Shihan (Sensei)

Surely among my favorite cold weather fragrances, Sensei (now named Shihan) is a wonderful mix of several favorite notes, or categories of notes, specifically: whiskey, coffee, and tobacco. The dancer-turned-perfumer released the original 3x33ml (in EDT/EDP/Extrait) presentation in 2014, but by the end of 2015, when I finally ordered a bottle, the presentation had switched over to the single-concentration 100ml EDP variety, which very much smells like the EDP in the original arrangement. Since then, the scent has been renamed “Shihan” due to what I assume was some sort of a legal dispute, but I still like calling it Sensei. In short, this is a winter, masculine-leaning delight, not that it’s strictly for men (despite the existence of a later release, the more feminine-leaning She Sensei, now She Shihan). It includes familiar notes that are somehow rarely all together in one fragrance: whiskey, coffee, and tobacco are the main players, an amalgam of bold winter contributors that play off one another superbly in this dark, dense concoction. The main trio is supported heavily by resins (incense, labdanum, amber, myrrh) along with the curious ambrette seed and some musk, though I don’t especially detect these two. The main story is the boozy tobacco coffee with a healthy dose of resins which satisfies several vices in one bold fragrance. I get exceptional performance on my skin, beast mode for hours and then moderate for hours beyond that, exceptional longevity and very good projection overall, certainly what I expect for high-quality niche juice that suits the colder weather, particularly. The pricing has consistently remained $160 for 100ml (in the US, sold only by Luckyscent) for the past three years, and this value is great, in the same range as Kerosene, 4160 Tuesdays, Hilde Soliani, Phaedon, etc., particularly as his more recent releases have increased in pricing to $175 or $195. While the intrigue of the original presentation will always remain high, and I’m glad to have one of those, the 100ml EDP is still excellent, and the basis for my review / recommendation. Also, for what it’s worth, the name change does not seem correlate with any change in the actual juice as I’ve tried the 100ml EDP Shihan and it’s the same as Sensei. Sensei is a supremely excellent release, nearly-perfect, in my opinion, and a winter staple, in particular. It both conjures cold weather times and also reinforces those occasions when wearing it. Truly a majestic scent. 9 out of 10

Fragrances can be hate or love. They can be forgotten.This is an instant love for me and there are only a few that made to this category and pass the test all the way from the top to the dry down! The minute I have tried it, It took me with the storm. Such a beautiful and unique creation. Opens with a balsamic,resinous and warm spicy dusty notes of rich strong brewed coffee and tobacco ,followed by whiskey note which is giving it extra kick of uniqueness. Going over to even more spices, incense and myrrh. I can smell cinnamon and cardamom that blend perfectly with the arabica coffee note. Its unique more tamed and smooth labdanum ambery base stays still with the undertones of above mentioned both tobacco and coffee which I love especially huge fan of the true coffee note. Great gourmand theme presented all the way in this fragrance without this sometimes overdosed sweetness you can meet in a few other fragrances that makes you feel dizzy not always in a positive way! Much for the people who loves and seek unique,deep, warm,comforting scents. Scents that evokes senses and memories.Scent that invites to life in all the positive way. Definitely a must have in my collection. Glad I will soon add the bottle. Be aware a new one is comming called She <3 Sensei for the ladies : notes :plum,rose,coffee,vanilla,myrrh,cinnamon,ambrette,labdanum,tobacco,musc.

This is not the scent for someone young or juvenile as it's not playful... This smells of Christmas to me... Good Christmas... OLD Christmas... I get lots of incense, spices, and amber... The whiskey/boozy vibe is fleeting and it leaving almost as fast as it appeared doesn't upset me in the least... As time moves on will get just the slightest hints of coffee and the tobacco comes peaking through from time to time in the way that it does in Canfield Cedar by Kerosene but again I predominantly get incense, spices, and amber... (NOTE: These two fragrances don't smell alike at all... Just the uses of tobacco in the two scents are similar...) This is also not at all sweet... It feels warm and for me is actually VERY comforting... Old holiday memories... Good memories... Warm safe memories... I am not sure if this fragrance is still available as the brand's website no longer works and places like Luckyscent are out of stock of the entire fragrance library... This is not a fragrance that I think I will ever want to be without so I really hope it is still in production... This is a 10/10 for me... Just incredible stuff... (Reviewing the EDP Shihan version of the fragrance... MUST be worn on skin...)

