Red Hoba

I love this! Red Hoba is a true niche perfume, it just oozes out luxury and it gives you this lifting sensation when you feel just so empowered. I love how different it is, it has a very nice a bit earthy scent that might be because of the patchouli note. There is a light animalic feeling also, a light sweetness and you can totally smell orris note. It is a very rounded perfume, no harsh notes, no piercing notes, nothing that could disturb perfect balance - a harmony of a very powerful potion. Red Hoba is super opulent, very mystical and a little bit dark in a good way, I would totally keep this perfume for special moments, for evenings, and maybe even for the autumn/winter season. You don't have to spray a lot, because this just radiates everywhere, it creates a perfumed aura around you, everywhere you go people will notice. It is very potent. Longevity is also spectacular - my clothes smell like this perfume even the other day in the evening. Very nice, truly different, and unique perfume. For me, it is mystical in every possible way. I think Fragrantica suggests the perfumer wrong, as the perfumer of this scent is Cécile Zarokian.

I agree with Ginger Kitty that less is more in the case of Red Hoba. Liberally applied, one might get knocked out by the sticky sweet caramel opening and your nerve endings may be so flooded by it you can't smell anything else thereafter. However there is a continuation to this story so if the word "caramel" put you off, be patient and give the scent a chance. You know the cozy and warm feeling you get from amber scents or gourmand scents (if you are a lover of either of course)or whatever it is that makes you melt and become a content purring kitty? That's how Red Hoba makes me feel as it leaves the caramel behind and delves into a pile of dusty dried leaves and woody notes, a blurry sepia background and mild sweet spices. Like an autumnal painting. Like nuzzling the warm fur of your beloved pet. As Lana148 put it, Red Hoba smells of a little bit of everything but in an appealing and unusual way. It has an average projection but I did apply sparingly as forewarned and good longevity. P.S: although it does start off with caramel, it's not an overly sweet caramel, coming from someone who does enjoy her sweets :)

Recently I tried a lot of beautiful and less beautiful scent that made me very glad . Red Hoba dangerously shooked me and thrilled me , and I loved it ... I like when the scent intrigues me, when it is special , and when it finally impresses me above my expetations , because reading reviews of it , I'm not expecting too much ... However , he is a top player , dense , sweet musky patchouli and incense gourmet overtones , enriched with woody notes that have dropped a essences of jasmine and labdanum . No Xerjoff signature but has a tremendous desire to possess ... Going to the wish list and I hope I will not wait long ... Momo Master June 26 2015

Amazing gourmand. Ditch the complicated reviews and negatives below.... It starts out as a walloping Caramel Fudge or Toffee and after 45 minutes turns into a surreal super super smooth cinnamon vanilla ice cream - the patchouli giving a pinch of dark or coldness hence the ice cream analogy. The price is the only complaint - I’m going to start saving - I’ve bought so many samples lol If you like gourmand grab it if you can. Male or female.

Warm and inviting , to me smells like pure comfort. Sillage is strong and the longevity is extreme , no joke lasted me through 2 days and then a machine wash on a shirt one time and whenever i spray behind my head and sit at my chair for 10 minutes i can still smell the scent , although weakly , more then a week later . Absolutely would purchase again and again , and the little meteorite it comes with is just a great bonus at this point

Starts with a cinnamon spiced Belgian waffle wearing a huge amount of vanilla ice cream. It is very sickly and sweet but not overbearingly so, from behind this symphony of gourmand nuances comes permutations of bergamot and jasmine that dance an the skin like a lovers sigh. more to come Sergio is a true master of his talent who compares with Roja Dove Jaques and Jean - Paul Guerlain

الكثير مممن اعرفهم حكم على هذا العطر بالفشل بسبب ان فيه نوتة اقرب لرائحة الحلوى لا انكر تلك الرائحة ولم اجد حتى الان عطر قدم تلك الرائحة ضمن مكونات سبايسية ومسكية كهذا العطر الرائع المتقن تماما قد لا يعجبك العطر نعم ولكن انظر الى العمل الفني ككل وكيف اخرجت تلك المكونات وكيف تم التعامل والسيطرة عليها

Smoky pink lemonade. Just bought meself a full bottle. I wear this only for formal occasion.

