Muenchner

Thanks to Hermessenz for the sample!

Recently, I have tested a lot from Montal, they all somehow smell similar in structure, they use different ingredients but the structure is always the same, so I already knew quite well what to expect when I sprayed the fragrance.


The scent starts with pepper, saffron, and a lot of bergamot, slightly fresh but overall a bit more spicy; unfortunately, this note gives me the impression that it only exists to pave the way for the Oud that follows.
Bam, as soon as you think that thought, the Oud comes out, mixed with cardamom and some indefinable spices, the spicy note from the top note becomes significantly stronger.
After about 1 hour, the base comes out, which, alongside the leather promised in the name, is unfortunately only present in very small amounts on my skin, and the amber emerges, which adds a smoky direction to the fragrance in addition to its spicy note.
Unfortunately, I have to say that I find the scent progression on my skin weak and boring; moreover, the perfume itches slightly and my hand turns a bit red.
The longevity is unfortunately not great either; I would estimate it at 3-4 hours.
So in the end, I can only give a rating of 60%, but you should test it; however, I would recommend spending your money on other Montal fragrances.

Thanks to Kankuro for the sample.


I simply love testing Tom Ford's Private Blend line; you always experience something new.
Strangely enough, right after spraying it, I immediately had the memory of my Andy Warhol: Success is a Job in New York in my mind as I sniffed the scent.
Both were released in '09; I don't know if anyone copied from the other or if it's just a coincidence, but the two are definitely similar.
Right after spraying, I immediately pick up the jasmine, pepper, and something I would identify as honey.
The whole thing is very animalistic, and you can clearly tell it has similarities to Andy Warhol, but as Kankuro already said, it is significantly more mature, somehow a tick better than Andy Warhol.
In the heart note, I can easily sniff out the plums, and I can only
tell you I love it; it might be because it reminds me of my absolute favorite Japon Noire.
The base then becomes a bit warmer and sweeter; the animalistic note from the beginning slowly weakens but does not disappear.

A very great scent; unfortunately, I notice this with too many perfumes from the Private Blend line that are definitely not feminine but rather unisex. However, when compared to other women's fragrances like Black Orchid or White Patchouli by Tom Ford, one could call it feminine.
This scent is, all in all, another top example of how wonderful the Private Blend line is.
I will give it 90% because I really like the scent and it takes a great unorthodox scent journey, the animalistic note comes out, and in the end, it slightly reminds me of Japon Noire.

In the end, all I can say is: WHENEVER YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO TEST A PRIVATE BLEND SCENT, DO IT!!!!!!!!

Thanks to Toby for the sample.


This scent intrigued me a lot.
When I applied it, exactly what I imagined with the name happened, the scent turned out to be quite intense.
Fresh after spraying, black pepper and cinnamon hit me, it smells very spicy and tingles a little, I would describe it as a sandstorm. Shortly after, the citrus scent emerges, but it disappears quite quickly; here, clearly, the pepper and cinnamon take center stage.
When the top note fades, a transformation occurs, frankincense and myrrh become present, both of which are also very spicy; however, I get the impression that the sandstorm from the beginning has settled, and one is somewhere in the desert next to a noble city, over whose walls that very scent wafts.
After waiting about 2 hours in front of the city, it slowly gets dark, the myrrh disappears, but the frankincense remains, and now it should actually smell like the typical Arabic base, at least if you read through the ingredients, but it feels like being beamed directly into a European city, but in a very strange neighborhood.
I would place this district in the movie Sin City.
The scent develops very threateningly, and even seemingly safe havens turn sinister; I mean perfidious priests, sadistic police officers, and politicians who only care about their wealth, can be sensed.
You can slightly smell the amber, vetiver, and frankincense, but I don't perceive them as scents but rather as a mood.


Definitely not a scent for the day and actually not one for parties, really only as a signature scent for people who identify with conflict.
However, I want to compliment the perfumer here; it's truly amazing what has been delivered here, everything fits perfectly, I can't imagine a better implementation of the theme.

