Tabac Rouge / Turkish Blend (2013)
by Phaedon

The problem with Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, undoubtedly one of the most significant tobacco fragrances in recent memory, is that its most interesting section is its opening. The balance of notes achieved in Tobacco Vanille's opening seconds quickly gives way to monotonous, single-minded sweetness that overwhelms all the interesting accents. Tobacco Vanille may be wearable for an hour or so, but quickly becomes tiresome.

Tabac Rouge takes the basic conceit of Tobacco Vanille and improves it, loosening its structure enough to give the individual notes room to be recognized and appreciated. Tabac Rouge adds a bit of "wetness" and aeration into the Tobacco Vanille structure--starting with the somewhat curious damp ginger note in the opening--and thus it wears lighter than the Tom Ford scent, which, particularly in earlier formulations, could be downright oppressive. Make no mistake, Tabac Rouge still infuses the air, but more in the aroma-carried-on-a-breeze way than in a dense-fog-of-scent way.

While the tobacco note in Tobacco Vanille emerges in the opening only to disappear into the background as the vanilla cascades in, here, it's much more discernible. The impression here is of damp, flavored hookah tobacco, rather than that of a pipe or cigar.

As hinted above, the wet ginger note in the opening of Tabac Rouge is a somewhat odd addition that does not immediately harmonize with the rest of the scent. That said, the ginger is more detectable on paper than on skin, and once it steps into the background of Tabac Rouge you get a sense for how it actually serves a beneficial role in supporting the rest of the scent.