Encre Noire - really?

I am a huge fan of Guerlain Vetiver for those fresh/warm days, and was looking for a wintry Vetiver to complement it. I had decided that Encre Noire was it, even before trying it. All opinions indicated a very dark, earthy fragrance with great longevity. I read no review that indicated it wouldn't work for me.
Before taking a chance with a blind purchase (albeit at a very modest price), I came across it in a fragrance shop and was glad I did. I simply cannot reconcile the fragrance I tried with what I was expecting. I found it bright and almost floral. I was expecting something akin to the old-book library fragrance of Clubman Special Reserve, which I also love. But it was not that - by a long way. I also find a cheap metallic note in there, which I can't identify.
I'd be interested to hear if there are others who've been similarly disappointed.
I'm really at a loss to explain the difference between expectation and reality.

Incidentially, I got into Guerlain Vetiver on the same basis - unqualified praise from almost all quarters on B&B. And what I got was exactly what I was expecting (in that case). Which makes this disappointment all the more curious.

Any other frags out there that would be worthwhile as a complement to Guerlain - perhaps with the same feel as Club SR but a more refined, long-lasting cold weather EdT?

The thing about Encre Noire is that people seem to either love it or hate it. What I get from it is a heavy opening blast of vetiver followed by a woody smell with a hint of sweetness (reminds me of walking around a wood shop). On me the fragrance seems to calm down quite a bit within a hour but seems to fire back up several hours later which is strange for me. I like it and it's been regular in my Fall/Winter rotation since I picked a bottle last year.

I guess everyone's nose and body chemistry can be different.

The metallic note is Iso-E Super. Love vetiver, but cannot stand Encre Noir--primarily because of its overdose of iso-e super; a shrill, metallic, so-called "velvety" synthetic note that tends to be synonymous with department store woody "masculines."

HabitRouge said:

The metallic note is Iso-E Super. Love vetiver, but cannot stand Encre Noir--primarily because of its overdose of iso-e super; a shrill, metallic, so-called "velvety" synthetic note that tends to be synonymous with department store woody "masculines."

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Thank you HabitRouge. The adjectives "shrill" and "metallic" describe precisely the overriding sensation for me. I just can't get past it. I would also add "cheap". Somehow this note connects directly to the "cheap" you get when you catch a whiff of someone wearing bargain basement underarm deodorant.
I'm so disappointed - I wanted Incre Noire to work. C'est la vie.

I happen to also be a Vetiver themed fragrance lover. Having said that, I just could not get past that unmistakable ink accord found in this fragrance. Frankly it ruined the whole fragrance for me. Actually I found it to be a scrubber. Now having said that, if you like it I am in no way trying to demean the wearers of this fragrance. I hope you wear it in good health. As for me, I'll have to pass on this one.

Chanel Sycomore is another wonderful vetiver that I find to be darker and more complex than Guerlain Vetiver. (Also a lot more expensive.)

Ron991 said:

I happen to also be a Vetiver themed fragrance lover. Having said that, I just could not get past that unmistakable ink accord found in this fragrance. Frankly it ruined the whole fragrance for me. Actually I found it to be a scrubber. Now having said that, if you like it I am in no way trying to demean the wearers of this fragrance. I hope you wear it in good health. As for me, I'll have to pass on this one.

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Encre Noire is French for "Black Ink" Also the bottle looks like an inkwell. A little research goes a long way.

Personally, I like fragrances that stand apart from the pack. Probably gonna cop a second bottle for stash purposes.

Dheuthymos said:

Encre Noire is French for "Black Ink" Also the bottle looks like an inkwell. A little research goes a long way.

Personally, I like fragrances that stand apart from the pack. Probably gonna cop a second bottle for stash purposes.

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What does the name, and or the flacon shape have to do with the smell and or the composition of a fragrance. Actually I did a review on a perfume blog of this fragrance and noted what you just said....Have a good one.

Best Regards Ron

Ron991 said:

What does the name, and or the flacon shape have to do with the smell and or the composition of a fragrance.

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They reflect the concept of the fragrance. Encre Noir (Black Ink), a fragrance which smells of ink and is stored in an inkwell, reflects the essential spirit of the composition.

In the same way that Le Male comes in a flacon shaped like a torso, in the same way that Millionaire comes in a gold bar, or Spicebomb in a grenade, the product reflects the artistic vision of the perfumer.

