Or Black

Imagine the deepest darkest mossy forest... aged tree bark still giving off the aroma of campfires from days long gone by... bone dry earthy and smoky, yet without bitterness. Distill this essence along with choice notes from nearby growth into an essential oil, then lubricate and condition a well worn leather jacket using this concoction. Take a deep breath. A chill comes up your spine as you hear "Or... Or... Or Black..." whispering in the distance. There is a touch of softness that comes from the tonka bean, labdanum, sage, and ylang-ylang supported by a tinge of soapy quality from the benzoin. If aldehydes were thrown in, this would become a soap fest like that brought on by vintage Tsar or Tuscany per Uomo. Thankfully, the ingredients were too well blended for that. When I first took in the aroma from the splash bottle opening (a batch that followed the original by a few years--still vintage), I thought for a moment that this might be some kind of Brut/Polo hybrid. But once on the skin... oh. Oh my. Something is going on here, something quite special. I bought this blind, and it is right up there in my top 5 favorite finds. Fragrance: 9.5/10

Vintage Or Black is a breathtaking beauty for sure. My favorite leather along with vintage Bel Ami. It is one of a few fragrances that grabs my nostrils so hard and hangs on to them firmly until my nose begs for mercy. I have two reformulations: first reformulation is slightly toned down and more "friendly" but still retains the extraordinary beauty that is Or Black. The 2014 version is very good, but the opening is more transparent and anemic while it struggles to identify itself as Or Black. Do I recommend 2014 version? Yes! If you never tried vintage Or Black you would say the 2014 version is fantastic, and it is fantastic. Don't let snobs tell you that the 2014 version is unwearable and horrible...........they lie! I will do a review of Or Black in the near future.

I mourn the day the original Or Black was discontinued. I've been searching for something comparable for years (along with a suitable replacement for Rochas' Macassar), but to absolutely no avail. I haven't even approached the reformulated version for fear of being incredibly disappointed. I recall reading a review of Jul et Mad's Amour de Palazzo - someone said they were similar. I almost blind bought that very pricey fragrance based on the review alone and I'm glad I didn't! Picked up a sample last night and am wearing it today and it's not even remotely close. Nice - but not even in the same family. If anyone has any suggestions for a beautiful substitute, I'd love to hear of it.

I had sniffed this year ago.....but failed to ever buy it....until now. I ordered it from France....which I was skeptical about doing...!!....but it all worked out just fine. Imagine my surprise....that I actually received the bottle shown above....and it was NOT the 2014 newer version !! I received an older version.....Hooray !! Yes, this is one of the best leathery/balsamic fougeres IMO..this still holds up to what's out there in today's market. Classic...gem.... Performance is very medium on my skin...but no matter....still a big love.

MY GOD!! This is absolutely gorgeous.... A true piece of art.The opening notes, and first minutes are pure glory . One of the most brilliant in the perfumery for sure. Breathtaking at least. The problem is later, when starts the dry down, beautiful for sure, but too weak, lacks of volume. This is about the vintage formula. Grab it if you can. 9.9/10, only cause of the low projection.

I love this fragrance and as another reviewer said the new is as good as the old. To be had at under 30 quid - a no-brainer!

Complex big balsamic, leathery, darkness. Not for the faint-hearted. Love the stuff.

An amazing fragrance, plenty of beautiful accords and well crafted. The genius parfumeur, Jean Louis Sieuzac (Opium, Fahrenheit) made here a super masculine scent. Or Black is smoky, leathery, dark, but never cloying or heavy I have the vintage version with the black bottle and silver cap. It ́s very dificult to find, but worth a try. Masterpiece!

Smelling this I picture the giant aquatic centipedes in Naked Lunch and the black meat for which they are prized. There is something nauseating and compelling about it; it feels hairless, oily, alkaloid, like a jar in which beetles have been kept.

cuoio, muschio di quercia, vetiver, patchouli, fave di tonka etc etc: tutto quello che di "nero" si può immaginare qui c'è, in un accordo ipermaschile resinoso e lievemente fougere. bello su un uomo, su di me è eccessivo.

