Reviews of Santal Noble (1988)
by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier

Santal Noble: it has a wax like spicy/herbal opening accord..gradually moving in to a very disctinct spicy concoction which is almost deep, dark & powdery, but ...almost like a balm....people expecting Tam Dao kind of sandalwood would be suprised coz both are polar opposites in approach...think of this as a syrupy, dark, spicy concoction, with wet sandalwood barks ..it's kinda intense but yet beautiful.
Lovely accord of deep sandalwood minced with florals and vanilla with a lush, ambery drydown. amazing accords all the way till end...one of the best scents ever...and longevity you ask? it stays forever :) get the vintage formulation while you can...this ones not to be missed.

Regal.
Might make you feel like bestowing knighthood on someone: " In the name of God, St. Michael and St. George--and Santal Noble."
What an incredible blend of woods and aromatics playing on the sandalwood theme.

Sampled the original formula first that has the coffee note, enjoyed it enough to purchase a FB and received the reformulation that has the fig note and no coffee.

Normally I'd be very disappointed in a transaction such as this, but Santal Noble in either formulation is a terrific take on vanilla woods with a dash of vetiver.

Hands down my favorite MPG and one classy smelling bottle of juice.

genvy5 said this
"Buttery sandalwood cologne which reminds me of a very humid and stuffy library with archaic tomes and old frail men rummaging through them."
This is SPOT ON.
Though he gave it a thumbs down, I kind of liked it. Go figure

Buttery sandalwood cologne which reminds me of a very humid and stuffy library with archaic tomes and old frail men rummaging through them. In a bad way.

I have had very controversial and strong reaction to this from the first time to the last.

Good things first : It is absolutely masterfully blended woody scent. To my nose balance is perfect, and it has a smooth and subtle development to it. Coffee beans mixed with precious woods and amber is very deliciously taken care of here. Its almost majestic, almost overwhelming. Very dark to me. Like a hypnotizing, sweet and warm shadow of a living mahogany tree.

Bad things : Although beautiful scent, I agree with some that there is something very “formal” in this scent. It smells very refined and luxurious, very mature. (=not my style basically) Its aristocratic and extremely serious scent. If there is a humour in this scent, it is extremely dry kind, yet intelligent and witty. Santal Noble smells like a grandpa I never had, and it kind of makes me sad.

Also I should mention that Santal Noble has always reminded me the way my woodcraft class-room use to smell back in the days I was in high-school. I have smelled numerous different woody perfumes, but believe it or not, nothing has ever given me so clear impression of that certain place and smell.

I hated school more than words can say, for certain reasons, and so unfortunately I cannot find this association as a pretty nostalgic whiff from the past. Everything else.

This is a dark, rich, very woody scent. The dark tone is very interesting: at times I get hints of espresso coffee, but mostly I am reminded of rich, organic black soil – an attractive smell for those who garden. My goodness, the cedar is prominent and aromatic here! It dominates the sandalwood, in my opinion. The incense notes are pleasing and a bit heady. Like many other MPG scents, this is rich, and at times ever-so-slightly sweet. The vanilla and amber stay fairly restrained, and add a bit of luxury. Very nice stuff.

There's a lot going on in Santal Noble. It is a very rich oriental/woody fragrance which could be quite difficult to wear. I actually find this scent more suitable for aromatic candles, burning sticks and other types of room fragrances. It is strong, even harsh and may not be enjoyed by everyone. I appreciate its complexity and the multi-faced, multi-layered structure: it is at once woody, a bit smoky and with a hint of spices now and then.
Santal Noble is an opulent, formal, serious, cerebral fragrance. No play, no games, no jokes, everything is as sober as possible. I appreciate these characteristics in a fragrance, but I think Santal Noble is just too much for me. I couldn't wear it, at least not now or in the near future.

santal noble is a formal ,woody winter fragrance.u cant use an everyday unless if you are living in a very cold place

I've been hesitant to write this. While everyone else says "Horray!" I'm on the sidelines thinking, "Ew, yuck." It smells dirty and icky, not sweet. Definitely NOT for me at all. I like Jules and Kouros and those are "dirty" scents in different regards. The addition of almost pure sandalwood really makes this for a head-dizzying scent on me.

Smooth, sweet Sandalwood, moss, amber. I don't get any coffee, or any bad notes here; but maybe it's just my body chemistry.

A bit on the dry side, but that's perfect in my estimation. Good longevity. I can't imagine anyone who likes Sandalwood not liking this one. This is formal, but not only for black-tie events. I can think of many occasions when it would be appropriate.

I fell in love on the first wearing.

