Finale J.F. Schwarzlose Berlin 2025

No, for real: I love scents that do open with a blast of fruity liqueur and this nectarine one it's really pleasant. And then, datura and davana! Imagine a narcotic scent but make it masculine: that's how Finale ends up thanks to the fantastic tobacco note. It has a bit of sweetness going around, but the kind given by distilled booze and not gourmand, and it settles down on woody tobacco notes. This is delicious!

Schwartzlose Berlin
Finale by Schwartzlose Berlin
Stop everything and smell this.

Finale by J.F. Schwarzlose Berlin is not just another release. This is the kind of fragrance that makes you close your eyes after the first spray and think, yes… this is it.

From the very first second, nectarine liqueur, davana and pink pepper explode off the skin. It feels vibrant, slightly boozy and sensuous. The opening shines with confidence, like you just stepped into the room and everyone turned their head at once. Yes, it’s me entering the room and I feel confident and comfortable.

I am smelling Good!

Then it deepens. T0bacco and benzoin melt together in a creamy, almost addictive embrace. Datura adds a dark floral twist that feels sensual and daring. I love this stage. It is smooth. Intentional. Beautifully blended. Nothing feels random. Every note knows exactly why it is there and gives you attention.

As it settles, guaiac wood, vetiver and balsam fir create a warm, glowing trail that radiates for hours. The sillage is strong, the longevity impressive. You will be smelled. And people will love it.
After wearing Finale once, you will want the bottle. Not later. Immediately.

Schwarzlose Berlin proves again why their creations stand apart. This is emotion, elegance and seduction in one unforgettable composition.

The hype surrounding the big Finale comeback definitely made me curious. The story about the Berlin stage world and the promising olfactory pyramid sounded like an absolute banger for the colder season. After extensive testing, however, my conclusion remains rather muted: you can definitely wear it, but by no stretch of the imagination do you need it in your collection.

Scent: 7.5/10
The opening is actually the best part. You get a fairly dense, sweet nectarine liqueur. It packs quite a punch at first, making you think you're in for a deep gourmand powerhouse.
Unfortunately, the shift happens much too quickly for my nose. As soon as the liqueur recedes, benzoin takes full control. I usually enjoy benzoin, but here the whole composition simply turns too dry and powdery for me.
The tobacco, unfortunately, has none of that rich, moist pipe-tobacco vibe; instead, it feels like dusty, dry tobacco leaves.
Towards the end, the fragrance flattens out quite a bit in my opinion. While the woody notes of guaiac and vetiver salvage some of the structure, this chalky powderiness runs like a common thread through the entire remaining progression.
In the drydown, the fragrance simply lacks juiciness, contrast, or any exciting twist to break things up.

Longevity: 7/10
The performance is okay, but nothing extraordinary.

Conclusion:
The opening of the fragrance is genuinely convincing, but unfortunately, the rest is a complete disappointment.

Last night, I sprayed Finale by Schwarzlose Berlin for the first time. It was one of those days when I could already feel that something was in the air-perhaps the transition from late summer to autumn, or maybe just my own mood.

The first spray hit me like a small fanfare. This bright, peppery tingling, accompanied by the sweetness of nectarine, was like a curtain being drawn back and the light flooding the stage. I couldn't help but smile because it was so vibrant and at the same time unusual. For a moment, I felt as if I were sitting in the front row of a premiere, eagerly anticipating what was to come.

After an hour, the scent changed, and with it, my mood. The spiciness softened, deepened, becoming almost mysterious. Tobacco and resin emerged, wrapping around me like warm velvet. I was out with friends, but inside, I felt completely in tune with myself, like in a monologue that only I could hear. One of my friends leaned in during our conversation and suddenly said, “You smell so… dramatic today.” I had to laugh because that’s exactly how it felt.

When I later walked home alone, the scent was almost just a whisper. Wood, smoke, something dark clinging to my skin. It was as if the day had played a final chord that slowly faded away. I stood by the window for a while, looking at the streetlights and feeling: Finale is not an end, but that mysterious pause between farewell and new beginning.

Recently, I had the chance to test "Finale" at my trusted perfumery (Becker in Bonn). The opening surprised me with a note that I immediately perceived as juicy apricot, even though the pyramid mentions nectarine liqueur.

While I was still contemplating, my wife was already smitten, and that says something, as Tillia from MAB has set the bar extremely high for her. Finale, which also leans towards a more gourmand (what a word) direction, may not have surpassed that level, but it easily reached it.

What makes this fragrance unique for me is its masterful balance. I don't know of a comparable scent that skillfully combines this subtle, liqueur-like fruitiness with a deep, masculine tobacco note and multifaceted vetiver. Perhaps it was the thorn apple!? Who knows? Never smelled it before.

Gourmand: No
Masculine: No
Feminine: No

Balance and character in perfect symbiosis.