Pipe tobacco. A scent that is definitely a very strong memory from my grandfather long ago. Anytime someone would have a pipe out that smell would bring back nostalgia for me and really brought me peace. Scents have a way of either bringing us to a place of fond memories…and sometimes bad memories. For me, that pipe tobacco scent is top ten easily and Red Tobacco from Mancera nailed it. It's woody, got some vanilla sweetness to it that’s not overpowering and then front and center is that pipe tobacco. An amazing scent that is still part of my collection today and regularly worn in the colder seasons.
So back a few years ago when Cedrat Boise Intense was released, we posted a blog here and asked if Intense Cedrat Boise was good enough to replace the original Cedrat Boise. The answer was a resounding “no” because the fragrances were WAY too similar to crown one a definitive victor, so I gave the crown to the intense version based mostly on longevity. While the original Cedrat Boise was no slouch in the longevity department, the intense just pushed the limit that much further to gain the crown. The same unfortunately is true with Intense Red Tobacco.
According to Mancera’s website, the description says, “You asked, we did: discover the “beast mode” of Red Tobacco”. Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t remember reaching out to Mancera and asking for a more robust and power-hungry fragrance that could top a red beast to begin with, but apparently a few people asked and Mancera was polite enough to oblige them. Thanks to those few people who submitted a feedback form. Ok, so let’s break down the notes and compare to see what’s going on here.
Original Red Tobacco:
Opening – cinnamon, agarwood, incense, saffron, nutmeg, green apple, white pear
Mid – patchouli & jasmine
Base – tobacco, Madagascar vanilla, amber, guaiac wood, sandalwood, white musk, Haitian vetiver
Intense Red Tobacco:
Opening – pear, cinnamon, incense, agarwood, nutmeg, saffron
Mid – tobacco, jasmine, leather, patchouli, vetiver
Base – musk, vanilla, guaiac wood, ambergris, sandalwood
Now, to the untuned eye, without eliminating and cross-referencing each element line by line…these look almost identical. Ignoring the tobacco being in the mid on the intense version instead of the base and a few notes being slightly different (amber vs ambergris), these look like identical twins that have a slightly different jawline and varying receding hairlines. When you look at them, there’s no other distinctions. Longevity I can’t really say if it’s THAT much better because they are both really good.
Final Thoughts
I want to make this clear, I’m not knocking either fragrance; they are both absolutely incredible. The scent is extremely good and it’s a masterpiece crafted in a bottle to my nose. What’s getting me is the fact that they would even GIVE us a fragrance like this without there being an overall demand. If the fragrance world was cohesive and non-archaic at times and all was well and Mancera legitimately was filling a need – great, good, perfect…I’m on board. But in this current world of fragrance companies pumping out flanker after flanker after flanker that doesn’t change much from the predecessor, then it’s no better than using the word “bump” on a listing. You know, that annoying way to keep a post relevant by using “bump” to bump that post back up to the top and bring it “eye-center” so people will be forced to read it first.
Seems as though some (not all) fragrance companies will tweak minor fragrances and throw catchy words like “intense” and “elixir” just for a quick buck. Others will actually create flankers that are TRUE flankers – creating a variation while staying true to the original somehow. These companies deserve the sales, and my collection proves it. However, for Intense Red Tobacco, I’d say if you already own the original, wait until your bottle is empty and definitely pick up the Intense. If you don’t already own it, grab your sample right here and try it out for yourself! You’ll be glad you did for sure!
That’s all for this one. Hope you all have a safe and fun holiday and I’ll catch you all in the next one!