9.5/10

Woody, rich, deep, with sandalwood and vanilla supported by a strong amber-oakmoss base and reinforced by a fragrant coffee note and a medley of spices in the top note. This scent has great longevity on me and gives off a definite air of sophistication and savoir-faire. It's one of my favorite special occasion scents, and I'll be wearing it to the wedding of a couple of friends today as I watch from the sidelines and sing the tenor part of Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus with the choir.

A multilayered and rich formal fragrance, but the sandalwood here is of the mucho cedar-infused variety. The opening coffee and amber notes are strange and intriguing - they collide with the woody backend. The coffee beans and vanilla accord slowly gives way to a cedary sandalwood accord. This woody accord smells a bit too much like the innards of a finely crafted drawer or cupboard...which is fine if thats the variety of sandalwood you like and are familiar with. In terms of pure high quality sandalwood notes, this one lags behind other powerhouses like Creed Bois de Santal, Santal Imperial, Sandalo, and even the cypress-green Tam Dao. Ignoring this, Santal Noble is rich and very well put together. Just adjust your sandalwood expectations before diving in.

Rating: 7.5/10.0

Santal Noble opens with a transporting orange blossom accord and quickly settles down into a luxurious sandalwood and spices affair with the olfactory texture of heavy cream. If Tam Dao is a single bamboo flute then Santal Noble is Morricone's opening theme to The Mission floating from an oboe backed by chorus and orchestra. I love this stuff.

Wonderful smooth sweet sandalwood -- the best take on it I have experienced and even better than Etro's Sandalo. The drydown is gorgeous -- enveloping you in an aura of vanilla, amber and wood -- almost magical. Sillage and longevity are excellent for me.

Kaern

It took me a very long time to appreciate this fragrance, but now that I’ve come to terms with it, I consider it one of perfumery’s towering masterpieces. Like many Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier scents Santal Noble has a deceptive opening. For the first few moments on the skin it smells like an oversweetened mocha drink from Starbucks. You’d assume from this opening that Santal Noble is an overbearing syrupy gourmand scent in the mold of A*Men. How wrong you’d be, too.

The chocolate falls waaaay into the background, and the coffee note blends quickly with velvety smooth sandalwood, moss, and dry patchouli into a superbly rich, dark, semi-dry accord that positively reeks of dignity. Move over Blenheim Bouquet, No. 88, and Vintage Tabarome – you’ve met your aristocratic match in Santal Noble. Santal Noble even has that paragon of male elegance, Patou pour Homme peeking nervously at its rear view mirror. The creamy luxury of Santal Noble’s sandalwood accord makes others seem crude by comparison. It’s elevating, reassuring, and empowering all at once. It’s also dark and mysterious enough in its amber-tinted depths to suggest an animalic energy and barely concealed sexuality in its wearer. No “grandpa scent” this one!

Long lasting and with just the right amount of sillage, Santal Noble is a delight right through its amber, moss and yes, sandalwood drydown. While it’s not something I’d wear with shorts, T-shirt, and flip-flops, it works as well for me on dates, at meetings, or in romantic moments. Along with Patou pour Homme, Santal Noble is one of the first scents I look to when I want to project quiet authority. It may not be to everybody’s taste, but anyone with a serious interest in fragrance ought to give Santal Noble at least one full day’s wearing at one point or another.

Gravitas in a bottle. This may be Jean Laporte’s masterpiece. Sweet and dry at the same time. Coffee, patchouli, incense and dry woods all on a thick belly of amber. This is a heavier scent that I prefer for cooler months. The silage and projection are only moderate, which is probably a blessing since this is such a rich scent. But it cohabits nicely with other scents in the environment, and you need not fear inviting it to dinner.

If you like light, trendy or androgynous scents (Though my wife thinks she wants to steal it!), Santal Noble very well may not be for you. But if you like the scent notes named in a perfectly balanced and evolving accord, and you’re rich, you might wish to pick up a bottle. If you’re poor, you should probably get one sooner, because when you wear it you’ll THINK you’re rich! This smells as if it could have been brewed a couple hundred years ago. It smells like old money.

And if all this sounds like a starched collar, or perhaps even a hair shirt, it’s not. Santal Noble is very sexy. It’s warm and rich, but in a serious and unblinking way. It doesn’t flirt. During intimate moments the amber base notes rise and project more making this a marvelous scent for romantic evenings.

I had to learn how use it. Two sprays to the chest work best for me. Application to the extremities or clothing yields little. Longevity is marvelous. Though the top notes burn off quickly, the middle notes of woods last for many hours with echoes of the patchouli and incense occasionally still heard. The amber is still there the next day. And pleasingly, while used almost daily for the last six months, only about a third of the bottle has been consumed.

