Montana Parfum d'Homme (original) (1989)
by Montana

Odd man out here, I guess. I like it but I can't make it all the way to love. In an olfactory lineup, I would identify it as Havana, Jr., judging from the top and middle. Quite an excellent opening with the bergamot, mandarin, lemon and lavender: it is complex, balanced, refined. The citrus is quickly lost and the middle becomes quite spicy with tarragon, cinnamon and carnation. This middle accord provides even more of the Havana connection, and while I prefer the better balance and refinement of Havana, I think Montana is just as complex and deserves all the praise it gets. My admiration deserts me when the base starts: There’s too much leather in Montana Parfum d’Homme for my tastes. In Havana, the leather is a cleaner version, but to my nose, in Montana the base gets thick, heavy, oily, and irritating. Reduce the leather and I would certainly own this one... It’s a respected fragrance here on Basenotes, but I just cannot find the love. (Edit of 18 March 2008 review.)

Montana Parfum D'Homme (red box)

I'm not a bottle person but the Devil's Tower-like bottle this one comes in, intrigued the Close Encounters geek in me. Not enough to try it. That came with the unabashed fans this one has and the comparisons to Aramis Havana, one of my favorites. It was with anticipation that I sprayed it on and was met with a very similar spicy citrus blast to Havana. This seems different as the lemon seems to show its dry side and I get the slightest tingle of aldehydes. This is a fleeting top and we progress quickly into the deep heart of this and here is where the spice takes over and the Oriental character bursts into life. There is a floral weave of rose, jasmine, and carnation. The clove character of carnation combines well with the cinnamon also present. The real star of the heart is the pine note that comes in and adds depth to the spice and counterpoint to the florals. The addition of this pine note is where Edouard Flechier turns this into a beauty. The pine note sticks around to lead the scent into the base which is chock-full of sandalwood and amber. I get little hints of patchouli and vanilla but this settles into pine, sandalwood and amber and it is a lovely place to end this journey. I get the comparisons to Havana but this is its own scent and in many ways as good or better than Havana. Really I think the more apt comparison is these were the kinds of scents prevalent in the early 90's, powerful Orientals. Montana Parfum D'Homme stands on its own, as tall as the monument the bottle looks like.

The fragrance note list from Fragrantica is LONG! And this is borne out in the scent, which is complex. The opening is spicy-green, accentuated by the aldehydes, and is powerful and slightly sweet. The middle is a floral-herbal-spice mixture. The carnation gives a real clove spice ‘kick’ and also a barbershop vibe. The barbershop theme is picked up in the tangy patchouli drydown. Also in the drydown are pine needles (yay!) and a significant dollop of vanilla (boo!). This is an interesting scent, to me it seems ‘old school’ in a good way. It reminds me of Rive Gauche pour Homme or even a less formidable Yatagan. As noted, this is the original version, in the red box.
By way of comparison, the revamped Montana pour Homme in the blue box is a simpler, more translucent scent. It is drier, more lemony. It is more fresh and greener than the original – and thus I prefer it. But the original is a very worthy scent.

I tried the vintage "Red Box" version of this, thanks to a generous BNer. I really want to love this one--all the descriptions I have heard are so luscious and inviting. On first spray, it has bracing, fresh herbs (a mixture of evergreens and probably lavender), with a soapy note and something sweet underneath. The herbal melange is rather harsh in the beginning, but it settles to be a balanced uplifting and energizing accord. I don't see that it is very unusual--it seems to be a classic and formulaic fougere. I think what makes this great is that it is very wearable, not pretentious and, at one time, was highly accessible at a good price. It also smells like it is going to have a really gorgeous "come hither" drydown. Unfortunately, as with many fougeres, I smell ammonia (could be some kind of hyperosmia). Thankfully it is not as strong as with some other fragrances I've tried, but it is pronounced enough to be uncomfortable for me to wear. The ammonia also makes it very difficult for me to pick out the very beautiful notes that most others seem to be able to experience.

Absolute love. Makes me want to eat my arm. I tried the "red box" version, which was discontinued. Citrus burst of an opening -- bergamot? After about 6 hours, I smell predominantly pine sap, as if I'd mushed pine resin on my skin. There's some patchouli in it, but I don't mind. Also some mild aromatic smell. 12 hours later -- still sandalwood, amber, and oakmoss. Good longevity (> 12 hours on my skin), and pretty good sillage. Notes from Fragrantica.com: "Top notes are aldehydes, cinnamon, lavender, mandarin orange, tarragon, pepper, bergamot and lemon; middle notes are carnation, jasmine, sage, nasturcia, rose, pine tree needles and geranium; base notes are labdanum, leather, sandalwood, patchouli, oakmoss, vanilla, incense, cedar and ambergris." I guess I can smell *some* leather, but not really much. There are other leathery-ier scents than Montana Parfum d'Homme. Nose for this one is supposedly Edouard Flechier, who also made Dior Poison and Poison Tendre, as well as Frederic Malle's Un Rose and Lys Mediterranee.

I like this one a lot. It is hard to find but usually it goes for cheap on the eBay. It might be too strong to some people.