I looooove it so much great for cold weather, long lasting around 12 hours

I recently got a sample of this and i haven't seen anybody mention this, but it smells like salted licorice and slightly salted caramel to me. Its undeniable to my nose. I really like it. Idk what is making the fragrance to smell like licorice, maybe the incense mixed with cardamom or patchouli but If you are someone who has been looking for licorice smelling fragrance, then this is definitely something you should try.

Comment from post before me. Initially when sprayed it is smells like a fruity yoplait yogurt. It develops for the better. Into an herbal/papyrus/incensey with the former notes in the background. Blind bought a full bottle and it came with a packet of meteorites from Siberia. Develops for the better.

درود... این عطر فوق العادست... بویش شبیه هیچی نیست اما خیلی خاص و خوردنی و باحاله... ابتداش شیرینه اما بعد به تلخی خاصی تبدیل میشه.. شیرینی بویش شبیه چیزی نیست که بو کرده باشید و ماندگاریس فوقالعادست و پخشش هم عااااللللیییییه...، من از جایی خارج از کشور تهیه کردم حدود ۷۹۰ تومن و واقعا ارزش داره...

Red Hoba is a warm and inviting scent. The cinnamon and cardamom in the opening are lovely, and the incense and patchouli in the heart add depth and complexity. It dries down to a musky, woody base that's perfect for cooler weather. Definitely unisex.

I thought people were exaggerating when they said this smells like licorice, but coming from a licorice country (the Netherlands) this does smell like I'm doused in licorice. Not the sweet candy but the tangy salty kind with loads of salmiak (including the soft ammoniak smell). Longevity is superb, 16+ hours on skin and several days on clothes. I am not a fan of wearing this on itself, but if you layer this with something sweet like a vanilla base or with a honey fragrance (Mamluk) it's actually quite good. Also be weary not to overspray, this perfume works better when it's applied modestly.

This was a blind buy. Dirty patchouli and trace slightly sweeter notes underneath (barely) is about all I get. I don’t care for it really. It has a greenness (from cardamom? Or perhaps papyrus) that almost reminds me of galbanum, but not quite — and not really in a good way. It’s the only xerjoff so far with which I’m less than impressed. Then again, I’m not typically a patchouli fan. It may work better oh my husband.

Less cardamom than I would have wanted.

As much as I love the Xerjoff house, this is definitely not a good creation. The opening is incomprehensible being too sweet with some spicy note and excessively cloying and at all that it smells like a chemical synthetic mess! The dry down makes way for mild woody/dry notes while that mess from the opening smooths down, nonetheless this is not a fragrance that will change and keep you wondering, is almost linear so if you didn’t like that opening everybody is warning you about, don’t expect anything more. After 4 hours the scent remains the same just that the woody/dry notes gave way for hints of a sweet darker note which I feel as musk, vanilla, incense accompanying that chemical synthetic mess from the opening which is always dominant. I’m surprised at how Xerjoff created a fragrance like this and to which purpose. Even putting the messy blending to a side, the quality is way below average.

When it first bursts out of the bottle, it smells like a lot of cooking spices mixed with a little bit of sweetness. It smells like cinnamon and Christmastime. I thought I was going to love it. But once it makes contact with anything, it starts to give off a campfire vibe. I feel like there is a great perfume hiding under all the dirty, smokey stench that is going on, but I can't get over the bonfire-smelling weirdness. Interesting for sure, but I'll never wear it. May wear better on a man.

Childish and overly sweet with a lollipop or chupachups vibe I can't stand. Absurdly priced too, 400€? i wouldn't buy this even for 50€. Big thumbs down!

Definitely is smokey to me, like those incense swung during church, with sweetness added to it. I can see this leaning as a masculine scent.

This is just terrible. Sickly sweet and cloying. What a disappointment from Xerjoff.