Let me preface this by saying that my nose is not the most sophisticated in the world, however to me Santal Noble smells like a somewhat dusty piano, especially in the later stages of its (considerable) evolution. I sit down on the bench, open the lid to reveal the keys, and this is what hits me. To be sure it is certainly not an offensive scent, on the contrary I find it unique and pleasantly dry, but it is not something I would want to wear myself. On the other hand, the first 10 minutes or so are absolutely magical. This is my third test, and I'm bordering on giving it a thumbs up purely on quality and originality, but in the end it is merely neutral.

The top notes are stark and dry almost to the point of harshness with the coffee, spice, and incense. I never thought I would find a beautifully made fragrance that would be too dry for me, but the top notes in Santal Noble come close to it. The spices are done with superior differentiation and balance, but there is little or no roundness to them. I don’t get any chocolate. The coffee accord is dark and deep, and the incense is judiciously applied so as to delicately enrich rather than to dominate. The result is an almost Gothically constructed opening that, even the first time I smelled it, I knew that it would be one of my top fragrances. When the middle notes start in, the true rounding of the beauty begins. The gentle soft woodiness of the patchouli, the earthiness of the vetiver, and the touch of sweetness of the vanilla join the powerful dry sandalwood note and the resulting accord is superb—refined and addictive. Then comes the dry down… This has one of the best drydowns I’ve experienced—wood, amber, moss, incense, and vanilla. Full, rich refined, and perfectly blended. It has presence and body and yet it stays controlled—it has a slight sillage but mainly remains close to the skin for an incredible length of time. Truly a magnificent fragrance.

This is a dry and strict and woody/spicy scent. Very dry, almost dusty, you could almost taste the dust. I get oakmoss more strongly than anything else, but it might be a very dry and woody sandalwood too, completely unlike the soft, buttery, musky sandalwood of Serge Lutens. It almost smells like evergreens, pimento, allspice, cinnamon, none of which are listed. I might get a hint of warming, sweetening coffe, but just a hint. I like the warmness of it but overall its too harsh and dry for me.

To me, "sophisticated" doesn't quite apply to MPG's Santal Noble, as does "formal." Don't get me wrong, I can see how this incredible perfume can be described as such, but to me, I get: warmth and an iridescent brown, a rich, glorious Sandalwood, fast becoming one of my favorite note accords.

I can and will wear this one anywhere, it's completely appropriate everywhere.

5 very richly deserved stars!

burning coffee grinds with some special dark chocolate. thick and heavy and later turning creamy, vanilla,and coconuty.a classy and sexy scent.top notes are harsh and heavy.then it turns into somethin nice. neutral to me because its not my style but the drydown is nice. respect there.

I'm not a great fan of MPG, but this is of my all time favorites for winter. I suspect the chocolate note emerges from the interplay between the sandalwood and the vanilla. The coconut note reminds me (oddly enough) of celery seed at times. Mellow and dry and earthy, it gets me compliments when I wear it and it makes me feel classy. It is, indeed, the "nectar of the gods."

This was a pleasant, sweet, heavy, spicy sandalwood on me. I don't get any odd notes, coffee or otherwise. It was all mellow and good. Because of the vanilla and amber, it is sweeter than other sandalwoods I have tried. I consider this to be a likeable, unisex fragrance--a good choice for anyone, novice or avid fan of sandalwood.

Probably my favorite sandalwood fragrance thus far, although I haven't tried them all. While I find Tam Dao "damp" and "wet", Santal Noble is more dry and powdery. I would almost consider it a gourmand for it has something in it that reminds me of raw floury bread dough. I find it a bit similar to L'artisan Bois Farine but it doesn't have the peanut butter accord and it's not nearly as sweet.

The nectar of the gods, this is sandalwood par excellence. The beginning is a little rough though. It defintely has, as one member put it about another MPG, "imagine a hippie is changing a diaper at a Starbucks" overtones, but those quickly disappate. Instead you are left with the most beautiful, contemplative slightly sweet sandalwood. As others have noted, the drydown is spectacular. This is truly a gem.

A nearly perfect masculine, formal, yet slightly gourmand scent. The topnotes are wild - a strong, sharp sandalwood note mixed with a potent, rich coffee note that also seems to have a touch of dark chocolate tinge to it (but coffee and chocolate can seem similar in some contexts). As it dries, the coconut comes more into play, blending with the sandalwood and the coffee. This is not a sweet or syrupy coconut, but rather an earthy and nutty coconut. To me, Santal Noble is neither too sweet nor too bitter. Very elegant, refined, and classy - I feel more sophisticated just by putting it on. The somewhat gourmand quality, combined with its only moderate-to-mild sillage makes it perfect for a special dinner (it only complements, never gets in the way of the food). Long lasting too; the other reviewers have covered the wonderful drydown. This is a must try.

