Yatagan or Encre Noire

[Lmarkow]

I tried EN today for the first time. I will try it again, but so far "austere" and "unlovely" are how I would describe this fragrance. It will be PIF'd shortly.

 

[PGHChris]

My offer of a free Yatagan sample still stands..

I actually got a sample of Yatagan for free with a decant of TF Tobacco Vanille - but thank you for your kind offer!

I tried a little Yatagan on the back of my hand last night and I like it alot. At this point I certainly enjoy it more than Encre Noire. I can see a full bottle of Yatagan in my future, maybe next fall or winter. I have so many cold-weather fragrances and only a few warm-weather and all-season; I really need to start acquiring some warm weather stuff.

 

[Buddy97]

Encre Noire is a damn fine modern scent that could well in time become a classic, Yatagan is already there.

 

[HabitRouge]

Having never smelled Yatagan, I recommend Encre Noire for 3 reasons.

1. Nonlinearity. The fragrance evolves from that sticky wet paint smell, to lush, peppery vetiver, to a blend of vetiver, cashmere and musk that is masculine without being offensive.
2. Quality. EN has an extremely high percentage of favorable reviews, and almost all reviews +/- agree that it is niche quality at bargain bin prices. I personally keep this, He Wood Silver Wind, and ZIRH IKON as everyday workhorse colognes for the fall-winter transition months.
3. Yatagan is made by Caron, a house that has not released anything in modern tastes in recent memory. Pour un Homme is a dusty old woman at Mass, Yatagan is an animal that has rolled in who knows what. Of course, animalism is perceived as "manly" in a subjective sense, but your coworkers and friends may have more modern viewpoints on how a man should smell.

WTH? How can you profess to know what Yatagan smells like without having smelled it???

OP, people sometimes let their imaginations run wild when thinking about fragrances. Yatagan is not at all offensive or shocking. It is a wonderful smelling spicy woody and very distinctive. When I smelled Parfums de Nicolai New York for the first time I was reminded, albeit vaguely, of Yatagan. The dry down of Yatagan is smooth and rich. IMO there is no comparison with EN.

 

[Dheuthymos]

WTH? How can you profess to know what Yatagan smells like without having smelled it???

I never did? How can you submit your sensationalist comment as a reply to my words without having paid the minor deference of reading them?

 

[otto76]

I never did? How can you submit your sensationalist comment as a reply to my words without having paid the minor deference of reading them?

Yatagan is an animal that has rolled in who knows what....

FWIW I don't recall any "animal" scent to Yatagan, much less animal rolling in anything except for maybe a campfire.

 

[PGHChris]

After wearing Encre Noire a few times at home, and starting to warm up to it, I decided to wear it to work today. It was a fairly heavy application; probably 1 mL total to my neck and wrists, and a dab behind my ears, and I am really starting to enjoy it. I really doesn't project much, but I can catch nice whiffs every once in a while. Again, that opening note is still not my favorite, but after warming up for 10-15 minutes, especially with this heavier application, I'm getting some wonderful, dark, smokey vetiver, along with something a little softer just behind. Something a little musky, or amber maybe. Regardless, I think the jury has reached a verdict: this is one that I'll likely be adding to my collection. I was pretty skeptical at first, but EN has really grown on me over the last week. I've stated elsewhere that my fragrance collection is pretty much dominated by autumn/winter scents, and even though Encre Noire absolutely falls into that category I have nothing else like it. I'm really glad I didn't dismiss this one at first; something in my head said "don't give up on it yet, give it a few more tries", and I'm very happy I listened to that voice. This will be a standout in my collection, for sure.

 

[HabitRouge]

I never did? How can you submit your sensationalist comment as a reply to my words without having paid the minor deference of reading them?

??? Ummm, here...

Yatagan is made by Caron, a house that has not released anything in modern tastes in recent memory. Pour un Homme is a dusty old woman at Mass, Yatagan is an animal that has rolled in who knows what.

PuH is pretty much vanilla and lavender. Not sure where you get the "dirty" or "mass" connotations as there are absolutely no animalics or olibanum/frankincense notes.

Further, Caron has release exactly 8 mens/unisex fragrances in the last 10 years and over a dozen feminines. Not that because something is modern makes it better.

 

[Dheuthymos]

PuH is pretty much vanilla and lavender. Not sure where you get the "dirty" or "mass" connotations as there are absolutely no animalics or olibanum/frankincense notes.

Dusty. Not dirty, it's a very clean scent. It just also happens to be the most powdery old-lady smell I've smelled, and that includes White Diamonds EdP.

 

[HabitRouge]

Dusty. Not dirty, it's a very clean scent. It just also happens to be the most powdery old-lady smell I've smelled, and that includes White Diamonds EdP.

Sorry. Read that wrong.

That's the vanilla.

If you like vanilla, it is definitely one of the best.