Tom Ford has one of the best luxury niche fragrance lines around. However, three fragrances from the Tom Ford Private Blend collection stand out and garner the most attention. Perhaps the most popular and widely acclaimed is Tobacco Vanille.
NOTES
Top Notes
Tobacco leaf,
Spices
Heart Notes
Tonka bean,
Tobacco flower,
Vanilla,
Cocoa
Base Notes
Dry fruit accord,
Woods
The notes are dead on, but I do pick up on some extra hints of other scents which I will touch on in this review.
INFORMATION/BACKGROUND
Tom Ford is a well-known American fashion designer whose brand offers both high-end apparel and cosmetic/bath products including fragrances. Tom Ford has two lines of fragrances, one that is more in the designer price range and the Private Blend, which is a niche fragrance line that is one of the most expensive, even when compared to the high priced offerings from other houses such as Creed. In fact, it is isn't uncommon to see some "intense" parfum frags costing over $300USD for a 50ml bottle! The reason is due to the high-quality ingredients, but also because niche fragrances such as these usually only come in Eau De Parfum concentration.
Tobacco Vanille comes in three main sizes:
50ml (1.7oz) ~$230USD
100ml (3.4oz) ~$312USD
250ml (8.5oz) ~$595USD
These prices were the most current on Tom Ford's website. Some grey market sites may sell it for less, but www.fragrancenet.com actually sells this for more than retail, so watch out if you plan on splurging on this one.
The fragrance was launched in 2007 and is considered unisex. It was created by perfumer Olivier Gillotin. The name is pronounced "Tobacco Van-E". It is categorized as an "Oriental Spicy" fragrance.
According to the company:
"Tom Ford's affection for London inspired this scent, reminiscent of an English Gentleman's Club..."
The presentation is a dark glass rectangular bottle with gold labels and a cap that sits on a tapered top. It is quite plain, except for the fact that the cap itself widens in line with the bottle to give it a crown-like effect. This bottle shape is the new standard for all fragrances in the Private Blend collection. One nice touch is the box, which is made of a sturdy and textured paperboard material that can act as a stand for the bottle. (The old style bottle was very similar however it had a sphere/ball cap.) The sprayer is excellent as is expected from a frag at this price point.
SCENT/SITUATION
Right from the beginning, you will get a very strong and fresh tobacco note. When people think tobacco, they usually think of the pungency of cigarettes or even cigars, but this tobacco note is far more fresh and aromatic, like a wet leaf that has been dipped in the most delicious spiced rum. Perhaps it is more akin to a freshly opened pipe tobacco tin, where the tobacco is vanilla or rum flavored and is still sticky with sweetness.
Yet this fresh tobacco accord quickly gives way to the sweeter notes in the dry down. It has a very pleasant gourmand quality. You get this powdery, almost sugar cookie, baked vanilla smoothness that pervades and radiates outwards. I can sometimes catch a whiff of what reminds me of coconut cake with vanilla icing. Other times I pick up hot cocoa with marshmallows, and yet other times those dry fruits come through and remind me of the winter holidays - a mix of candied fruits, clove, cinnamon, and spices meld together in a blissful harmony.
It is far from cloying though. As the scent comes to the base, the warm sweetness remains layered over a woody note that is very light. Less like an earthy forest smell, and more like an incense (sandalwood?) It is like amber, somewhat syrupy and resinous, but the sugar and spice give it this contradictory powdery quality.
Many reviewers claim this reminds them of Christmas. I can see where they are coming from. Rum and fruit cakes, sugar cookies, hot cocoa, and holiday spices -- all of these accords are very reminiscent of the season. As such, this is seen as more of a late Fall and Winter scent.
I feel men of all ages could wear this comfortably, but perhaps it is best served for men aged 25+. Many women love to wear this too; it is marketed as a man's fragrance by some sellers but Tom Ford and reviewers both claim it is unisex. I can see the appeal. It is sweet and delicious. The only note that I feel makes this manly is that tobacco spiced rum note, but it isn't overly spicy and the sweet notes balance it out.
As for the situation, I would say anytime. Really, you could wear this to the office, date night, casually, visiting relatives, or just to sniff yourself constantly (it smells that good!) The only time I feel this would be wasted is at a nightclub or bar. It is very sensual and people will love the scent on you, but there are more sexy and "primal" scents you could choose for grabbing attention or to give you that "edge". It blends really well with cigar smoke if that is your thing (it is mine), and if that is the case, this frag /could/ work very nicely in a bar or formal situation. Due to the price, I'd suggest keeping this for special occasions such as around the holidays, suit and tie events, or when you are having a cigar smoking session with a few close buddies.
PERFORMANCE
This one is a monster. Don't spray too much! Go with a few sprays or otherwise it will be cloying. It isn't cloying when used in moderation. Maybe go with one spray to the chest and one to the wrist (then touch together). This thing lasts for 12+ hours easy before becoming a "skin scent". The projection and sillage are also good, and it is one of those rarities where the sillage is actually better than the projection.
RESOURCES
http://www.basenotes.net/ID26125943.html
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Tom-Ford/Tobacco-Vanille-1825.html
VIDEOS
Dracdoc Review
Jim Quantrell Review
THOUGHTS/REVIEW
I am mesmerized by this scent. As seen in the Dracdoc review vid, some people weren't so impressed. That is more than likely because they aren't smelling it on the skin and getting the dry down, where I feel this fragrance truly shines. It is a strong scent, so it comes off much better when used sparingly and letting the scent blossom on your skin.
All that said, this is not an animalistic or seductive fragrance by any means. It is a safe, delicious scent. Yes, there are far more manly colognes out there. Yes, it is expensive. But I feel it is also a work of art, one that I am highly pleased with. It is inspiring, endearing, gentle, warm, the kind of scent that a loved one would snuggle up with and maybe even take a bite out of you and you'd be okay with it because mhmmm cookies. Yet it also has this tobacco note that reminds me of an esteemed gentleman who fills his pipe with rich aromatics and has an easy smile and a kind eye.
I rate this an 8.5/10. I would give it a 9 but it isn't as versatile as I would like it. Being that I like to smoke cigars, it really does a great job of melding together with the spicy pungent cigar odor. My other go-to cigar session fragrances are A*Men Pure Havane and Aramis Havana, but both of those do not even come close to the beauty of Tobacco Vanille.
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