Amouage is known for quality and that cones through in an immediate and obvious way as soon as this scent is applied. The initial aroma for me is a rich and interesting contrast between the basil/cardamom/anise notes and the incredible frankincense, but where this really shines is after about 90 minutes where the complexity really opens up and the smoky/incense/spice depth underpins what are easily the best tobacco notes I've smelled- the ethereal dry whisper of super high quality natural tobacco leaf, where the plum and floral notes serve to heighten the natural characteristics to be found there. Eventually- after perhaps five or six more hours- the scent that lingers is a dry, smoky, vanilla-tinged one, that reminds me of spent incense or burned cigar in the best possible way, along with subtle flashes of oud and musks that give it extra depth.

There are plenty of tobacco scents out there, but not like this. The initial herbal tones, the balancing incense notes (classic amouage), the remarkable 'trueness' and quality of the tobacco, and the way the notes surrounding jt serve to simultaneously highlight the best facets of it and add breadth and complexity in the background, to make it so that that tobacco note is still an integrated part of a greater whole- everything is executed to a really high level.

The projection is quite strong but not excessive.