9
Top Review
Opus XIV - Royal Liquorice
Sadly, I can't call this scent the king of tobacco anymore, but rather the queen of licorice. The king is dead, long live the queen. The original G batch was a lot smokier, presumably due to higher concentrations of incense and tobacco. I've tried H batch and well, let's say it's a different beast.
Current formulation dials down frankincense, allowing the prominent spices like anise and fenugreek to take over and blend with sugary licorice. After a while, I start getting whiffs of tobacco and the sillage is green, spicy and a bit herbal. However, the scent profile is quickly dominated by the sweet licorice.
Thankfully, the drydown stays true to Amouage's origins. I get some woodiness, honey-like myrrh and the creamy quality of benzoin and vanilla. There's also a smooth, slightly smoky leathery feel, I'm assuming that's birch tar and labdanum at play.
While tobacco slowly disappears throughout the drydown, licorice seems to be amped up to the point where it lasts forever, which makes Royal Tobacco sweet and mass-appealing. The performance is still decent, I get 10 hours on skin and 4 hours of projection.
If you're expecting a smoky tobacco scent, you'll be disappointed. In order to experience Cécile Zarokian's award-winning blend, look for the G batch. The current version is about anise, licorice, resins and a touch of tobacco. It's alright, but it doesn't live up to its name.
Current formulation dials down frankincense, allowing the prominent spices like anise and fenugreek to take over and blend with sugary licorice. After a while, I start getting whiffs of tobacco and the sillage is green, spicy and a bit herbal. However, the scent profile is quickly dominated by the sweet licorice.
Thankfully, the drydown stays true to Amouage's origins. I get some woodiness, honey-like myrrh and the creamy quality of benzoin and vanilla. There's also a smooth, slightly smoky leathery feel, I'm assuming that's birch tar and labdanum at play.
While tobacco slowly disappears throughout the drydown, licorice seems to be amped up to the point where it lasts forever, which makes Royal Tobacco sweet and mass-appealing. The performance is still decent, I get 10 hours on skin and 4 hours of projection.
If you're expecting a smoky tobacco scent, you'll be disappointed. In order to experience Cécile Zarokian's award-winning blend, look for the G batch. The current version is about anise, licorice, resins and a touch of tobacco. It's alright, but it doesn't live up to its name.