Red Tobacco by Mancera

I won’t even talk about this BEAST because after just one spray on my wrist (which lasted over 24 hours with strong initial projection), I put it in its box and shoved it in a drawer. I swear, when I sit down, THE BEAST IS SMELLING. It never happened with any other perfume.

I regret not getting the screw-top bottle. I bought a decant in 2020 and fell head over heels for the Mancera/Montale world. At first, the first 15-30 minutes of the RT EDP seemed rough, chaotic, and aggressive until they started to settle. My nose wasn’t trained yet. In 2024, I bought the magnet-top bottle; it has good sweetened tobacco, longevity, and sillage, BUT the screw-top version had the real steroids. I sold it to monetize it. Later, I bought the INTENSE decant, and despite complaints that it doesn’t perform as well as the EDP, I notice the INTENSE recalls the old formula with oud, leather, and wood notes that aren’t in the reformulation.

To summarize my journey: in 2024, I was gifted a Tobacco Rouge clone by Pendora Scents, my intro to Arabic perfumes. I liked it but it seemed simple and short-lived. This year, I dove in deep and wanted the OG Red Tobacco. I got it as a tester at a good price. When I tried it in my room at 15 minutes, it smelled like nothing; I thought it was fake. Then I learned it was olfactory fatigue; I stayed there and my nose hurt from the strength. I only sensed a metallic projection, like nail polish remover. When the cold hit and I went outside, I saw its evolution: I’ve never seen a better dry-down; it leaves a super warm, smoky, woody vanilla. I still haven’t seen its full potential due to the lack of cold, but it’s perfect for anyone wanting this in the north this winter. It’s super strong and invasive at first; it takes time to get used to. It’s long-lasting and projects, and rarely does anyone complain. Probably, like with Mancera, new batches aren’t macerated and lose potency (mine is from 2024). Once you get past the opening, the dry-down is beautiful, but only on skin. On clothes, it lasts a long time only at the opening. I don’t understand where the leather is that so many people smell, nor is it in the notes. It smells more like strong cherry and metal at the opening and hot vanilla at the dry-down. I don’t get the leather. Scent: 9, Longevity: 9, Versatility: 5 (needs real cold, below 10 degrees), Price: 7/10, Atomizer: 10/10. Don’t buy blindly; I tested the clone and it smells the same, only the original dries better. This winter will be my signature for going out at night.

I usually don’t like leather, but here it’s done well; it doesn’t feel oppressive. It smells like a new car with leather seats and a fresh touch, thanks to the patchouli and green fruits.

Impressive, well-executed, and balanced in its complexity. The tobacco, vanilla, and oud stand out. Excellent projection and longevity; it has become one of my favorites. Regarding Carlisle by Parfums de Marly, for me, there’s too much similarity; it’s hard to distinguish the differences.

Hi there, here’s my take: I’ll keep it brief since I’ve only had it for a short time and will expand on this once I’ve worn it more. I own eleven Manceras, and this one… wow, what a delight! I’m not trying to bash the others because I love them all, but among my collection, this is definitely the best. It’s masculine, sweet, substantial, and full of character—truly a gem. It projects well, makes a statement, leaves a trail, and fills the room with a sweet tobacco aroma. I couldn’t be happier to add this to my collection. Try it first before committing. Cheers.

It’s exquisite and addictive. I loved it. It smells like a (extinguished) cigarette mixed with red fruit and vanilla. It’s not challenging or difficult; I think anyone would enjoy it, especially those with some perfume knowledge. It’s a formal scent, perfect for winter and more suited for evening wear. Excellent value for money, like most Manceras. It has great longevity and projection, lasting days on clothes. I’m not sure if I’d call it beast mode, maybe it’s just olfactory fatigue. My daughter owns Instant Crush from the same house, and it’s superior in performance.

