Wood and Spices

This is a second review. When I started this hobby, this came across as weird in a sharp unpleasant way, especially in the opening. However, I decided to revisit it years later, and 400 bottles later, and this thing was stunning. So comforting, so sweet, not in a cheap cloying way, but rather in an elegant sophisticated, warm woody (sweet creamy sandalwood) way. I don't detect any oud, but if there is any, it's so well blended with the touches of incense that is present in it. The woods, especially the creamy sandalwood and the omnipresent yet minor sharp clean vetiver are blended in the same way they're blended in something like Creed Original Santal, yet they don't smell alike at all. I really like it. However that said, this I have to be in a certain uplifted mood to wear it, and I don't know why. People around me always like it, in an expected way, not in a "what are you wearing way". Wood and Spices have way more elements in its construction than the note breakdown suggests. I can detect some florals in the background, like a cooling geranium, and maybe a little rose (very minimal), and aldehydes. Think of it as a more complex Dunhill Desire Red, without the designer fruity notes, but with more creamy woods and depth. Some people get a cat piss scent and I do think this has a touch of cassis, but also it's the sweet sandalwood mixed with vetiver that might bring in this note into play. If you really try to smell it up close and try to separate the composition, you'll no longer get that smell. In the air, this is beautiful, but DO NOT over spray...I can over spray real beast mode fragrances but will not do that here. If you like spraying Mancera Red Tobacco 8 times, do six or four of this one, not that it is stronger than red tobacco, but it defeats how this is supposed to work.

I think this one hits people in different ways. You either really like it, and pick up really nice notes of sandalwood and flowers (white florals) or you absolutely hate it and it comes across as cat piss. A year ago I bought a sample from Montale and it did in fact come across piss smelling. I decided to give it another try a year later, and it again another official sample, and it is now totally different, like day and night. It has hints of Amouage Reflection Man, and Gucci Guilty Elixir, with an overdose of woods. It also reminds me of Dunhill Desire Red but much higher quality. It's one of two possibilities. Either our tastes change or tor it's our different genetics interpreting the scent differently, but given how I changed, I think it's the first. I have over 500 different fragrances, and this comes as a niche interpretation of that Sandalwood - Floral - Vetiver. Another one I also like recently is Vetiver Patchouli from Montale, that I didn't like initially as well.

So, after purchasing a discovery kit from Montale, and being utterly disappointed (as a guy), I finally come across one fragrance, in the pack of 20+ fragrances, that I think is freakin' awesome and good for a guy... This thing is bright, this thing is elegant, and to @NOSEYBODY before me, who called this a Niche' version of Versace's The Dreamer, this fragrance is my favorite from Montale thus far. If you wonder what I did with the other samples, I handed them over to my wife. They were either too floral, had too much rose, etc. Way too feminine for my taste. Great fragrances but, not unisex at all. This on the other hand, my wife loves, I love, and its something you can probably pull off all year around in the daytime. As of right now, I'm wearing this in the Fall, and its *sniffs collar* so damn good. *Update* After a few days, I've decided to add this to my permanent collection. If you like The Dreamer and wanted another take on it, you will love this, hands down.

This is a lady killer! And I don't just mean ladies, but females in general. Females of all ages find this scent alluring in an almost magnetic way. My wife, co-workers, daughters and strangers all make comment and notice of this one. So, whether you are on the hunt for a lady friend, or just want to smell pleasant for the females in your life...this is it. NEVER has a fragrance garnered so much attention. Not an oudy fragrance, and that's ok.... maybe it's there to tone down the sandalwood. Loving this!! Fresh, woody, a little sweet, slightly soapy from the sandalwood and very versatile! I detect a note of sweet tobacco too, weird, cause it's not listed...wonderful surprise. Reminds me of something, but can't put my finger on it. Very masculine, can be worn anytime including humid days. Better than all the designer ambroxen-bombs fan boys covet. Montale is overlooked and under appreciated. 9.5/10

I like this very much, dont look at notes this is 100% a fresh perfume, perfect for all seasons (maybe in the winter something stronger and sweeter would work better) This legit gave me more compliments than Red tobacco, idk why the score is so low, maybe that is missleading but the semll def is higher that a 3.68/5. Longevity is verry good for a fresh around 7-8 hours, even more than 12 hours of a faint sent if you smell close to the skin. Projection I didnt calculate because its harder, but its good for a fresh it gave me compliments so people felt it, i also have a small decant and i reaply from time to time. In conclusion I say this is safe blind buy if you want something fresh with good performance, including that this is on the cheaper side from Montale house.