Rich and warm smoky, resin orient with the gourmand theme. Well balanced, based on natural ingredients arrangement of Cuban tobacco with accompanied by bitter Arabic coffee and nonchalant chord of elegant alcohol with attractive touches of colonial spices, classic frankincense, myrrh and exquisite labdanum based on ambrette absolute and long-lasting molecules of oriental muscs. Composition of amber color resulting from the use of only natural essences, is designed for strong and courageous personalities conscious of their choices, which often happen to occur in exceptional situations. Fragrance in a gentle but very characteristic manner surrounding the figure with a unique aura which remains solid and slowly changes their sound in the space of time. It's the description made by Piotr Czarnecki which I 100% agree :)

I like it. I like the notes, I like how subtle it comes across. It's very very wearable, masculine or feminine honestly. It doesn't have the greatest dry down, but I really love these notes. I think this perfume is very solid. It's warm, smoky, the top notes are full of color and spice. There is definitely some musk at the bottom, but it works very well with the remaining notes. It's not outstanding or out of this world, but it's very nice and I wouldn't mind adding a bottle to my collection. 7/10 Update: I never stop thinking about this fragrance... or this perfume house. I am obsessed now. I don't know what I was thinking before -this is delectable, warm, cozy, it's lovely.... time to save up for a bottle! 8/10

Wow! This stuff is AMAZING! I get a great mix of whiskey, wood, and tobacco on my skin, with whiffs of supporting notes of coffee, amber, and incense. It is a very well blended masculine fragrance with each note supporting the other. I find Shihan to be a warm, rich, slightly sweet and spicy experience that works well in the cooler days. Although this is marketed as unisex, I find it to be much more on the masculine side. I get great projection and longevity on my skin. This is more of a trendy casual scent, but I can see it in a sports coat as well. Bottom line: If you like masculine scents, you should try a sample of this one.

Lovely. It's in a similar style as Ummagumma and Tobacco Oud, slightly hovering near gourmand territory without fully embracing it or crossing that line. Unlike Ummagumma, it avoids excessive sweetness, and avoids animalic foulness and shrillness that plagues Tobacco Oud. The prominent notes to my nose are whiskey, tobacco, and cloves (not listed), while coffee, incense and labdanum obfuscate the composition adding a smoky undertone. In the dry down, a chocolate note emerges, creating warmth and coziness. A great one for the colder months.

I know it's no longer officially called Sensei anymore, but Piotr Czarnecki's EDP creation is nevertheless a masterpiece in boozy, spicy, tobacco, and amber. And chocolate, cinnamon, cloves(?), and old, leather-bound library books. Thick, dense, resinous, and earthy. Not for the casual fragrance dabbler. This is for grown ups who appreciate fine art, speak several languages, who have seen the world, and lived. It smells pretty damn awesome, too!

I love this stuff. It’s different and the whiskey and coffee notes are so well blended. The whiskey note definitely comes off as a chocolate smell, A little bit of a unknown fragrance is all the more reason to buy it! Too my nose this is not unisex. I could not picture a woman wearing this fragrance at all. Definitely a masculine fragrance.

I am a lucky recipient of a sample of SENSEI and Piotr, this is so well done!! It is very rich, sensual and seductive, the notes are so nicely blended. Feels so sexy! Just can't wait to sample the She version!

The opening notes = gingerbread gourmand with a dark twist! Love it!! Turns very woody after that (the kind of heavy woodiness you find in classic homes with wooden libraries and furtniture).

Update: As of 12/04/21 this fragrance is back in stock on Luckyscent after being MIA for a LOOOOOONG time. So it does still appear to thankfully be in production. ^_^

Edible gingerbread in a bottle! ❤️❤️❤️ perfect for winter, also very potent so one or two sprays is enough!

Surprised there was no Chocolate note listed. Very nice edible scent.

I’ll just addd my raves. A gorgeous dark serious scent.

