Top Notes 
Heart Notes 
Base Notes 
09/18/2023
NicheOnly
60 Reviews
NicheOnly
3
Not as innovative as they were pre-Estee Lauder
I don't usually blind-buy fragrances, mainly because I dislike landing in situations like the one I think I am in with Smoking Hot. After my first wear, I'd say that I like the scent but I don't love it. Take your current wish list and look exactly in the middle - those are scents that you like (and may eventually buy), but don't need. That's where Smoking Hot would be on my list.
The wearing experience offers some layers. Upon first spray, I guess the surprising part is that there is zero smokiness, incense etc. I mainly get fruity & a little bit bitter/sweet. Shortly after, the sweetness starts to accumulate & the fruity/bitter accords turn into a clearer apple note. The scent begins to mimic a winterized version of Apple Brandy on the Rocks.
Thereafter, it's the dry & warm spicy tobacco notes that star with the apple for the next 2 hours. The key comparison here is to think of Smoking Hot as the apple-tobacco equivalent to how fragrances like Herod, Manhattan Eau de Parfum, and Boundless use their cherry-tobacco tonality. You could even think of the latest Kilian as a blend of (1) an amped-up Apple Brandy, and (2) a milder Herod. Worthy of note is that this scent doesn't actually offer me any resemblance of Angels' Share.
I think as a whole it's blended well. I think it offers some unique edges, as it isn't just another play in the Herod ballpark nor in the Manhattan/Boundless ballpark. I think in the air it's really nice - it's approaching niche-smelling niche much the same way like a Russian Tea, or an Aquila Absolute in that it combines accords in non-standard fashion.
But simultaneously, I don't think it's that innovative. And post-Estee Kilian as a whole isn't putting out anything that has me in a chokehold, much like how Maison Francis Kurkdjian is riding on the coattails of BR540 & Grand Soir. Fall-winter fragrances are the only thing Kilian is objectively great at, but just like MFK, I wonder how much of my sentiment is just nostalgia and the brand living off their household names.
There's no doubt that I need more time with it. But I will start (in my opinion) conservatively and rate it an 8/10. It's a like, not a love. While the performance is subject to change, I'd say I get moderate-to-strong sillage for a couple hours. Longevity is on the lower end of good; my 7/10 ranking is 7 to 8 hours but I did feel like the scent does actually die off far before 7 hours with shred ounces of the warm spicy & tobacco accords remaining for upwards of 10 hours.
The wearing experience offers some layers. Upon first spray, I guess the surprising part is that there is zero smokiness, incense etc. I mainly get fruity & a little bit bitter/sweet. Shortly after, the sweetness starts to accumulate & the fruity/bitter accords turn into a clearer apple note. The scent begins to mimic a winterized version of Apple Brandy on the Rocks.
Thereafter, it's the dry & warm spicy tobacco notes that star with the apple for the next 2 hours. The key comparison here is to think of Smoking Hot as the apple-tobacco equivalent to how fragrances like Herod, Manhattan Eau de Parfum, and Boundless use their cherry-tobacco tonality. You could even think of the latest Kilian as a blend of (1) an amped-up Apple Brandy, and (2) a milder Herod. Worthy of note is that this scent doesn't actually offer me any resemblance of Angels' Share.
I think as a whole it's blended well. I think it offers some unique edges, as it isn't just another play in the Herod ballpark nor in the Manhattan/Boundless ballpark. I think in the air it's really nice - it's approaching niche-smelling niche much the same way like a Russian Tea, or an Aquila Absolute in that it combines accords in non-standard fashion.
But simultaneously, I don't think it's that innovative. And post-Estee Kilian as a whole isn't putting out anything that has me in a chokehold, much like how Maison Francis Kurkdjian is riding on the coattails of BR540 & Grand Soir. Fall-winter fragrances are the only thing Kilian is objectively great at, but just like MFK, I wonder how much of my sentiment is just nostalgia and the brand living off their household names.
There's no doubt that I need more time with it. But I will start (in my opinion) conservatively and rate it an 8/10. It's a like, not a love. While the performance is subject to change, I'd say I get moderate-to-strong sillage for a couple hours. Longevity is on the lower end of good; my 7/10 ranking is 7 to 8 hours but I did feel like the scent does actually die off far before 7 hours with shred ounces of the warm spicy & tobacco accords remaining for upwards of 10 hours.
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