15 min. later drydown is same like L`Air du Desert Marocain.

its all been said a true masterpiece. if you lucky to smell the original Unfortunately the so called refill , ordered from Morabito is nothing but a shadow of the former. Longevity on me is 5 Min maximum , keeps a little longer when I sprayed onto my clothes. A once amazing captivating fragrance of great depth and mystery. Downgraded to a nothing. Oh dear Morabito, what have you done?

Smells like a murder mystery, or like a dame about to commit a murder in a murder mystery. This is not an endorsement.

This is the legend (and Luca Turin had some part in it, but its warranted). The vintage bottle I have in this sleek black bottle is really an entity unto itself. I had to take the plunge and find out for myself, and I am glad I did. The opening is this peculiar, yet darkly gorgeous anisic, almost violet-like sensation, with peppery, leathery undertones. It is something out of a David Cronenberg movie, futuristic, austere, sly, and stealth. The leather intensifies in the heart with elements of aromatics and resins unfurling as it warms on the skin, and there is a soapy, yet unctuous element that reminds me of the "alpha male" trope of the 80s that, while potentially problematic if taken in the wrong direction, can be romanticized when taken in....the right direction, if you catch my drift, wink wink. Here, its almost like Or Black was the precursor to Fahrenheit; not quite motor oil, but traces of it. Hints of elbow grease, if you will. Or Black is more nuanced, however, suggesting rather than urging, but it is an understated insistence, even down to the chypre-like base of this vintage's dry-down, with its slinking balsamic presence wrapped in a cloud of bone-dry oakmoss. It's as if one brought their nose close to a lichen-covered tree on an arid summer's day. Wild, absolutely wild. And beautiful.

Finally had the chance to spray one wrist with this vintage OR Black and the other wrist with the current formula. It’s amazing how similar they are, while being astoundingly different. At first spray, they both create that distinct licorice-like bracing kick that is unmistakable for fans of this fragrance. Ten minutes in they start to part ways, though both are absolutely brilliant. Vintage becomes a leather Chypre with subdued animalics that I’d guess to be on the castoreum side(though musk is listed and not castoreum), as theres almost an Oud note(though clearly there’s no Oud being used here)... whereas the modern turns into a bitter fougere, displaying notes of patchouli, anise and herbal/floral notes, including artemisia and lavender. It’s truly incredible that such a drastic reformulation can still retain this recognizable character. Both forms are incredible, though your preference will largely depend on whether you’re a leather lover or fougere fan. ;-) Fantastic work all around.

Possibly one of the darkest compositions I've ever experienced. A dense chyprey leather which is almost impossible to describe due to its multi-faceted nature. Smoky, leathery, mossy, incensey (resinous), herbal, old fashioned, modern, bitter, aromatic..OMG there's really a lot going on here. I do apologize if I can't go through notes explaination but Or Black makes me feel positively "uneasy" and prefer to simply recommend it as the perfect example of a "fragrance for people who actually like fragrances" as diametrically opposed to the Turin's concept of "a fragrance for people who don't like fragrances". On of the most assertive compositions ever. A masterpiece. Rating: 10/10

I think some of the reviews here are for the recent re-launch which has nothing in common with the original except for having coumarin as the main note. The old could never be described as not-dark. It's like the dirt in the motor oil you drain from the engine. Fantastic. And very very 70s but timeless as well. Obscene like Kouros but instantly likeable. Also has a lot in common with Knize 10 but is even better in a number of ways. Certainly more exciting, more sexual, more Studio 54. But now impossible to get. Which is tragic.

Nothing dark about this fragrance...on the contrary, I get a fresh fougere out of it. Oh and longevity and projection are not up the standard....the good thing is that you can open the atomizer, and I added 5 drops of Oud oil that purchased earlier, just to strengthen the aforementioned departments....let's see...

Intrigue. That's the word that comes to mind. Peppery and spice with citrus. Leather. Rich but playful. Slightly oily. A real fine scent. Just a slight bit of soap... very light. The first spray is very special. The dry down is solid. Not my best scent but this is certainly right up there. Special. 9/10.

The original one was dark , deep, the new one is a clean leather- floral . It became elegant , making no waves , lost all its former temper . A kind of young Knize Ten mixed with nice flowers . Not bad but different from the first one ( there are some similarities in the head notes , only )