Dheuthymos said:

They reflect the concept of the fragrance. Encre Noir (Black Ink), a fragrance which smells of ink and is stored in an inkwell, reflects the essential spirit of the composition.

In the same way that Le Male comes in a flacon shaped like a torso, in the same way that Millionaire comes in a gold bar, or Spicebomb in a grenade, the product reflects the artistic vision of the perfumer.

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My nose is not yet acute enough to smell a fragrance through a flacon, or through a name, or for that matter through the looking at a pyramid. I frankly have to do it the old fashioned way. I have to actually spray the fragrance on the back of my hand and follow It's progression. BTW: If you like this fragrance try It's flanker Encre Noire Sport. I think it outshines the original, which is a rare statement by me. I have only said that about one other flanker and that was the original Tiffany Sport for Men. The flanker for Tiffany for Men, before they reformulated both Tiffany for Men and Tiffany Sport for Men.

According to Wikipedia, Encre Noir is 45% Iso-E Super.

Ron991 said:

My nose is not yet acute enough to smell a fragrance through a flacon, or through a name, or for that matter through the looking at a pyramid. I frankly have to do it the old fashioned way.

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You just don't get it, and now you're being silly.

When I first tried Encre Noire the initial blast smelled almost exactly like the Liquid Smoke seasoning; very resinous and thick. I was not impressed with the first few minutes. However, it started to slowly change on my skin over about 45 minutes into a very nice, dark vetiver with that resinous opening barely imperceptible in the background. I said this in another thread: the jury is still out on this one for me. But I, too, almost blind bought this one and I'm glad I only got 5 mL's of it for the time being. I really enjoy the dark scent that pokes its head out after that first 45 minutes, but I'm not sure its worth it IMHO. I really wanted to love this one all the way through, but I don't think that I can handle that initial vibe every time I want to wear this.

What color is the juice? I've never seen a tester.

Dheuthymos said:

You just don't get it, and now you're being silly.

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I can live with being called silly.Trust me over my lifetime I have been called numerous names. So silly isn't so bad. Either way I enjoyed our healthy and CIVIL back and forth. Now my wife are heading out for a Mexican dinner followed by a showing of Fury. So to you I bid a good (and smelly) evening.

Best Regards Ron

I lot of people love EN. I sold mine for the same reason every else has mentioned. I am currently using Guerlain Vetiver daily.

If you like the Guerlain vetiver I might suggest LIDGE (L'Instant d'Guerlain Extreme ... or the non extreme version). It is not anywhere near a clone of their Vetiver but if you check Basenotes of Fragrantica I think it gets even more positive reviews than the GV. The thing is that if you like GV you might like the Guerlain "touch" with fragrance and might be nice to try one of their other scents. LIDGE is quite intoxicating.

ELDO - Fat Electrician may be worth a try.

Dior Vetiver is my personal favorite vetiver for fall/winter. It's vetiver and coffee... that's it. It's fantastic. Naturally, it's also discontinued. (sigh)

EMBARRASSING ADMISSION.
Who knew there was a women's Encre Noire?? Not me, that's for sure!
Guess which one I tried? Bah.
I was looking at a fragrance web site just now, as you do, and I happened to catch a review of EN where the reviewer talked about the simple white lettering on the bottle. And I distinctly remember finding it hard to even read the words, so scripted was the lettering on the bottle I tried. So, embarrassingly, the juice I liberally sprayed on was EN for Women. No wonder the assistant thought me a little odd. Not to make excuses for my miserable error, but couldn't they have been more thoughful to differentiate them? There's certainly no "pour homme" or "pour femme" on the front of the bottle, and the bottle itself appears to be identical.
So apologies for all this back-and-forth based on no review of the actual product in question! I actually haven't tried the stuff at all (assuming the women's juice bears scant relation to the men's).
Oops.

Well, I tried the correct one this morning. Want to trade?

jk, but this is not a fragrance for me. It will be PIFed eventually.

jpipes3 said:

Dior Vetiver is my personal favorite vetiver for fall/winter. It's vetiver and coffee... that's it. It's fantastic. Naturally, it's also discontinued. (sigh)

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Nope. Also includes an obvious dose of Iso-e Super. I had high hopes for this one...