Now we come to the rating:
The case is very difficult; actually, this is not a scent but a way of life.
So how should one evaluate this? The implementation of the attitude = 100%, if you rate the scent as a perfume without the historical background, I come to 80%.
What should I take now? I would give the scent 95%, the implementation of the way of life is excellent, the scent has good quality, the longevity, the idea is actually a new definition of originality, but the scent will annoy many, but shouldn't this scent do just that?
I would give it 95% because it is close to the award, Munich's scents of the millennium, but it doesn't quite make it and is clearly better than very good.
I will ask Don if an exception can be made with the rating in this case; otherwise, I will think about what to do.

Thanks to Kankuro for the sample.

When I read the name, I was very curious about how Oud would smell in steam.

Right after spraying, I took a strong whiff, which was a clear mistake because the scent is not light as one might expect from the word steam, but bit me hard in the nose.
Once I recovered from this shock, I smelled this fragrance again, but this time more gently.
Immediately, Oud hit me again, mixed with rose, both playing an equally strong role on my skin, which leads to the otherwise sweet floral rose scent being much spicier and strongly smelling of oud, but I like that!
Shortly after, the woods mentioned by Kankuro come into play, which soften the sharp note of the oud on my skin and allow the roses to take command. At this point, I would describe the scent as feminine, but still wearable for men, though it requires a bit of courage.
In the end, a bit of resin comes in that further weakens the woods and the oud, preventing the rose scent, which fades over time, from losing its dominant position. At the very end, cumin really kicks in and manages to lead a revolution against the rose together with the oud. Together, the duo of cumin and oud takes command, and in this final phase, the scent resists fading and boldly asserts itself with a strong spicy and powerful note. Here, the strong oud note from the beginning, which bit me so fiercely in the nose, reappears, but now it has been 8-9 hours, and I have forgiven it, and we will become friends after all.


All in all, I would clearly describe the scent as unisex, even slightly feminine, with the exception of the first whiff and the dry down where the oud shows its distinctly masculine side and bites anyone who smells it too strongly right in the nose.

Overall, I will give it 70% because the scent itself is not bad at all, but it gives me a slight headache, bit me hard in the nose, and then contains too little oud, with the wood notes I actually like not really coming through, only changing the spiciness.
However, the rose note is worth mentioning as it is very strong and lasts above average.

This fragrance was developed by Pierre Bourdon and Mark Birley, founder of the legendary London Annabel's Club, as a homage to that very club in 1993, aiming to capture the aroma of fine cigars and even finer gentlemen.
What I find strange is that a fragrance dedicated to the legendary Annabel's Club is made, bottled, and packaged in France.


Now, onto the scent:
The first thing that strikes me directly upon spraying is the non-existent top note; I don't know when my tester is from (the box only cryptically says 7K1A8, maybe that helps). Furthermore, I notice that the heart note is strongly mixed with the base and probably represents something like the top note.
Right after spraying, it smells very strongly of leather and incense, so dark, heavy, and somewhat musty.
On the second sniff, I can faintly detect the traces of violet, a bit of sandalwood, and something smoky that I either decipher as amber or tobacco; I'm not quite sure, the smokiness is really well hidden.
Unfortunately, the scent remains stagnant on my skin at this stage and only weakens until it is barely perceptible after about 7 hours and completely disappears after 10.
All in all, I would describe the fragrance as very dark, heavy, leathery, and a bit smoky; those who prefer fresh, light, or sweet scents will not find any joy here.
Personally, I would attribute slight similarities to Noir de Noir by Tom Ford, although I much prefer Noir de Noir, as it is simply not as musty.
Overall, a scent only for people with character and courage, and definitely not for daily wear or as a signature scent.

I will rate this with 70%, as I miss the top note, the fragrance does not develop on the skin, and it smells a bit musty to me.
On the positive side, I value that it is individual, has quite decent longevity, and possesses an unusual dark and infantile aroma.
Addendum: I have decided to give this fragrance only 60% now, as during the second testing, the musty note became stronger, and I also got a slight headache from this scent.