Tabac Vert

Fresh green opening that is reminiscent of Derby but with no leather. The rose is more prominent than jasmine, (but it’s still there), and replaces the Guerlain leather note of the said inspiration. It’s a little sweet because of the amber and there’s plenty of wood planks. I’m not an expert on tobacco, but this seems more like a green tobacco field than any cigar or cigarette smells. There’s no ash here. Based on Manuel Cross’s own notes, he was targeting Derby and he largely succeeded. “One of my experiments recalled the woody backbone of Carlo Corinto. That set me on a path of reimagining the bone-dry elegance of Derby, One Man Show, and Krizia Uomo.” Chypre-Siam is more animalic like the leather in Derby, yet Tabac Vert has more of the freshness of it with rose replacing the leather and candied spiciness from the carnation, like red spice candies. I suppose you could layer both of these and get something even fresher than Derby. I’m not as big a fan of this and Chypre-Siam, but they are great in their own right. It’s just a matter of personal taste. I like how in Rogue perfumes the rose steers away from the hairspray note I find in so many fragrances. The jasmine also avoids comparisons with Poison. The drydown is candied, powdery, but still fresh. The florals mimic the smell of new clothing. If there’s oakmoss it’s more of a supporting role than found Mousse Illuminee.

Very nice warm comforting fragrance for late afternoon or evening.

I'm somewhat on the fence regarding this one, perhaps the carnation was annoying me a bit. Kinda wish the tobacco was more pronounced. All comes down to individual taste, but I would recommend giving this a sample if you are at all interested in quality, retro-inspired gentleman's fragrances. This perfume house has a respect for old-school elegance and craftsmanship.