Santal Noble 2017

A masterpiece from a spectacularly good house. Santal Noble is one of the best presentations of the aroma of the highest grade of real sandalwood-based santal that I have smelled. This fragrance opens with a striking blend of incense, spices (I smell nutmeg, cardamom, some cinnamon and a dash of black pepper) and coffee. The effect is similar to drinking cardamom tinged Arabic coffee in a cafe where patrons are smoking hookahs packed with rich, spicy tobaccos. Soon, a rich natural smelling sandalwood accord marked by a subtle tangy note that is typical of high grade santal, a compound made from camwood (an African hardwood) and red sandalwood. This magnificent note is lent depth and it's creamy tones are rounded out with a semi-sweet vanilla. There is also some sharp, green intensity added here by patchouli and vetiver. Eventually, the long lasting heart notes give way to a base with a noticeable ambergris note. The whole composition is wonderfully compounded and skillfully blended from high quality components. Projection is initially somewhat strong but it gradually fades down to a little bit more than a skin scent over the course of the extended duration of the scent. The presentation is excellent, the bottle is elegant with a nicely detailed, heavy metal cap and good atomizer. The fragrance is unisex, safe for work and very well suited for cooler autumn and early winter days. If you love sandalwood scents, you will be blown away by this incredible fragrance. Very highly recommended.

Pure perfection in a bottle. One of my all-time favorite fragrances that does everything right in my opinion! Usually when a fragrance house announces a "new" version of a fragrance for which they were "true" to the original, it means they reformulated the heck out of it and it is nearly unrecognizable as the fragrance you loved. This is not one of those cases. If you loved the original edt and are depressed it is no longer available or feel you should seek out a vintage bottle to experience it for the first time, fret not. The scent is the same. The edp opens much smoother than the edt and has a little less of the incense note to my nose, but both dry down to nearly identical scents with the edp having greater longevity. The coffee, spice, and vanilla notes are present, but not strong enough to warrant this a gourmand scent. Although, these notes are likely the reason I find this scent so comforting. The castoreum and ambergris combine to add what I perceive as a very subtle petroleum/leathery note. The ultra smooth sandalwood and vetiver are the workhorses in this scent with the patchouli really only noticeable if one thinks quite hard about it. Longevity is a good 8-10 hours on me and about a week on clothes. My whole closet smelled like this stuff for a while. Sillage is quite good as well. I continuously smell myself during the duration of the wearing. Highly recommended for the sandalwood lover. I will always have a bottle of this on hand as long as it remains available.

Spicy incense in the top, that will afterwards morph into a - genuine - woody/creamy sandalwood, with a sour/mushroomy facet typical of high end sandalwood, supported by a bit patchouli and a subtle vanilla. The base will unveil a very noticeable ambergris note, that combined with a hint of castoreum, will help the sandalwood fully shine. Projection seems low shortly after spraying, but once it heats up, becomes average. The sandalwood note in here is similar to the one used in LV Sandalo, but aside of that, the fragrances are overall quite different, as Villoresi is a citrusy/woody aromatic fragrance that uses citruses, florals and vetiver as supporting notes, while MPG is an woody/oriental fragrance that uses incense, patchouli and animalics. As of today, these two are my favourite sandalwood fragrances, and two fragrances I cannot live without. Masterpiece in my book.

One of my top ten fragrances of all time - imagine if Amouage decided to do their take on Gucci Envy, this is what I get from this fragrance. It's essentially a niche version of Envy. Something I can easily imagine royalty to wear, I am lucky to have a bottle and will cherish it. I love the fact it's very versatile, not very loud so can be worn on most occasions. Smokey/woody with an understated sweetness, this is an old-school classic gentleman formula with modern twist, I don't get much of the animalistic vibe from this which is great, you can sample this from Fiole (UK) - which is where I found it. Sells out so quickly... While it is pricey, I think it's worth the money for the 120ml bottle - levels above what Creed/PDM and other houses are producing right now. 10/10

Wow. Touch of citrus, maybe some pink pepper at the very top to give it a bit of lift before the coffee and subtle incense. The heart is a soft, baby powder sandalwood which on its own makes this worthy of a purchase. But then the real surprise in the base notes. Alternatively, I get ambergris, patchouli, and vanilla, ever so slightly animalic that honestly reminds me of the base you’d find in Andy Tauer’s fragrances. Another time the castoreum is more prominent and I’m reminded of Antaeus, another time still I am reminded of Eau Sauvage thanks to the oakmoss and sandalwood. Never boring. Three distinct phases, fantastic.