A late October afternoon, 1995. A wooden farm house somewhere in easten Europe. Not a sound. An old man clearing up the pigsty and making sure all chicken are back to the hen-coop before the dinner is ready. Up in the sky - a thin thread of smoke coming from the chimney. An old woman is toiling in the kitchen. The old couple's children and grandchildren are coming to visit today. A big day! An old man goes down to the basement and picks the largest smoked pork loin to treat the guests - that is the Red Hoba.

smells like yogurt being burnt on a crusty fire pit. ive smelled probably atleast 1k fragrances by now, this is in top 5 least favorites. oh god its horrid.

I can't help but wonder if people who are trying this fragrance, are in fact using too much. So many of the Xerjoff fragrances are immensely dense and powerful. All that is need for most of the creations is a gentle puff, not a blast that drenches you, choking all possible pleasure out of the subtle notes that last a long time. That said, we are all different and wear fragrances differently for differing reasons and with a diversity of effects and responses from others. All kudos and respect to you for choosing what is right for you. At different times, I have mentioned elsewhere, I enjoy layering fragrances. Not because there is anything wrong with the blends, they are as the creator(s) wanted them - please change nothing. It is simply by my blending things together they reveal previously hidden dimensions in their structures. This fragrance if uniquely mingled in a playful way with the counterpart Blue Hope (which is more subtle) balance each other, invites me to smell deeper and take me to places in my senses and memory otherwise less accessible and less visited. Given the potential strength and vigour of Red Hoba, I much prefer one gentle spray of Red Hoba to two or three of Blue Hope, or on a bad day when my senses are less sensitive maybe even four or five of Blue Hope. I have yet to buy Blue Hope. Once I do, this beguiling mixing will be my favourite way to explore and appreciate their individuality and potential. As with so many fragrances I like these days, my preferences have become more niche, I need to accept that what I like requires me to spend more to satiate my desires. One thing is for sure, there is no going backwards for me.

1st of all if you want a mass pleasing Xerjoff, Their Library of fragrances is large! There’s diff Meifisto’s & 3 different Torino’s The list goes on!! Gourmond’s? want Oud’s there’s a bunch! However if you’re more in touch with you’re artistic side or perhaps consider yourself the more creative type, Maybe a Trendsetter, >Like myself< A Leader & NEVER a follower, You may wanna consider trying this one out..Carded samples are on eBay for $10 all day along with Blue Hoba which is equally hated or so it seems..I don’t like to get in too deep with notes or perfumers But I can’t help but notice I have so many fragrances by Chris Maurice! Perfumer of some of the biggest Niche fragrances period. Multiple fragrance houses!! So those of you saying this here is a mess are intitled to your opinions, But infact don’t know much on this topic! I myself get the caramel over everything on initial spray, But not the cloying nose burning caramel disaster in dirt cheap fragrances! I get the patchouli listed but not the chocolatey cakey patch I usually love & prefer..The earthy green kind that’s seeming to give this fruit punch amber & what bit of caramel goodness that’s still may be left this haze & Then again THE CASTOREUM! A deal breaker for some but not me,To me this here is clearly a definite YES!! Different, Yeah, Odd, perhaps a little crazy?? My kind of crazy!! I bought this one before Blue Hope & although I love them both..I lean towards this a little more!! I love the ones I know I can’t explain the most..Nevertheless this here is a Mysterious Statement Maker Of A Fragrance! Totally a banger in my book!

I should hate this one on principle yet I don’t. It’s like a buffet of everything I dislike in perfume, yet it’s weirdly appealing. It opens with a horrifyingly strong caramel note infused with iris. Mercifully, the overbearing caramel drops away within minutes and what remains is a lipstick note merged with a dough-like effect. And then, somehow, the whole thing shifts floral. The floral is a heady, composite jasmine which, when combined with a spicy cinnamon accord, creates a shimmer effect. In fact, all of the components seem to shimmer in and out of view as your mind races from one aspect to the next. This is a perfume that should not work in any capacity, yet it’s a success. It’s wildly unique and what makes it tick is the velvety red/pink hue of the lipstick that latches onto the floral accord, creating a sophisticated, semi-vintage make-up kind of feel over a mildly foody foundation. This should not be as likable as it is. It's confounding and weird, but highly impressive for a line that tends to play things far too safe.

