Dustymusky

The workday begins - in the wintry forest. A few juniper trees are being felled - that was clearly announced. The bitter-herb, somewhat cumbersome scent of the freshly cut wood hangs in the air and challenges us. After felling, during the debranching, splitting, and stacking, resin seeps from the wood and mixes with the gentle aroma emitted by the scattered needles. The overall scent becomes more forest-like and spicier. It's lunchtime, and to pass the time, a wooden pipe is carved. The fragrance seems to gradually dissipate. To see if the pipe fits well in the mouth, it is stuffed with a spicy tobacco. The now tobacco-infused juniper forest scent has become warmer, albeit subtle and quite close to the skin in character. But every now and then, when we think there's nothing more to smell, a light wave comes back. The pipe is not lit. Later at home, in the evening, the scent mixture is still detectable. I now crave a snack, followed by a sloes schnapps by the fireplace. Overall, a very appealing fragrance composition, unusual, restrained, not necessarily light fare. The bitter-woody contrast with the warm tobacco-resin base note can certainly impress me. The scent feels authentic and natural - simply well done. I have nothing in my collection of woody fragrances that resembles this one. A lovely workday with En from Svensk Parfym comes to an end, one that I would gladly repeat.

The cooler days are just around the corner. It's time to bring out the warm, heavy fragrances from the back rows of the shelf. Mancera's Red Tobacco is indeed a perfume that divides opinions among fragrance enthusiasts online. Most comments fall into the "enthusiastic" category, but a significant minority expresses sheer horror.
For me, as a semi-novice, this scent belongs to the sweet, oriental oud-musk fragrances that can be found online under variations of the term Kalemat, sometimes as perfume spray, but more often as perfume oil. This scent here is complex, lush, initially very sweet on warm skin, but from a distance, it has a saffron-spicy character. The oud provides the base here, but it does not dominate. I can only faintly detect it. These fragrances are not something I would wear daily, but now and then I apply it, and I am fascinated by this intense oriental vibe. The Mancera can turn a boring workday upside down or spice up a looming event. When dosed well, it is wearable, as long as you don't let it intimidate you and don't - quote - look the scent directly in the eyes.
What is truly exceptional about Mancera's Red Tobacco is the pronounced tobacco note that pushes itself through and beneath the scent after the initial honey-like, somewhat cherry-like ;-) explosion. This note reminds me of a fresh pack of unfiltered cigarettes. Tobacco - when not lit - has always fascinated me. Imagine this tobacco scent combined with gradually spicier honey cake and a hint of oud and musk, which re-emerges in waves over many hours - that is Mancera's Red Tobacco!
A little tip - if you want to try it out before making a blind purchase, you can assemble a five-pack of stylish travel sprays (8 ml) or five sample vials (2 ml) for a reasonable price from Mancera's own website.

Elie Saab Oud Essence is quite a puristic Oud presentation. The notes of black pepper and benzoin listed at the top of the fragrance pyramid do not match the saffron and cinnamon mentioned on the Elie Saab website. I do perceive the saffron, but whatever else is in there besides Oud serves only to support it. This Oud initially starts off a little burnt or smoky, accompanied by a slight note as if someone had heated the tires on the Saab. However, after about two hours, this resinous, rich Oud scent takes over, which fascinates lovers so much. For the next eight hours or so, this perfume simply keeps getting better and better. Then comes the gradual fade until hour twelve or beyond.

It's hard to believe how captivating a single fragrance note can be. Anyone who gets out of this Saab after the second or third round might easily feel the urge to search for even purer Oud variations. I haven't had the pleasure yet (and I also don't have the financial means) to acquire a pure Oud oil from over 100 or more years old agarwood, but I would love to smell it!

Mancera's Wind Wood was really not an easy perfume for me. I was looking for a successor to my long-time signature scent - Ralph Lauren's Polo Explorer. It's been discontinued for a while now. As my bottle was nearing its end, I started searching online for a replacement. On Fragrantica, I found little resemblance, but there were a couple (2) voices that equated the Explorer with Wind Wood - nothing else.

I was faced with the choice of spending 150 bucks on a clearance Explorer or trying Wind Wood. It turned out that it was available online at a discount - 120 ml for just under 75 euros. Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained - bought! - applied! - and... well, who among you knows the English term "cloying"? It was warm, I was cautious - two sprays on the chest under my shirt. Wow! - I was left breathless! Aggressively grassy (green notes and vetiver) with a cloying violet. In shock, I ended up ordering the clearance Explorer for 150 euros.

But it took a while for the Explorer to arrive (it came from Spain). In the meantime, I thought I'd give the 75 euro gag another chance! It was hot again. Just a single timid spray on the chest - shirt buttoned up. Gag! But then, after 2-3 hours, paralyzed in the chair, a surprisingly fascinating cool breeze wafted from the depths of my neckline through the steppe forest (my three-day beard). Wind Wood indeed! Not so bad after all. Suddenly, hours had passed! All right - lesson learned. The perfumer (Pierre Montale) knows what he's doing! For the record: the only similarity is the mandarin, which disappears from both after five (or so) seconds. The leather would still be there - but that's not detectable in either.

Expectations are the great self-deception maneuver in the world of fragrances. Buying frenzy too - think of a decant from the souk or relevant dealers! But if you can work for something, and don’t run back to the airport at the first unexpected whiff in uncharted territory, you can find something new - Explorer, indeed! Since then, my experience with Mancera's Wind Wood has been like a march through the savanna to the source. I'm not quite there yet, but I've opened a door to the formerly hated floral fragrance world. Don't be too biased! Dare to try something! If it doesn't work out, there's still the souk on this side.

Postscript: Now I have indeed arrived at this scent. A cool, violet-green freshness with a slight echo from the dry wood. This one is for warmer days, and it lasts. I'm glad I took the risk - and so is my better half.

Jacomo's Oud for Men combines a rather unusual blend of oud and juniper berries with a citrus-spicy top note. This is quite different from the usual oud-rose, oud-saffron, or sweet oud fragrances. In fact, Jacomo Oud has not a hint of sweetness, but starts with a rather harsh, almost bitter lemon. Subtle oud and juniper are always present, while the lemon fades slightly into the background after an hour. The spices linger a bit longer, although I can't pick them out individually. From all the note inflation at the base (seven according to the website, besides oud), I can perceive nothing, except perhaps a hint of musk towards the end.

Unusual, exciting, not quite so easily accessible at first, a true outsider. The only downside is the performance. After about 5-6 hours, brother Jacob falls asleep. This bothers me only a little. In the evening, you can always reapply, or switch to a completely different tune without any lingering olfactory dissonances, either way works. After wearing it several times through the winter, I can say for sure: the fragrance is great. Anyone looking to try an office-friendly exotic that almost no one else has can grab this one.