Possibly the most unique and also underrated Montale frag out there. I love the opening so much, it reminds me of Bond No.9 Lafayette Street which is my favorite from that house, but once this dries down it turns into a musky, soapy bomb. I gotta say though, thanks to all of these reviews pointing out that the dry down smells like cat urine, I just can’t get that out of my head now every time I wear this. I can kinda see why people say that. Thanks lol. Still a very nice and pretty unique dry down. Performance is exactly as expected from a Montale - longevity, projection and sillage are above average but not nuclear like Arabians Tonka or Ristretto Intense Cafe. This one’s a 7/10 for me.

I love this scent. First I tested it on my husband. And literally could not stop sniffing him. Today I couraged my-Self to put it on my own skin. And oh WOW ! Wonderfull sweetness coming through!! There is same sweetie wonderfull feel with Wood and Spice than I get with Coromandel! Definitely for Ladies too, but try it on skin first to be sure it suits You. I love this beauty and need to buy a bottle to this house. Here is 5 male persons and me, so I am sure there will be used one or two bottles easily. My sons loves this one too. Definitely goes to purchase list.

I aint gonna like, i have always overlooked whole mancera and montale collection of perfumes because i found some very synthetic and thought of the brands to be low quality even tho they all performe great. However i didnt expect this one to hit like this, from the 1st spray i liked it which is rare, it is very very soapy and clean, a bit woody, and sweet in a clean way not sweet as fruit or sth. It is kind of linear but hey, you get what you pay for, atl the performance is nice. Overall 8.5/10

I get the reviews about cat pee. But for me it smells absolutely amazing, and everyone around me think so too. If you really focus on it there is a light resemblance to cat pee but to me not in a bad way at all, it has a citrussy/honey sweet fresh smell to it. Might be because of the pepper or amber coming of a bit strong on some skin types. Overall for me one of if not the best Montale but that just my opinion. 10/10 but always sample before you buy

I don’t know what the others are smelling but this should be more than 4.5 in the rating. Although it’s marketed towards men, this is very much unisex. I really do love this. It was love at first sniff and got a bottle afterwards. Haven’t regretted it. I am not a fan of sandalwood but this just does it for me 💯. It also reminds me of something from my childhood that I cannot place my finger on. It’s fresh and spicy. Just how I like it 👌

Wood and Spices opens very unpleasant on my skin for the first 30 minutes, but then slowly transforms into a gorgeous cologne-y fragrance. I believe people are giving up on this beauty too quickly in the negative reviews. Leans masculine, but a ballsy woman could pull it off. UPDATE: After looking through the "this reminds me of" section, Wood and Spices reminds me of a higher quality Bogart Silver Scent Deep.

I blind bought this one as it’s been on my list for a long time and was a little scared reading all these controversial comments. It’s not anything I would imagined it would smell like looking at the notes but I love it . Just a soft clean sandalwood soapy smell on me but not much else woody or spicy there for me? I personally love it and I’m giving it a good wear

This is very close to Versace Dreamer and, by association, to Uden Ovedose. It's really floral, tobacco flower, tonka, slightly woody and spicy scent. Very pleasant, very light (not like the name suggests) but redundant if you already have the above-mentioned alternative. Worth checking out, one of very few fresh manly scent from Montale!!!

I have about 20 fragrences in my collection and this is the one I wear at my yoga and tai-chi classes. I don't know what others are smelling? This just works for me and it becomes a mindfullness, blissfull experience. It's not a fragrence i'd wear to impress other people, it's just for me and the hour I get to spend on the yoga mat.

Exellent late summer early fall fragrance. My imagine of this fragrance is, is like on a 5:30 evening strong sunset,lights out in the house, holding someone in your arms, and looking out the sliding doors, at a lake or river. Strange opinion, but I love the fragrance.

