Baque by Slumberhouse

For me, tobacco isn’t the standout note; on the contrary, it smells like ripe and dried fruit, like apricot, raisins, or dates. It’s not fresh, but rather an intense, dark gourmand with an amber base that adds depth and that subtle touch of tobacco or hay at the very bottom, though without it being the main focus.

Do you like Tobacco Oud by Tom Ford? Keep reading. The opening is vanilla with blackcurrant, but what dominates is dry, potent tobacco leaves—very masculine with that dry texture similar to Tobacco Oud. Here, the base is sweet, and the blackcurrant adds its own sweetness. Did I miss anything? No: Baque has an official note called ‘parchment,’ which Fragrantica doesn’t mention. I think it gives it an ‘old’ vibe, like an antique book. In the dry down, there’s a herbal touch from davana and another unknown note called ‘straw.’ It’s linear with high performance, ideal for cold weather and night, though it works casually too. The presentation is artisanal: a small bag without a box, a simple cap, and very thin plastic that crushes easily. There’s no label on the base with milliliters, concentration, or country of origin; that’s noticeable. The name is laser-etched on the glass, which I appreciate. It’s a good perfume, one of the best from this American house alongside Ore, Sibet, and Jeke. The others smell very similar due to that marked DNA and their power—a powerhouse for sure. Does it stain clothes? Forget it. It stains the skin slightly, like a pale green bruise; be careful applying it close to your clothes, but a sponge and soap will fix it. Extremely concentrated. Good value proposition, though the price is high (around $180 for 30 ml) and hard to find, as it was discontinued for years. LuckyScent has it now, but if it runs out, you’ll have to look under rocks or beg someone to sell you one. The brand explains on Instagram that due to the pandemic, the factory had issues and resorted to these simple silver caps without boxes to save time.

Baque starts with a strong note of black tobacco mixed with apricot. At first, they fight for the spotlight, but tobacco wins, feeling dry, dark, and slightly rough, yet realistic. The fruit is perceived less naturally but well recreated. In the heart phase, vanilla appears, making the perfume creamier and less dark; here, tobacco, apricot, and vanilla are more balanced. Finally, the tobacco disappears, leaving a trail of vanilla-apricot. In terms of performance, it has an enormous longevity on the skin, though the projection is short and you can still smell it without issues. I see it as unisex: the initial and heart phases are more masculine, while the dry down is more feminine. Better for fresh or mild climates. Personally, it left me lukewarm: the initial phase with the tobacco is good, but that dry, dark tobacco gets boring to me; I miss more nuances, not just the apricot, which is why I enjoy the middle phase with the vanilla more. Overall, it’s a good and original perfume, but with a prohibitive price I’d only spend if I fell in love with it, which isn’t my case.