If I didn't have a boxed sample direct from Xerjoff, I'd think I got a mislabeled sample based upon the reviews. I was expecting a gourmand. Instead I'm getting an intensely smoky patchouli incense with a big dose of cardamom. I don't smell any caramel or sweet notes, at least not sweet in a gourmand way. More like the a slight sweetness you get from some incense. The patchouli is strong in this. I love patchouli so it's working for me but it's not at all what I expected. Very little cinnamon on my skin. This is labeled an Oriental Vanilla but I'm only getting the Oriental part. Overall, a smoky, patch incense on me. Barely sweet. It's ok but I find it pretty boring. Disappointed it didn't work on my skin.

This has a peculiar red berries type of resinous vibe, with a good dose of spices, it's an oriental scent, that's sophisticated, it evolves into dusty jasmine, and dries down to a comforting cashmeran soft musky scent with a lot of character and boldness, elements of papyrus and dry woods with a cold vibe from the cardamom maybe and dusty patchouli come through after sometime of application, the hints of candied resins stay throughout but turn a little powdery. The scent somehow fits the name, if they indeed meant to refer to the "Hoba" meteorite amidst the sandy deserts of Namibia. The quality of ingredients is surely noticed, overall it's another classy scent from Xerjoff.

Intense cardomom and cinnamon spice bomb (yes) It's sweet which is good but there is just too much spice, like Niche tends to do when doing spicy so this tends to come off as even a bit smoky, which for me, alongside any of the 'heavier notes' like oud, leather etc - is a no no This for me comes off very similar to Pschadelique from Jovoy - it's unforgiving, brash and totally unapologetic in it's rampage from the very 1st spray Sad becasue if it had vanilla and less spice it would have been easily wearable and pleasant surprise but it's just too overbearing the 1st hour sorry, no way for me Quality: 8/10 Overall rating: 5/10

This is a beautiful spicy oriental perfume. This is Smokey, sweet, and resinous. This is a cardamom bomb, and actually is giving me very similar vibes to Amabile from the V line. This is a beautiful complex spicy oriental perfume. If you don’t like cardamom you will not like this. For those that are hating this fragrance I can almost guarantee you they are over spraying, or they don’t like cardamom. Either way this is a beautiful creation that is meant to be layered with blue hope which is bright and beautiful and blue, where this is Smokey deep and red.

Red Hoba opens with very, very disturbing carmelised burned sugar , syrupy , very cloying note I Think this orris rot note is a big mistake in this scent. It doesnt fit here. Without this and musk it would be better ! Ok so the sweetness is over but the smell of orris is still soo disturbing .. I can sense alot of beautiful incense , some white flowers and woodsy papyrus notes, great balsamic spicy aura but all together under the orris note !!!! It would be so lovely without musc and orris , but those two are totally destroyed it !

Opens like sweet & salty caramel gourmand, but dries down to be sweet-spicy-woody fragrance. Very complex and interesting, this mix features orris, papyrus, cardamom and woody notes. "A little bit of everything" seems to be trending lately. Overall: warm, little sweet & dusty, smoky - interesting and cozy. Great choice for autumn or winter. I like the "unusualness" of this fragrance!

This scent is something else. It’s very hard to describe it, someone mentioned below that it smells like vitamins and I totally agree and feel the same. It’s reminding me rhubarb and a lot of spices, even a spice bazaar, all notes are very dry. It’s hard to imagine how it smells by only looking at the notes, you should wear it to really understand it. Very long lasting and loud.

One reviewer below (caljuan) listed 3 top Master Parfumiers..... I agreed with those excellent pics, but I also believe that Jean-Claude Ellena & Francis Kurkdjian should be recognized in such company as well....... I.M.O of course....

The opening smells like you put your nose in a bottle of Flintstones vitamins. Emphasis on the vitamin bit. It smooths out after a while and loses its vitamin like smell.

No disrespect, but why would you want to smell like this?? It’s so bad. Like licorice cough syrup

LOADS of cinnamon and a high dose of cardamom in a bed of an incensed caramel accord.

This smells 90% similar with Clive Christian X feminine. Unbelievable!!

The perfumer of this is Cecile Zarokian. Not Chris Maurice

This is just straight up licorice.