After I wore this the first time the sample was untouched for couple of years. Perhaps I sprayed it too much the first time, so it made me feel unwell and I didn't want to try it again for a long time. Few months ago I reached for the old sample again when I wanted to wear something I don't usually wear and I was completely blown away. Why did I dislike this scent back then? Sensei (it's called just Piotr Czarnecki EDP nowadays) is for the lovers of warm spiciness. It opens with warm and intense chocolate note with hot (and sometimes almost too sharp) whiskey and roasted coffee beans in the background. The whiskey becomes more dominant as the scent dries down. I can also smell rich pipe tobacco, lots of different spices, amber, myrrh and labdanum. To me this scent is throughout the colour brown, dark brown. Like coffee beans, chocolate, tobacco and brown wooden furniture. There's also hints of more reddish and orange brown like autumn trees and burning woods. This is one of the warmest scents I know and it's really comfy too. I would love to use it in autumn when the days begin to get colder, the air is crisp but the sun still shines brightly through the red and orange leaves. This perfume is quite strong so one small spray is probably enough.

Review of the EDP from a sample This starts off really delicious, with boozy and tobacco-y nuances, soon followed by coffee and, as others have said, something resembling chocolate. It is very warm and comforting. I also perceive what appears to be cloves, like someone else has mentioned here. It does have some kind of retro vibe, is very elegant and classy. More on the masculine side, but not so much so that a woman wouldn't be able to pull it off - in my opinion of course. Sillage is quite soft on me, but it is not a bad thing, when you think that this is quite warm and boozy. It is not something I would overspray! Persistency is good. UPDATE: this blossoms beautifully in the heat.

My review is based on the edp format. It's definitely a wild, spicy but not very sweet gourmand. Like others I get whiskey, spices and coffee up front. A very intense experience. With time the amber seems to sweeten further and the myrrh adds more smokiness. I'm glad the ambrette is low key as it's one of the few notes I don't get on with. I find this pretty much unisex. There is something about this that has bought back memories of walking into a Russian orthodox church in Kensington years ago. It seems to soften further with time although the coffee and spices remain strong for quite a while. Very nice indeed. Good longevity and silage.

EDP Coffee right off the bat followed quickly by boozy chocolate, resins and woods. The spices are not too jarring and are well-blended. They smell like clove and cinnamon. Makes me think of warming up with a Turkish Coffee at a Middle Eastern restaurant on a chilly day. One of the nicer coffee fragrances I have encountered. Totally unisex. Think of a more balanced, more velvety Opium with softer spices, then add a real coffee note. Anybody who enjoys dark, rich fragrances can pull this off easily. Very nice.

I was a bit underwhelmed by this the first time I tried it, but on a second visit, I enjoy it a lot more. I can see the comparison to Pineward gingerbread. Shihan has more clove and dark chocolate, where Gingerbread is heavier on the brown sugar. I would say I prefer Shihan, except it doesn't perform as well on me. I only need a small squirt of Gingerbread, whereas I need to layer up on the Shihan for it to reach my nose.

Damn. Another hype buster. This isn’t a dud - but I definitely wouldn’t consider it outstanding by any stretch of the imagination. I get dry cocoa, wood and a little animatic splash. I would go into more depth, but I sincerely think that covers it. If you’re looking for a chocolate scent - buy Dame Choclate Man and save a few bucks. 6/10

Honestly only tried this because of the name. A nice masculine fragrance. With the initial spray I smell a sweet scent then the spice scent is what sticks out most to me. To me it is a fall or winter night time kind of fragrance. My wife said it kind of smells like Christmas to her.

This is a masterpiece of boozy coffee with beautifully blended tobacco, incense and peppery spice. I wish this was readily available here in Australia, would definitely add to my collection. Sophisticated and mature.

There's no plum??? I could bet on the plum in top notes :) That's how the edt opens on me. Then it develops to a lovely woody note of whiskey and some sweetness of ambrette. Unfortunately it is fleeting.

Not quite sure what Sensei was supposed to mean, but in Japanese it's "teacher," and now they have changed its name to Shihan, which (again in Japanese) is a title for senior instructors...