Santal Noble is a delux, pillowy-soft, woodsy musk à la beaver. The musk is noticeably animalic with a honey-like sweetness. It is not a “sexy” fragrance, but one that blends an aura of nobility and privilege with an undertone of decadence. Santal Noble reminds me of a certain 18th-Century, French aristocrat and libertine. I enjoy this fragrance immensely, but I could never pull it off as a signature scent, seeing how I don’t sport a periwig. If you love the thrill of a blind buy, go for it. You will find Santal Noble intriguing, luxurious, and exquisitely crafted. Scent: 10/10 Sillage: 6 feet Longevity: 8 hours

My only experience with Santal Noble is with the current release, and I love it. Castoreum never overpowers—or goes animalic—on my skin. I’m not an expert on sandalwood but it’s easy to spot quality: this is a smooth, complex Mysore sandalwood. Kinda sweet, kinda spicy, with a coffee note that quickly dissipates in the first 20 minutes. The base has musk (maybe the ambergris?) and some incense. I just love it. Don’t expect a loud perfume though, Santal Noble is classy; more like the beautiful, simple black dress than the bedazzled designer gown. Santal Noble is lovely, warm and approachable. I must acquire it.

This really has a dark, gothic atmosphere throughout. A masculine, almost ashy, very strict scent, adorned with beautiful spices and an amazing quality of ingredients. The sandalwood is dry and dusty, superb, the bitter coffee complements it so well. As time passes the castoreum and spices rise but never become too much and suffocating. There is a slight animalistic and smoky vibe, but it's very well balanced and never over the top. It pretty much is constructed as a 80's masculine scent but at the same time it is very refined and smooth.

There's a delicate sourness to this -- a musky animalic sourness that might be the the combination of castoreum, acidic coffee, salty ambergris and soft decaying patchouli, somehow creating a labdanum-like accord. The sandalwood is enjoyable and well blended with the above notes and although prominent sits only a degree or two higher than the other ingredients. The distinct sandalwood nuttiness that I enjoy in authentic Mysore (Indian) or Pacific sandalwood is revealed some way down into the drydown. I'm not sure how this differs from the red bottle -- I received a current sample of this from LuckyScent which displays the clear bottle as pictured above. This indeed is a high quality woody-animalic perfume with excellent tenacity, seemingly simple yet deep.

Warm, smokey, regal sandalwood. It makes me think of the dark parlors in the Vanderbilt mansion where men would retire after dinner to smoke cigars and talk about hunting. Maybe it’s the coffee note, or a hint of barbershop oakmoss, but this has that dry opulent mustiness I absolutely love. There’s also a peppery musk reminiscent of cumin or body odor, but the kind that’s a turn-on rather than repulsive or smelly. It certainly wears well on the skin. Not sure about wearability for myself, since I tend to like modern blouses and airy fabrics, but if you enjoy Santal 33 or Tam Dao this makes for a rich, nuanced and sexy upgrade.

I have been wearing this se eral times now and I really enjoy it. Goes on intense with an animalic blast of coffee, incense and spices and dries down nicely to a smooth and creamy sandalwood, spice and vanilla. Putting this on me on a fall day is lime putting on a cashmere sweater. Projection is low but longevity is good. This one is for you and your partner. Can be worn in an office setting as well without issue. Really a masterpiece in balance and one of the best and most natural smelling sandalwood fragrances I have tried to date.

This can be unisex, but the persistent peppery note does lend a masculine edge. There is a note that reminds me of the ambergris impression in Hermes Eau des Merveilles, if that scent were stripped of all its sweetness. There is sandalwood here, but it doesn't remind me of the real stuff. I associate real Mysore with warmth and creaminess, while this scent is predominantly cool and clean. It's classy, balanced, and not overbearing, but this sandalwood lover is not wholly impressed.

This is enchanting and moody and smoky and sweet. It skews just a bit too animalic and powdery for me, though, so I have to pass on it.

I got a sample of the new one because I got a chance to buy the old formula. I reckon they'd be much alike. But Santal Noble is nothing for me. The opening is pleasant, shows a bit old school perfumery direction. But after that it is just boring. Weak, blend, musky, slightly sweet "meh". 6,5/10

Like most Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier fragrance, Santal Noble 2017 brings a sharp austere regality that feels old school without smelling old man-ish. In the case of Santal Noble 2017, it does indeed smell quite similar to the original Santal Noble in the top notes with a refined sandlewood helped out by spices (boosted by a quick to fade bitter coffee note,) vanilla, and patchouli. The sandalwood here is balsamic and slightly sweet while maintaining a rich, full bodied creamy accord (dried out in great parts by the spices used here.) It seems when comparing samples of the 2017 SN and the plain Jane Santal Noble that the differences occur exclusively in the drydown, where in the original there is an ambered incense paired with a musk dancing in and out of vetiver and oakmoss: this gives the feeling one of a deep and rich woody/incense accord sweetened lightly by the amber. Overall it's a very nice base scent, however it is given more weight in the 2017 version wherein the amber becomes saltier and drier, and the musk is replaced with castoreum which moves it from being a 'pleasing ambient' quality, and gives it a slight animalic edge (highlighting the spices above it.) It's not the strongest or loudest scent, but it does maintain a rich quality through and through that is unbeatable in sandalwood fragrances even 100$ above this price point, and really unless one delves heavily into attar oils focusing on mysore will one find a beautiful centerfold production of Sandalwood that can outdo the work done here. Earthy, rich, woody, and dry. Sublime. 9/10 YT: Jess AndWesH