Wife loves it. Projects like a monster even if the wearer does not notice the smell, it's there and will be for awhile after you spray it. I personally love it, I am very tired of weaksauce EDT's I only want EDP's from now on. Anyway, 10 out of 10 Solid stuff.

This a beautiful fragrance and it last for quite awhile with a strang projection whitin the first 2 hours. It is one of my most complimepnted fragrances. People who have given me compliments describe it as a nice, luxurious smell. Girls love it too 😉

this is an extremely well done fragrance, very strong very long lasting, it is very woody and spicy but not heavy, actually its very vibrant and energetic. The only thing with this one is that its not a unique DNA

Amazing fresh scent that takes me to a sunny spring day by a lake looking at fresh green trees and a blue sky in the sun! Give it a try if you want something fresh and powdery yet long lasting and woody :)

I was a little shocked by the reviews, I like this one. Its smooth and creamy on me, not harsh at all. I do pick up on honey and sandalwood. Wearing it in cool and rainy weather and its really nice.

Definitely get the comparison to lafayette street and reflection man. It smells different, but the clean woody aroma is reminiscent. Smells really good in the air, a really nice woody fragrance

Opening is more feminine to me.. But then dry down is almost 100 procent like old Fleur du Mâle Jean Paul Gaultier and is divine male good vibe scent. Really pleasantly surprised by this one

not unpleasant in the dry down if you can stand the massive blast of synthetic/ artificial scents early on. it is very strong and long lasting but a bit chemical

I blind bought this no complaints here. Great performance and I bought it at a great price. Smells great. I wore this on a date and got laid so I call it a win

When Nikos' sculpture meets Jean Paul Gaultier's Fleur du Male... a winning combination! Top-notch performance, as usual with Montale.

Although it leans towards the nostalgic side, it's not boring; it's a pleasant scent, and also a little sad scent 🥺

Fantastic scent with great performance and projection very manly scent It can be worn all year around 10/10

Powerful unique fresh fragrance smells like an amped up incense and sandlewood version lf reflection

Smells like a Niche version of Versace Dreamer. Performance is beast, & can be worn year round.

For me its a 4.39 raing. Very sophisticated wood and spice. Smells luxurious and well put.

Love this stuff! Very mature, and it is what it says it is lots of wood and lots of spice

Very unisex and pleasant, very happy with this purchase

Remind me of Sculpture pour Homme bu nikos great scent

Very nice and sweet sandalwood. Superb performance.

Possibly THE most underrated Montale

Perception is a funny thing. When I smell this, objectively, it smells terrific. But I’m very disappointed in it. Here’s why. I used to rock Dunhill Desire Blue back in like 2003 or thereabouts. I loved it. I got so many compliments on it and I loved the smell. Right now, you can get it for $20-$25 or so on discount websites. It’s a great value. This smells identical to it with the addition of a sly honeyed sandalwood note. Very slight, nearly imperceptible difference. The honey is most noticeable when you’re spraying it on. Once it’s on the skin, it’s more subtle and blends in. The note pyramid above suggests this has oud (yeah, right), vetiver, incense, and sandalwood. For most of its life cycle I get zero percent of those. What I do get is a strong sweet, fruity opening with a lychee/lotus bomb, and a secondary hit of the formulaic bergamot/neroli that’s so prevalent in your department store fragrance counter freshies. Yet none of those notes are listed. It’s absolutely mystifying how this smell can be possible if those four are the only notes, so I’m gonna call Montale’s bluff and cry BS. When I looked at the note pyramid, I was expecting an uber-masculine alpha male scent that is unmistakably for men. Manly men. Not that I’m some kind of domineering alpha type, but I’m confident and self assured. But this is called Wood & Spices, for crying out loud! My disappointment is because I’ve been looking for the ultimate masculine fragrance. One that reflects that confidence, is unabashedly masculine, and that ladies will adore. The ladies might like this on me, but they’re equally as likely to enjoy wearing it themselves. So, Wood & Spices is lovely, but not what I was expecting, not what I was looking for. To the house of Montale: perhaps you should revisit your naming conventions?