It wears very well and softens with time. Eau de Toilette reads tobacco, spices, ambrette, musk and whisky to me. There is a cherry facet to it as well. Suitable for winter.

This is quite spicy, opening reminds me of quince, like the one in Dolce Amalfi by Xerjoff (overall, I absolutely love Dolce Amalfi!), only not as sweet. It is like a combination of sourness and resins. Then later it is more of an ambery scent and late in the dry down on me, it is a bit of a piss note. It is a nice, spicy unisex scent, but especially the combination of coffee and cardamon (from the spice) can make it masculine leaning for some. Yet, it is not really my cup of tea. I could wear it, but it does not bring me much excitement.

This is too spice dominant for me. Very old world Christmas like below mentioned. It's also very POTENT. Even on the dry down this is way too spicy for me it's that sharp cutting cinnamon that i just can't handle. Sorry but to me this smells like a candle or a sachet of spices you toss in mulled wine or cider. Maybe a man could pull this off in the Holidays.

smells alot like those chocolate liqour rum candies you would eat during christmas eve also makes you smell like an alcoholic 5-6/10

Bitter dark chocolate and roasted coffee bean, laced with a stinging whiskey, prickly pepper and clove. Initially I find it too intense, almost sickening with that bitter cocoa note hitting me right between the eyes, but gradually things soften, leaving a dark, sharp sweetness similar to a glass of rum and Coke. The bite from the clove pierces the fleeting middle phase of dry tobacco and myrrh, before settling into a tarry labdanum and synthetic, fuzzy woodiness. Not long after, it dissolves into an indistinct booze accord that reminds me of a whiskey-stained carpet in an old man pub. As much as I was put off by the opening, it was certainly a lot more interesting than this stale, dreary booze smell. Obviously the intent with "Sensei" was to create something rich, amorous and bold, but I think it's far too weighed down. There is no freshness to enliven the murky brass tones of the chocolate, whiskey and labdanum. It ultimately feels dull, overbearing and flat, like a bassoon. I wouldn't recommend for a date or for work. People will probably just think you spilled whiskey on yourself.

Very warm perfect for cold Midway. Reminds me Christmas with...cinnamon and spices...its great scent. I can imagine a man wearing it on a dinner somewhere in the islands and in warm climate as well....

EN. Concentrated and simultaneously very masculine: a lot of rum, tobacco and coffee - just a real man. Then gradually appear other ingredients shades, but very modestly, so as not to spoil the first impression of the macho. Impressive packaging and bottle - both handmade. Generally as for me, it's a right step: without any claim to release a masterpiece they made a very a competitive perfume. IT. Concentrato e allo stesso tempo molto maschile: un sacco di rum, tabacco e caffè - un maschio a 100%. Poi a poco a poco appaiono gli altri ingredienti, ma molto modestamente, in modo da non rovinare la prima impressione del macho. Sono davvero impressionanti: la scatola e la bottiglia fatte a mano. Secondo me, è una mossa audace: senza alcun pretesa di rilasciare un capolavoro, sono riusciti di creare un profumo davvero competitivo.

Czarnecki has created an interesting and unique perfume with three different concentrations; Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum and pure extract. Each one will have a slightly different smell with certain notes taking the lead. I'm trying a sample of the EDP. Woah, the opening is powerful. It opens all myrrh, pepper and spices with a dash of dark whiskey on me. It's very dry, earthy and masculine. It has an almost leathery aspect. The tobacco and coffee (pure beans) then come into play which gives it a kind of wispy quality. Sometimes I get hints of clove and anise which I don't particularly like. It's warm, golden and slightly mysterious. It's definitely Oriental but has a Gourmand aspect. It smells like a well-dressed man who is just passing his middle-age and is smoking something strong whilst sitting on a bench surrounded by autumn leaves. This man is powerful, wealthy and knows what he wants. He's probably a lawyer or an old-style gangsta or, yes, a professor. Strangely I get a Person of Interest or even James Bond vibe from it. I think Sensei is a good name for it. It softens about half an hour in and edges more towards the gender-neutral line. It also gets sweeter (as opposed to the initial sour opening) with the cinnamon. I like it's development as it dries down because it feels more like holding a hot beverage whilst sitting by a fire. It's like a hot chocolate rum with a sprinkling of cinnamon. Amber shines through here. It's almost like this perfume has two distinctly different halves. I can see this stage on women but, like Spiritueuse Double Vanille, it feels slightly too old for me. After a couple of hours it becomes fainter and turns into a skin scent.