Amazing. The richest, deepest wood there is. There is something really funky in the opening - it's almost poopy. But it quickly blends into the coffee and coconut and deep, warm sandal. It lasts for ages - the powdery drydown is delectable.

Okay, this is indeed a Noble fragrance. SN definitely is very refined and a high quality juice. It smells almost more as mahogany than sandalwood, at least the juice conjures up very dark images when smelling it. Still there is something in here making it impossible for me to love this MPG. The coffee doesn't compliment the wood notes in a good way and the overall bitterness gets too much in the end for me. The best sandalwoods IMO are the ones with some sweet spices anchoring the compostion, for example Floris Santal and Gucci Envy. My grudge with this one is probably highly personal though, and if you usually enjoy high quality woody, formal and masculine stuff you should definitely give Santal Noble a try.

This is probably the best woody fragrance ever created. While this is not a linear pure sandalwood fragrance, it is pure brilliance. Santal Noble is a beautiful blend of Sandalwood, Cedar wood, Amber, and Coffee. Santal Noble is incredibly rich, but its richness is offset by its dry nature. This is an amazingly dynamic fragrance that evolves every second it’s on the skin. Santal Noble is a fragrance that plays out like a battle. At first, the Amber and Cedar wood fight with the Sandalwood for dominance, but as the fragrance dries down, the sandalwood slowly wins the battle until finally, all you smell is rich creamy sandalwood with slight and distant hints amber and cedar wood. I don’t know how LaPorte created such a balanced fragrance and maintained such conflict throughout the drydown. Santal Noble is perfect.

This is a wonderful niche scent filled with mystery and wonder! It starts out heavy and gourmand-like, with an oily character and scent quite similar to Terre de Bois from Miller Harris. Santal Noble goes through a very long evolution, eventually losing the oily character, but retaining a heavy, gourmand quality. This scent lasts and lasts, the sandalwood growing sharper just as the amber weighs in for support. This is very nice, especially for cooler fall temperatures.

Jeff

When it comes to men's fragrances, few artisans have mastered the art as well as Jean LaPorte of MPG and L'Artisan fame. Of all his creations, Santal Noble is his Mona Lisa or Sistine Chapel ceiling for those who prefer Michelangelo. Its a scent that doesn't reveal its magic until about 15 minutes after application. The understudy top notes are chaotic, running around to find their positions and headlining heart note companions. Once the stars take stage, it's absolutely brilliant. Notes of amber and sandalwood dominate, with wafts of vanilla providing a velvety background. It is the silk tuxedo at a black tie affair. Everyone may look nice and similar on the surface, but look closer and this one outshines all the rest. In simplest terms, this is seduction captured in a bottle.

Incredible. I actually keep getting up to stick my nose in the bottle even though I'm wearing it and have had it for months. Dry and warm, with coffee and vanilla present as well. Think of MPG's Santal Noble as the ambery wood and their Ambre precieux as the woodsy amber

This is incredible. Sandlewood does come through nicely, and the amber is also there. It does smell of high quality and I suggest you give it a try. This is a blind purchase for me, one I do not regret to say the least.

Arguably the best Niche fragrance ever made. Not particularly versatile, but the scent is very memorable. Very woody and creamy with an incense touch. It is by no means an easy scent although it evolves around sandalwood. It's full of surprises. It possesses one of the best dry-downs one can ever witness.

Santal Noble is one of the most unique and dynamic fragrances I've ever smelled. When first sprayed, the coffee beans, vanilla and amber are most prominent, smelling lusciously sweet for a total of about 30 seconds. After that, the patchouli and vetiver take over and send it down the toilet for about five minutes, smelling very animalistic and even fecal. Unexpectedly, the patchouli and vetiver fade after about five minutes and it dries down to a fragrance that is simply dreamlike. The sandalwood takes on the illusion of strong, hot cedar when mixed with the lingering, light, warm sweet notes. The incense adds a dark undertone that is noticeable throughout the entire wear. I find that when I spray it on my shirt rather than on my skin, the animalistic phase doesn't develop and it stays sweeter longer. Santal Noble is surely not an everyday fragrance; special nights out and even romantic encounters are where I see it coming in very handy. Some have described it as smelling old or aristocratic and this simply is not true. It is very woody, sweet and warm, dark and brooding, and I find it very sensual and sexy. Santal Noble is one every fragrance fan needs to experience.

The smell of many woods with sandal being the most prominent. This is what Gucci was trying for with Rush and failed miserably. I would say it is somewhat drier than most sandalwood scents - perhaps this comes from cedar or pine? Regardless, it smells like the inside of some old wooden treasure chest or a room with heavy expensive wood panelling.