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You were SO close!
Since becoming interested in perfumery there was one note that captured my attention the most... tobacco. While I can't pinpoint the exact reason that this is the the note that calls out to me the loudest, I am certain that it's in part to the versatility of its scent profile (earthy, sweet, or smokey) and also in part due to how cool, dark, mysterious and old school it can be! So I set out on a mission to discover my tobacco scented holy grail and of course this journey lead to me getting my nose on one of the most talked about and beloved tobacco fragrances in existence... Herod.
I first sampled herod when I purchased the PDM discovery set and initially I was very underwhelmed. I expected to smell a spicier, sophisticated and darker take on Tobacco Vanille but what I got was something far more muted than expected. I could tell that this was well blended but nothing about it immediately jumped out at me that made me see why Herod is as beloved as it is. I told myself to give it some time on my skin and let it develop before I write the fragrance off completely but after 90 minutes I could not even detect it on my hand! I was annoyed and let down but there was an allure to it... something about it that just made me want to try it again. There was an unmistakable smoothness to it that
I needed to experience again resprayed the following day and applied 2 sprays to my wrist instead of 1 and to my surprise this significantly improved it's volume and aroma. This time, instead of looking for a smokier version of TV, I let Herod speak to me in it's own way, and what I discovered absolutely blew me away. I soon used up the full sample and had a full bottle on the way the following week (2023 batch).
Herod opens with a blast of spicy, powdery cinnamon infused tobacco. Initially this opening can be peppery and off-putting but the more I spend with it, the more addictive it becomes and now I'm at the point where Herod's opening is my favourite part of the fragrance. Within 5 minutes sweetness from the vanilla and florals start to open up and these stay warm and constant throughout the entire length of the drydown. But this is where my issue now lies, the longevity...
Herod is not a loud fragrance. I wouldn't even say it has any volume at all beyond the first hour or so. While the drydown remains on my skin for ~8-10 hours, it fails to project even slightly above the skin. Most of Herod's smoothness and beauty will not be experienced by those around you after the first hour. However the more times I wear this, the more I accept that this is okay. This is not a potent, macho and intense tobacco, this is a smooth, subtle, blended to near perfection, intimate tobacco meant to be enjoyed mainly by the one wearing it.
The more time I spend with Herod the more I learn to appreciate what it is. I'm not good at describing fragrances and their notes. I am sure this will come with more experience but I am good at describing how they make me feel. People often say that Carlisle is the fragrance batman would wear and if that's true, then Herod is what he would wear on his day off. Herod excels in being a high quality scent that whispers laid back sophistication. There's an unmistakable classiness here but it's not a formal, black tie event type of classy. This makes me feel like a million dollar man donning a comfortable and warm smoking jacket with a day full of relaxation and cool weather ahead of me. While I often see this described as a date night fragrance and as much as I see how that fits, I see Herod as a day off fragrance. The type of scent you wear when the hard work is done and you are ready to sit back and reap the rewards you have sewn throughout the week. This is more royalty levels of classy as opposed to CEO levels of classy. Warm, relaxing and sweet while still being dark, hazy and alluring.
This would be the holy grail of tobacco fragrances for me if it performed better but damn is it ever good.
I first sampled herod when I purchased the PDM discovery set and initially I was very underwhelmed. I expected to smell a spicier, sophisticated and darker take on Tobacco Vanille but what I got was something far more muted than expected. I could tell that this was well blended but nothing about it immediately jumped out at me that made me see why Herod is as beloved as it is. I told myself to give it some time on my skin and let it develop before I write the fragrance off completely but after 90 minutes I could not even detect it on my hand! I was annoyed and let down but there was an allure to it... something about it that just made me want to try it again. There was an unmistakable smoothness to it that
I needed to experience again resprayed the following day and applied 2 sprays to my wrist instead of 1 and to my surprise this significantly improved it's volume and aroma. This time, instead of looking for a smokier version of TV, I let Herod speak to me in it's own way, and what I discovered absolutely blew me away. I soon used up the full sample and had a full bottle on the way the following week (2023 batch).
Herod opens with a blast of spicy, powdery cinnamon infused tobacco. Initially this opening can be peppery and off-putting but the more I spend with it, the more addictive it becomes and now I'm at the point where Herod's opening is my favourite part of the fragrance. Within 5 minutes sweetness from the vanilla and florals start to open up and these stay warm and constant throughout the entire length of the drydown. But this is where my issue now lies, the longevity...
Herod is not a loud fragrance. I wouldn't even say it has any volume at all beyond the first hour or so. While the drydown remains on my skin for ~8-10 hours, it fails to project even slightly above the skin. Most of Herod's smoothness and beauty will not be experienced by those around you after the first hour. However the more times I wear this, the more I accept that this is okay. This is not a potent, macho and intense tobacco, this is a smooth, subtle, blended to near perfection, intimate tobacco meant to be enjoyed mainly by the one wearing it.
The more time I spend with Herod the more I learn to appreciate what it is. I'm not good at describing fragrances and their notes. I am sure this will come with more experience but I am good at describing how they make me feel. People often say that Carlisle is the fragrance batman would wear and if that's true, then Herod is what he would wear on his day off. Herod excels in being a high quality scent that whispers laid back sophistication. There's an unmistakable classiness here but it's not a formal, black tie event type of classy. This makes me feel like a million dollar man donning a comfortable and warm smoking jacket with a day full of relaxation and cool weather ahead of me. While I often see this described as a date night fragrance and as much as I see how that fits, I see Herod as a day off fragrance. The type of scent you wear when the hard work is done and you are ready to sit back and reap the rewards you have sewn throughout the week. This is more royalty levels of classy as opposed to CEO levels of classy. Warm, relaxing and sweet while still being dark, hazy and alluring.
This would be the holy grail of tobacco fragrances for me if it performed better but damn is it ever good.
ScentToolbox