Shihan is a masculine aromatic. I was hoping for something modern here, but Piotr has crafted something distinctly vintage in this fragrance. The dry woodsy oversoul comes off distinctly true to the inside of a cigar box—one like dad or Grandpa would keep his rolling papers in. It has that exact solid aldehyic aroma, with the pungent sweet-sour tobaccoish body, which the bakery spice elements (such as clove) blend into to accentuate the vintage flare of. The coffee and whiskey notes are not prevalent at all, but if existing here in this formula serve the purpose of fixatives. Don't expect a coffee or a whiskey bomb. I do believe the whiskey fixative is what helps to lift the aldehyic elements to the heights that it has. Undisclosed in the description, there is a distinct light touch of Oud here, that to me, also helps to accentuate the vintage flare (although Oud isn't apart of my childhood or anything). Shihan is a grandpa fragrance through-and-through, and for any such people akin to its nostalgia, it is sure to be a powerful comfort fragrance tforo them. It has a gourmandish aura to it in that sense. It should make you feel like a child again. A trip back in time—to reminisce or rejoice.

First of all note that ive only smelled the EDP. Dunno what the edt or extract smell like. Although saying that, the bottle is pretty cool looking and original. As for the smell it self...... It reminds me of a slightly more interesting espresso royale just because there is more going on. Now I know a lot of people in the community like that scent, but not only do I not think that it smells like coffee, I dont think that stuff smells good even period. Seriously no joke, I think ER smells like a ginger snap cookie. So right after I tried this I was like ok I gotta go ask someone what they think of sensei. I had them smell it, they gave me a strange look. They said they were unable to think of anything it smelled like. I then asked them about ginger snap cookies... Immediately yea it smells like a ginger snap cookie! *shiver* Argh.... Oh well its not a gross or disgusting smell. Just not a nice smell. Anyway... In short a more interesting ER since it has some more dimensions to it that you can smell but ultimately still reminds me of gingersnap cookies and I do not like that smell personally.

NOT QUITE SENSEI-TIONAL I read about this fragrance being a finalist in the artisan category in the 2014 Art and Olfaction awards, so I had high expectations. Opening was all whisky followed very quickly with coffee taking the lead. After a minute or two the tobacco came into play along with an earthy/damp/soil type of note. Interestingly, at times I smelled chocolate, which reminded me a bit of Serge Lutens' Borneo 1834 (an earthy chocolate patchouli scent). Spices are also present, and then I was reminded of another Lutens - Chergui. I'm not suggesting Sensei and Chergui are the same - but if you like Chergui, you may want to sample Sensei. I was enjoying the interplay of coffee/tobacco/whisky and was continually sniffing my wrist. However, after about 2 to 3 hours the exotic dry down started to not only fade, but left behind a faint sour type of note. (Perhaps a Whisky-Sour?) Is this worth sampling? Definitely. Bottle worthy? Not for me. But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate its uniqueness and its appeal to those who enjoy this type of fragrance.

Okay I came back to this scent and was completely blown away by how much I was missing the first time around. This wearing I’m getting a gorgeous spiced incense, strong cloves, gentle tobacco and chocolatey cacao notes. I can detect a hint of coffee but more like an iced mocha vibe. Overall this scores better than my first impressions. The labdanum here is very well blended and provides a really nice backdrop for the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and black tea notes. I guess I’d say Shihan EDP is a spicy black tea and incense scent first and foremost with gentle rolling tobacco and warm amber as a base. Strong projection initially so if you can’t smell it the issue is your nose not the fragrance. It’s so easy to blame our anatomy on a fragrance’s performance issues which is why I’m glad I came back to this. 8/10

wow.. this is quite bizarre! cozy and very tobacco coffee! The whisky, coffee, & tobacco blend is quite medicinal and luring somehow in away that makes it a fragrance rather than someone's smell! Although there is something GREEN that disturbs how this fragrance is going! as i guess it might be the Musc or the Labdanum! but im sure there is something greener in here that makes this fragrance feel like stinks, skunk, or animalic. This fragrance is tough, strong, and powerful & i feel it belongs to a mafia member! it can't be neglected as it is quite very interesting to me although im not a fan of coffee but this one is surprisingly pleasant.