French perfumery at its best, very classy and classic: this is how I feel about the sadly underrated house of Maitre Parfumeur and Gantier. Which interpretation of sandalwood and which kind of sandalwood are they offering? Accordying to their blurb, they claim to use real mysore sandalwood; what I think is tht this is a good assemblage of album and synth. Not too creamy, but slightly inviting, thanks to a hint of vanilla; not too woody, but quite green thanks to the addition of vetiver oil; not a soft cloud, but kind of deep because of the presence of a clean hearthy patchouli. And, above all, it is quite tangy (verging a little sharping). This deep santal-heart laid on a mossy base (very faint) and is sustained by a good synth ambergris, while a touch of castoreum imparts a noticable but well balanced, leather tone. This ensamble is announced in the opening by a beautiful incense that carries with it the smoke of a hot cup of coffee fortified by spices: cardamom, nutmeg, a touch of cinnamon, and a hint of pepper. The feeling I get is of relax myself while drinking a cup of Arabic coffee enriched with cardamom. This helps a connection with my inner self: one of the sacred function o Sandalwood. Projection is t strong but it gradually fades down to a little bit more than a skin scent over the course of the extended duration of the scent. Safe for office, autumn-winter. Follow me on IG @alexolympia6

حظيت بشرف حضور إفتتاح بوتيك بفندق سوفيتيل إستطاع توفير عطور Maître Parfumeur et Gantier الأسبوع الفائت بمدينة مراكش . و خلال تلكم الزيارة و تبادل أطراف الحديث مع صاحبة المحل التي لم تذخر جهدا في تقديم كل ما لذ و طاب من غوالٍ و نفائس عطرية ، أثار إنتباهي عند مرحلة التذوق هذا الخشبي الطافح بصغات الرجولة ، النبيل رصين الطبع . إستوقفني بعد أول بخة و جعلني أفتح الهاتف باحثا عن نوتاته المدرجة ، لأزداد به إعجابا بعد أن وجدت من مكوناته القهوة ، البخور ، التوابل ، القندس و نجيل الهند ؛ بعد ذلك أعدت التجربة للمرة الثانية من ورق التستر و أخذت في إستنشاقه بشكل أعمق محاولا فك الغموض عنه . لأجد أن خشبية الصندل الغرّاء قد إتخذت في هذا العطر طابعا بخوريا مشحونا بلذاعة التوابل المنكّهة بطعم القهوة و كلاسيكية طحلب البلوط ؛ كذلك هناك حضور و إن كان غير بارز بقوة لنوتات مارينية بفعل دهن العنبر الأشهب و أخرى خضراء ذكورية بجلاء متمثلة في نجيل الهند . عطر نخبوي فخم بخامات غاية في الجودة و النقاء ، يكشف عن سحره في لباس رسمي لحضور مناسبات خاصة . و أعتقد أنه يلائم جميع الفصول و إن كنت لم أجربه في الحارّ منها بعد .

To me the sandalwood in this (and the fragrance overall) is very similar to Profumum Roma's Santalum. They are both quite pure and feel natural. But while Santalum is a more raw and rugged and almost a bit sharp, Santal Noble has more rounded edges. This is smoother and softer, but the overall fragrance is very similar. Perhaps this is also slightly more masculine while Santalum is a little bit more unisex. After a couple of hours, as it dries down, the similarities to Santalum subside and a very subtle coffee note comes out. Not enough to make it actually smell like coffee, but to me it gets an ultra masculine vibe. Reminds me of how my dad could smell when I was growing up, after he had been drinking coffee all day and put on some nice cologne for the evening. If you like pure and authentic (and masculine) sandalwood fragrances, this is a great offering.

Santal Noble starts off with a really lovely opening that's spicy, smoky, and creamy. Just a fine juxtaposition of notes that are held together by ambergris. Unfortunately, the dry down comes too quick, and this is where things fall apart for me as it becomes too animalic due to the castoreum. The castoreum used here throws off some sort of crayon smell, kinda plasticky. And from there on out, the entire thing turns dry and a bit stale. I'll continue to use my decant to see if my taste eventually changes, but so far I'm not digging the animalic vibe. At the final dry down stage -- the whole thing blends into a mossy musk sandalwood combo.

I am really enjoying the 1 ml sample on my hand from Luckyscent. I just want to be up front that that is all I have so I know I am missing a full-wear experience. It is a very classy, elegant and warm fragrance which I love. I would love a bottle. But for now, I am trying to find an excellent example of sandalwood where I can really smell it strongly and here I feel it is quite muted. It is still lovely though, don't get me wrong. Santal Complet is too sweet/ coconut for me, Santal Noir doesn't last long enough so my search continues...