RAW GOLD (2023) • THOMAS DE MONACO🔺 • ScentAdvice

As a big fan of the original Raw Gold (2020), I couldn’t wait to finally get my nose on this revised 2023 version. They definitely keep the same essence, but there are differences for sure. For me personally, the original is a bit more interesting and dense, and unquestionably my favorite of the two, but both are stellar releases. Frankly, the experience wearing the 2023 version on its own was quite different from wearing them side by side; I’ll explain.

Essentially, it’s the same scent profile: a strong honeyed-scented, sweet, earthy patchouli with a leathery tinge and a dry texture. The original is perhaps a tad more medicinal to my nose, even more dry and the saffron/suede vibe kicks in sooner. The (unlisted) honey in both is prominent, but now, I get more vanilla and sort of a chocolate sweetness from it and more of a sugary transparent drydown, whereas the original feels a lot more linear and, for lack of a better description, brutalist.

Raw Gold has a nice warmth and depth; perhaps it’s the oud coming into play, but it has the every so slightly daring, dark sweetness you find in something akin to Strangers Parfumerie SM Cafe or Azman Majnoon, without the smokiness. It reminds me a lot of dark chocolate powder and it has a strong lactonic quality in the air.

However, I do find the 2023 version to feel a lot more transparent than the original. Performance is fine, but when wearing them side by side, the 2023 doesn’t have the same weight to it; it feels more contemporary. The profile is noticeably brighter and more contrasting side by side. I get a slight fruity tinge (from the davana perhaps) that I don’t get at all in the original. These were things that I didn’t necessarily notice in the hours wearing it on its own, but with the 2020 Raw Gold on the other arm, the new one gets overtaken and the difference is quite noticeable. Especially several hours in, the original blows the new version out of the water for me.

In a sense, this 2023 Raw Gold is much less linear, less demanding, but also less special to me. You can’t really go wrong with either. I think the original is better by quite a margin, but if you don’t have that already and are wearing it to compare them, Raw Gold (2023) offers a very solid take on the experience. If anything, this is likely a safer choice for most people.