Yatagan or Encre Noire

I'm currently in the process of trying to figure out which of these two I would like to acquire...first (haha). It is inevitable that I will end up with both at some point, but not right now. I know that these fragrances don't have a ton in common, but they both have caught my eye recently and I'd like to be a little adventurous. For the record, I normally don't have a problem blind-buying any fragrance under $50 that sounds appealing to me, and both of these can be had for under $40 shipped. So, what I'm looking for are some folks' personal experiences with these particular fragrances. It would be nice to hear from anyone who has (or had) both if there is anyone out there.

Encre Noir. Yatagan is a 1970's styled spice bomb. The first one is far more contemporary and more versatile IMHO.

I would say Encre Noir as well, but I would not consider Yatagan a spice bomb. Think pine tree with everything from the needles to the bark to the soil it's growing in and then even throw in a little urine or wet fur. Encre Noir is more of a weekly scent where as Yatagan needs a mood.

Yatagan is a classic. I'd vote that one. I agree with the description above except that I never got the urine note -- I've heard people mention it though. It's a unique male fragrance that has stood the test of time. I love it.

I have not tried Encre Noir. Yatagan is a unique paired down scent spicy and smoldering without any hint of sweetness or floral elements. It is the antithesis of popular unisex fragrances. Masculinity distilled into a bottle. Highly recommended.

Boy, that's a tough call. Both are great, and they smell COMPLETELY different. I have and love them both. I would probably get Encre Noire first of the two, because it's a little more subtle (versatile) and okay for a work setting, whereas Yatagan is more in-your-face. Both are masculine, Yatagan more overtly so. Again, both are highly recommended.

Encre Noire is a wonderful frag, and an excellent value. I like it a lot--a really nice vetiver.

I've had a decant of Yatagan for quite a while, and have worn it numerous times. I just never reach for it. There's a civet note in it that really rubs me the wrong way, similar to the way Kouros does. I think it's pretty polarizing.

So, I would recommend Encre Noire. (Why not try to find a decant of each first?)

I like both although I'm careful with Yatagan as it's pretty potent to me.
I'd be willing to send you a sample of Yatagan if you'd like.

litespeedone said:

(Why not try to find a decant of each first?)

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I feel like, with decants, you need at least a week to know if its something that works for you. A 5mL decant of Yatagan is $10 plus shipping, same with Encre Noir, so I feel like I might as well just get a full one. Again, I'm pretty comfortable with blind buying something that sounds appealing to me, especially when they're under $40 shipped.

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.

Not sure how anyone can criticize a fragrance that they have never smelled, but I guess I just lack imagination.

I like yatagan but Encre Noir is a favorite of mine and the only one of the two I own a full bottle of. Still working through a decant of Yatagan.

gwgrooms said:

Not sure how anyone can criticize a fragrance that they have never smelled, but I guess I just lack imagination.

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Agreed-same for me. I don't have Encre Noir, but I do have a bottle of Yatagan and wear that scent regularly. I like the dry desert pine/herb mixture and find it well made and unlike anything else I have. I also have two other Caron scents that are just as appealing and well made.

Love EN.
Of all the vetiver frags that I have, only EN conjures up the image of an early morning walk through a park or a light plantation which is still covered in mist and dew...with the occasional whiff of an octopus pond that has not been irrigated

I was happily wearing Yatagan one day when my wife said I smelled like the rhino or elephant enclosure at the zoo.
She suggested I save it for the times we visit the zoo.

I own Encre Noire too, but it hasn't grabbed me the way I thought it would.
Regards,
Renato

I have 'tasted' Encre Noir in my arm and seems to me it isn't the kind of smell you want around you while working but one which is strong enough for afterwork and evening dates. Pretty longlasting. IMO.

I received a 3mL sample of Encre Noire today. This is the first time that I've actually sampled, instead of just purchased, a sub $40 fragrance that I've been interested. Honestly, right now I'm glad I did...

First, scent preferences aside, I can absolutely agree that this definitely a high quality fragrance at a very pedestrian price. However, at first spray it smells just like the "Liquid Smoke" seasoning; salty, resinous, woodsmoke. I'm about a half hour in and its now softening, with some very nice vetiver coming through, but I'm not 100% sure I like that Liquid Smoke scent that seems to be hanging around. Jury is still out on this one - I'm going to have to wear it a few times and see how it shakes out. To be continued...

I just purchases Encre Noir and 2 other colognes that arrived yesterday. Sprayed all 3 on a post it to see what I thought of them. Then would decide what I want to wear today. I feel like I went 3 for 3 on them.

But today I'm wearing the Encre Noir. It just has such a unique scent and go's perfect for this time of year up here in the Puget Sound.

Tonight I gave Encre Noire another go. This time, instead of just a little dab on the back of my hand I sprayed it on like I would if I were getting ready - a strong spray and a half to the neck, and a good spray split between the wrists. Again, I'm a half hour in and I'm definitely enjoying it this time. I'm still not sure if its something I'd buy, bug I'm certainly liking it. Its kind of hard to judge this on yourself, but this seems to be a skin scent. I can't really notice much projection but that's OK. The dark smokey base, with a little sweet grass coming through is very nice; I'm liking it more and more as the minutes pass. Thing is though, I really have no idea what I would wear this scent for. Its not an office scent for sure. It definitely feels like it requires nice clothes; I hate to say it, but maybe a funeral? Anyway, I'm going to finish off my sample before I decide. At this point I know I like it, but I'm not sure when I would ever wear it. However, its cheap enough that I don't think I would feel too bad having it on the shelf just in case.

My offer of a free Yatagan sample still stands..