Sublime Tonka

This is an absolute sleeper on Fragrantica, and the lack of hype here is criminal. If you are still grieving the discontinuation of Mugler's A*Men Pure Tonka, pay attention. Sublime Tonka is the aristocratic, high-net-worth upgrade. The opening is a beautiful shock to the senses. It hits you with a bright, vibrant blast that almost tricks your nose into thinking there is citrus, but it is actually a massive dose of zesty Elemi resin. It pulls you in immediately. The cinnamon here is masterful. It is not that thick, suffocating, bakery-style cinnamon that ruins lesser fragrances. It is a sharp, woody, perfectly balanced spice that you appreciate the second you realize it is there. As the volatile top notes burn off, the heart pulls you down into a smoky, deeply sophisticated core of raw frankincense, clary sage, and heavy tobacco. This is where it separates itself from basic designer clubbing scents. It wears like heavy armor. You have to be patient for the true gourmand base. It is a dense, heavy concoction of Tonka bean absolute, wheat bran, and balsamic resins that physically needs time to heat up on the skin and rise to the surface. I just unsealed my retail bottle, and I already know that after a few months of maceration in the dark, this dense base is going to multiply into a beast-mode projector. If I have one singular critique, it is that I wish it had just a fraction more raw vanilla in the dry-down. But I am an unapologetic vanilla whore, so take my bias with a grain of salt. Bottom line: A masterful, resinous, aromatic gourmand. Do not let the lack of reviews fool you. 10/10 blind buy success.

If a niche fragrance was a safe and delightful wearing experience for fall and winter, this would be it. Amazingly pleasant and balanced high quality cozy, sweet-ish, spicy-ish blend. I love it. This is a warm amber-tobacco-spice fragrance, that doesn't smell like anything else, but if you're not satisfied with the quality of winter designer fragrances, try this one. Don't come for me for what I said, instead, try it. BTW there are elements in it that link it to other fragrances from the line, the saffron, the musk, and the tobacco. There is an overarching vibe that binds this line together. Addition later: In the dry down, this is a textbook example of how a tonka bean fragrance should be done.

Rating: 4.8/5 ⭐ he longevity is impressive, easily lasting 16–18 hours on skin and even longer on fabric. The sillage is moderate it commands attention without being intrusive.

Not a fan of this in June! But I can easily anticipate its beauty during fall and winter. Definitely a cooler season scent and a rich, good quality blend. I noticed some reviewers saying it has a feminine undertone and I can see it. At the same time, it feels quite masculine on a woman - might end up in the "too masculine for a woman and too feminine for a man" category for me, but I'd need more tests once the summer months are gone (won’t perform more testing though, because I bought it for a gift). Unfortunately there are no samples out there so I'd advise being a bit more cautious if you're into more feminine-leaning perfumes. For sure you need to like tonka (surprise, surprise...) and be OK with the tobacco, which is constantly lurking there. It's a spicy / balsamic tobacco though, no dirty cigarette smell or anything like that. Generally speaking, rich and sexy perfume for a man. I have an impression that this fragrance is what Khamrah Dukhan should be if it had any class. Also, it has nothing in common with Rosendo no. 9 - only the fact it is as well a rich, smooth fall and winter scent.

Have a full bottle in EU, only sprayed twice. reach out if you want to buy