose I prefer to spend money on a decant and not wear it daily. Performance of this from my bottle is average to good, no issues. 4/5 rating, worth a purchase

Love this fragrance, especially for $17. Takes a good month to macerate, any time less than that and you still get a strong alcohol blast off the top and not as "rich" of a dry down, a month later though.. perfection. My only critique would be that it has good longevity but the projection really dies down after the first 30 mins to an hour.. but lasts at least 6-8 hours on skin (may continue to improve with time as it continues to macerate). Sweet, rich, dark, sophisticated. Dark knight type of smell. Love it.

First Impression on a Fresh Bottle Smells luxurious- reminds me of Red Tobacco Cassius is more subtle than Red Tobacco's opening Drydown comes through a bit like fluffy powder- must be the tonka bean (like sweet tobacco & amaretto-almond) Getting a lot of nutmeg as well Makes it more mature smelling (it's not a sugar bomb and is a tad spicy) Over-spraying causes no problems Very wearable on like 8 sprays

Personally, I prefer Borouj Perlador, since it is woodier and thicker (like the original by PDM). For the price however, this is a solid clone of Carlisle. As of the moment however, I think that Hercules is a better release from Alhambra. 9.4/10 imo - will test more, rating prone to change. EDIT: STILL PREFRR PERLADOR (AND HERCULES), BUT THIS IS GREAT IN IT'S OWN RIGHT.

Not bad. Hard to believe people buy this and then hate on it. Do they not read the notes. Definitely not Awful or bad. Weird people. As for the fragrance, it opens a little bright and transitions quickly to vanilla and patchouli. It kind of smells oudy too. For the price definitely worth considering for a masculine mature scent. Not for kids I don't think

Okay, after almost a year of maceration...this smells...good! Almost like a Tobacco fragrance...but i know its the Patchouli/Nutmeg combination. Not bad... Still...not very powerful, in my opinion. Smells good, will be a good substitute for when I don't want strong scent strength and desire to add a "Tobacco" note-layer to what I'm wearing.

This one is so original as a scent. To me the nutmeg note smells like old wet wood, a smell that evocates my childhood and I do like it a lot. Once it dries it focuses more on the patchouli and mossy aspect of it. i dont get vanilla out of it. Still a good masculine scent for cooler temps.

7/10 On me this stuff is NUCLEAR 3 sprays max. I really like this scent but it's not a safe blind buy can be harsh to others, my wife isn't a fan but I have gotten compliments at work

Shockingly good very similar to CARLISLE strongly recommended..

For now I don't like this. On my first impression this opens with a funky smell of being in a Stable with horse Sh:t.. Don't know if it's the Super E or the Nutmeg on the top, it gives a woody, closed environment smell that it's not pleasant. Maybe needs time and maceration. After this, 30min in, it becomes a dark wet tobacco with sour apple and vanilla scent. For now it doesn't project much, and also doesn't last more than 3-4h. Needs further testing. Tried this again, and the opening is still pretty hard, Like a closed wet Barn.. although it gets better after 1h. After 1h you get pretty much the same as in Herod. They smell similar, this one is more toned down, here we have more of that Tonka beans, Patchouli, Vanilla with a bit of spices, probably the Nutmeg, the dry down is the best part. It does smell better between 2-4h then I get a skin scent until 6-8h.. I wish it lasted longer. Also it doesn't project much either. You do have a mature, sweet scent in it. As said similar to Hercules, I get something similar to that tobacco and vanilla dry down. Although here it must be the Tonka beans and Vanilla giving this pleasant skin scent. Hard to decide, hopefully maturation will do it's thing. I see the potential to it but as a dupe of Carlisle my expectations were too high. It does smell similar but here we have only 70% of that scent trail, at least for now. 6.5/10 as it is !! If the opening changes with time maybe a 7.5 max...