This fragrance is a long-lasting niche version of Dunhill desire red!! Scent profile: This fragrance smells like the name suggests woods and spices also I pickup musk and vanilla and apple and rose. Montale’s wood and spices I’m sure has apple and rose because I can pickup other notes in this fragrance that another Montale has such as starry nights. However this does not smell exactly like starry nights this is a 1:1 copy of dunhill desire red the OG formulation. The new formulation is rather weaker. This is by far the most safest blind buy worthy Montale you could possibly purchase and it is very masculine. Easily a crowd pleaser and mass appealing. This fragrance will probably get you attention I don’t see anyone hating on this fragrance it just smells warm and clean. Me personally since I know what this smells like I would not get this and go for Dunhill desire red which had the same scent profile and less cheaper. Lastly, it’s strange I own a lot of oud type fragrances and I think there’s no oud listed in this fragrance it’s very musky and also has a creamy nuance from sandalwood and definitely has apple and rose and vanilla

One of the fragrances I would not buy again. This lean more towards an older generation's cologne; very punchy in the opening and smooths out with time. I would not recommend this to someone younger than 30 and not as a signature scent, but overall it performs good, and on the cheaper side for niche. Good acquisition if you like the profile, but really was not my cup of tea. It is very woody and has incense in it, but not in a smoky masculine way (per my expectation for the BDC line), it does so in a candle like approach. Not my liking for perfumes though. EDIT: After wearing this a couple more times, I realized I was being too dramatic on the profile of this scent. I sprayed enough on my neck during the day and stayed in cooler environment all day. This performs great again, but I got lost from the "older" smell it had. Definitely unique and quite woody - this packs a punch of strong heart notes. I'm actually enjoying it quite a bit more! Still not a fragrance I'd buy again, but I don't mind it for going to work and non-intense heat situations. This is a cooler spring scent, may say mid 60s temperature.

Montale Wood and Spices doesn't really smell as I'd expected, as there's certainly some wood but not much spices. I mostly get woods and citrus, an orange/bergamot duo coupled with a lot of sandalwood. I don't get the listed oud or vetiver, really, so I'm half wondering if I'm smelling the described fragrance. It has year-round and unisex wearability, reminiscent a little bit of Versace The Dreamer in terms of the creamier, sharp woodsy dry down, but I can't really draw many worthwhile comparisons. It's mainly just a semi-fruity, slightly sharp, woody mix, but not spicy to my nose at all. It's at least discounted on Beautyspin at $105 for 100ml but this is one I can say that I like but I'm not moved enough to buy. Still, a worthwhile try as I can imagine this would work really well for some and be agreeable to many. 7 out of 10

First, you should know this isn't your typical woody fragrance—there's something unusual about it. Let me explain how I experience it. Opening: The first note is spicy, but not in the usual way. It's a wet, peppery scent with hints of cinnamon, incense, and musk. Middle: This is where things get strange. The woodiness fades, and the musk becomes more animalic. It gets sweeter, but it also starts to resemble the scent of cat pee, overpowering the wood. You'll notice a significant transformation from the opening. Base: The dry-down reveals a mix of dry cat pee, incense, musk, and powder with a soft, clean undertone. It's just... different. Longevity: 8/10 Sillage: 8/10 Character: A two-faced blend of contrasting elements. I like it overall, it's not bad, but it's definitely not for everyone.

I find it to be a mostly fresh fragrance. I do smell the milky note people are talking about, and wood, and spices. But all under a layer of freshness. Kind of a citrus, fruity, green, aquatic mish-mash. Reminds me of a detergent scent. It almost overwhelms the wood and spice notes completely, but they're in there. Just buried under the freshness. Big projection at first, and a lot of staying power. The fresh notes never go away. I initially got the decant for my husband, but he won't touch it. I like it, but I have to be in a certain kind of mood to wear it. The only comment I have received while wearing it, was somebody asking if I'd used fragrance boosting crystals in my laundry. So, there's that.

The short and sweet of it is this: Smell it on the card, then spray it on yourself and wander for a while. Two entirely different scents. The first time I tried this it was only on a card and it didn't wow me. Smelled fresh, possibly a little bergamot, maybe even aquatic, nothing like the "Wood and Spices" on the label. After a while I thought about the name more and I liked the idea of 'Wood and Spices', so I went back and tested it on my skin. Now this time I found the wood and spice. The brighter fresh notes faded quickly and settled into a deep, slightly sweet wood. I ended up taking it home. Please try this on yourself before dismissing it. Complete transformation.