Beautifully balanced for a coffee fragrance. Normally that note overpowers everything in a composition and lots of perfumers seem incapable of utilizing it without using too heavy a hand or completely losing it in the mix. Here, you can very specifically individually pick out the coffee, whiskey, and tobacco. It does remind me of Roasted Coffee Cigarette Whisky from Strangers but substantially better. Performance is just right also - not overpowering like many other things with this type of scent profile, but gives you a nice scent bubble to enjoy. Would love to try more from Piotr Czarnecki.

Sensei (sample) this is a really wonderful fragrance, I pretty much fell in love with it right away, it is an oriental woody, It's starts off with a blast of coffee, the coffee smells like freshly natural ground coffee really nice, then I get some dry tobacco and in the dry down I get some incense and amber, it's a very unique smell, very rich, warm and dark, it's very, spicy, woody and sweet, this would be perfect in the fall and winter, instant love for me 10/10, sample this one out everyone, you will love it, I get good projection and average longevity,

first on, it’s dry yellow pollen, with pepper notes. Spiced wood, like an antique cabinet and a dry incense start to appear, with a distinct but gentle whisky note. Dry as hell, no sweetness here. Labdanum comes in, bringing in sweet amber and smelling like a bottle of Frankincense and Myrrh oil kept in that antique cabinet next to a shot of whisky. The yellow pollen note returns at the end to join these notes and stays like this till it's gone,hours later. An interesting journey and rather lovely in spots. Totally unisex.

The best part of waking up is....Sensei on my skin?!?!!! Where's Folgers when you need it??? Starts out like a great road trip, then it turns redundant. Smh...An RV trip that never ends..."What are you saying Roge', you don't like Sensei?" I mean...It's cool(shoulder shrug). This is definitely not a, "Oh my God I gotta have it" fragrance. The hype machine is in full swing. This is the 2nd best coffee fragrance that i've ever tried. All the other coffee fragrances are tied for 1st place.

When i looked at the notes, i thought it had potential. Have all the notes you want in an Alpha Male fragrance. Coffee, Tobacco, Pepper, Incense, Whiskey. What's not to like right? The opening is a burst of coffee, whiskey and Tobacco. But you quickly notice the direction this is going. Turns very resinous and the sweet amber just makes this an overly sweet aromatic scent which just seems very off when mixed with tobacco.

Wow! what a bomb! sweet myrrh, incense, rum, benzoin, with coffee and spices galore. So gorgeous! this is a bomb of resins, spices and boozy notes. Sweet, dense, ambery, spicy. This is very unusual, I can't remember anything similar to this. It feels vintage in a very good way. The projection is softer than expected.

Beautiful, resinous, tobacco and rich fragrance, niche but totally wearable. Dense, smoky and leathery-sweet with a hint of gingerbread cookies and honey. Unique and long-lasting. Triple bottle feels very steampunk. Love it!

prefer espresso royal by sebastien then this!!! if u whant synthetic go with this! authentic go with espresso royal best coffee scent i never came across!! sorry sensei!! 4/10 sensei! 9/10 sebastien espresso royal!

Very much honey, cinnamon, coffee, and incense. I like it but it also offends me. It has an unwashed body/poopy smell to it that puts me off. Its quite strong and you have to be daring to wear this one.

I'm wearing the EDP. An oriental with a gourmand twist. Really love the tobacco and coffee notes. This scent is flamboyant yet sophisticated and will take your nose on an almost day long journey.

I seem to be anosmic to this scent because all I can smell is a very faint spiced labdanum note and not much else. Maybe a little chocolate. Very quiet, very simple, spicy and underwhelming.

I am totally in love with the bottle!! Such a cool idea with a multi bottle!! Been searching online where to order it without any success....:-( Regards Matz Ridderstrom Stockholm