At first, it reminded me of the Guerlain DNA. Elegant, understated, refined, and I didn’t think it would have much projection or last long. However, I tested it at the Premier padel club in Buenos Aires on a cold, windy day, and it felt like a normal perfume. Second test at the office: Definitely opens with a hint of Guerlain L’Homme Idéal, but instead of almond, it’s nutmeg that stands out, blended well with cinnamon, incense, and oud. After the first hour, the tobacco, vanilla, and sandalwood are what really shine. It’s a perfume that invites you to sniff it repeatedly because it doesn’t cause olfactory fatigue. It projects well and is more elegant and sophisticated than expected. A pleasant surprise!! It’s my 75th perfume tested, and neither I nor my surroundings noticed an enormous trail as suggested by most reviews. It lasted 6 hours.

My experience with this perfume was that I smelled it out of pure curiosity. What I didn’t expect was its strong, potent aroma. As other reviews say, it gives a great presence and grabs attention. However, the target audience for this perfume is older people who want to project presence, for important meetings or professional situations, not for casual social contexts due to its heavy projection. Where I live, there are no seasons, but it has a very nocturnal DNA; during the day, it would be too cloying. Finally, it’s a good perfume; my only issue is that it’s not for my age.

In the opening, you can clearly detect nutmeg, incense, saffron, and pear, apple. A few minutes later, patchouli starts to take shape, blending with the others, and finally, an exquisite sweet vanilla-tobacco finish. This makes for an exquisite fragrance, with the perfect balance so that the dry-down isn’t irritating to the nose.

I was having a thick, dense day where everything felt muffled. It wasn’t time for easy perfumes or excuses. I opened my cabinet without looking for anything and spotted the Red Tobacco bottle. I sprayed it on impulse, like burning a blank page just to see how it burns. Warm, tobacco, cedar, incense, cinnamon, smoke, skin, opaque, earthy, hard, animalic, amber, shifting, saturated, dry, dense, sweet, aggressive, oriental, spicy, gourmand, balsamic, piquant, long-lasting, opulent. I don’t wear it just to be liked; I wear it when I want the perfume to speak in a deep voice. Red Tobacco has no subtleties, it has direction. If you don’t like it, no big deal; it wasn’t made for you, but for those who feel comfortable among the ashes of something that has already burned.

The perfume opens with a medicinal, slightly mentholated aroma with a leather sensation, then moves to the star: tobacco and a creamy vanilla that create an elegant and very wearable fragrance. I love this type of perfume that makes a presence and projects into the entire space. Longevity is also very good. Highly recommended.

I have a 2024 batch and it still lasts a long time; I don’t know why people say it changed; it’s just as potent and has above-average niche quality. It’s a rich and complex scent in its development. Holding the bottle near the nose smells like red berries, like old red lipstick. On skin, it starts smelling like alcorca, a high-quality strong cherry liqueur, then over time you feel sweet tobacco and vanilla alongside woods and musk. It’s truly a gem. Don’t overapply; 3 sprays is too much if you don’t want to overwhelm. It’s not for everyone, but the magic is in its dry-down and evolution, mutating over time. Without a doubt, it’s worth every peso invested, ideal for cold climates and a good shirt, works for the office too but regulate the sprays. It’s a Russian roulette; it can be loved or hated, but I love it; it projects a lot and lasts more than 12 hours, two days on skin.

More than a bomb: a bombón. In the opening, it smells like powerful and divine varnish, with a hint of green fruit in the background. I have to sniff it right after applying and I can’t stop, because the evolution is long, varied, and exquisite, like a real love story with cognac and a cigar on the lips. My soul falls in love every time I wear it. That ‘this isn’t for everyone’… Does anything exist that is? And recently I read that ‘perfume, like love, cannot be just a little bit’ (Estée Lauder). Red Tobacco, what a delight, what passion…

For me, it’s the best Tobacco and Vanilla perfume. Tobacco Vanille has a lot of fame and smells horrible, and Parfum d’Empire smells very sweet. For me, this is the true Niche Tobacco in my mind. Give it a chance over all the others.