This is so controversial! I'm sure I can smell honey and citrusy notes in this (like some other reviewers). And where is the Wood?!! It's not so spicy either! I think a naming mistake happened in this Montale! W&S (or whatever you wana call it) opens HARSH! It's a tang (citrus like tang) in first 5 minutes. So beware of smelling it from close distance in the beginning. In my opinion "Wood & Spices" isn't very masculine. It's even kind of unisex. Despite these all, if you give it time, after 10-15 minutes it will become pleasant gradually. And its good side appears; A SEXY LONG-LASTING FRAGRANCE THAT TURNS EYES ON YOU.

Wore a sample of this the last 2 days, and honestly I'm impressed. It would be redundant in my collection, but I think it's a very good masculine professional scent. The oud is inoffensive and on the clean side, and combines well with the sandalwood and vetiver to make a fresh, woody, yet warm all season masculine fragrance. The incense isn't super pronounced on my skin, but there is a smoky undertone to the entire composition, so it's definitely there. For around $75 bucks I think it's a great cheap alternative to TF Oud Wood. This gives me slight synthetic Oud Wood/Terre D'Hermes lovechild vibes, def recommend.

This is by far the sexiest men fragrance I have tried so far. And to precise: sexiest not in like some Robert Pattison or other feminised type of guy, whose photos have to be photoshopped to make them look like men. This fragrance is sexy, because it is so beautiful. It is dark and heavy, but not overpowering. Decided, but not sharp. Comforting, but not sweet. It is sexy, because it is confident. It is sexy, because it has got a lot of charm to it. I thought I knew all the notes, and yet blended together they create such a unique mixture. I think I could use it myself, although it is a men fragrance. Mmhmhmhmh..

This is what a cooler weather version of Bond Lafayette Street would be. And for those who used to wear Dunhill Desire Red, this is even a darker, spicier version of that. Not sure if there’s some bad batches out there, but I couldn’t disagree more with some of the below comments. I certainly don’t get anything that they’ve claimed here. Much like a lot of Montale’s, this one is very long lasting with fairly good projection. It’s a great scent for those who enjoy the DNA of the ones I mentioned above. If you do, I think there’s a good chance you’d enjoy this one as well.

I sample this one from the discovery kit. I get oud, sandalwood, fresh tobacco, and prunes. It performs beastly like most of Montale's fragrances. I really like this one but I don't love it. It's too strong, too sweet, and the opening is overwhelming. Just a puff is already too much, but I really enjoy it after the 4th or 5th hour of wearing it. On the other hand, my wife immediately loves this fragrance every time I wear it. Not sure if this is a buy, but from the kit, it's one of the good ones along with Black Aoud and Santal Wood.

"Wood & Spices" is probably not the right name for this perfume. But...if you don't mind about the name and smell the fragrance, maybe you'll like it...! it's not the best of the house,of course, but it's intersting, sensual, warm and very long lasting. The honey is fantastic. I agree that it's more like a mainstream fragrance then a niche, but it doesn't means that it can't be weared! Extreme sillage and very long lasting. I like to wear it sometimes, and i'm happy to have this fragrance in my collection. My vote: 6/10 Try it!

This was recommended by Curly Fragrance and I must admit that this is awesome! It's spicy and fresh at the same time. It projects a lot, maybe 6 feet. I would honestly say this is as good as Dior Ambre Nuit. It's not the same, but you get the pleasant clean-out-of-the-shower smell that's just as good. I love this honestly, but Ambre Nuit is better in my opinion because of the added character with amber. I would not blind buy this, sample first. This a something you can wear any place, any season, for any reason.

Not bad at all. Anytime other than hot weather this will work. The fragrance macerated well. And now it marinates on skin nicely throughout the wearing. Linear (yes I like that aspect), montale strong. Sort of unique. Not offensive. I think I actually like it over it's more expensive counterpart (Bond Lafayette Street). Overall, a exemplary example of a true niche fragrance that the scent has a presence but not "to much" if not oversprayed. Wood and spice in a silver colored bottle says it all.