MANCERA
RED TOBACCO INTENSE

2023

saffron
cinnamon
nutmeg
incense
wild oud
white pear

patchouli
tobacco
leather
vetiver
jasmine

amber
vanilla
guaiac wood
mysore sandalwood
white musk

‘Its intensity is matched only by its sensuality… You asked, we did: discover the “beast mode” of Red Tobacco. Do you dare step into its lair and discover this perfume extract? A highly concentrated, powerful, assertive and heady fragrance that will engrave your presence in the space around you.’ – Mancera

I wore Red Tobacco Intense side by side with the original EDP to put it in perspective. Spoiler: Try as I may, the differences between the two were hard to signify and are negligible in my opinion. This version adds little to nothing to the original.

To start with the original DNA: I hadn’t worn the OG since sampling it some years ago; I never really liked it, as the opening gave me a headache the 2-3 times I tried t it, but the drydown was better. Great performance and a scent profile that clearly reminds me of that of Argos Triumph Of Bacchus. That being said; my bottle of Triumph Of Bacchus has gotten significantly sweeter and sweeter, but the Red Tobacco (new sample) still reminds me of it a lot. Another thing to be noted is that this current EDP sample doesn’t seem to be as explosive and nuclear in performance as the Red Tobacco I once tested before.

As far as the Intense goes. Even smelling it side by side, I find it hard to notice much of a difference. The first minutes feel a bit more leathery, rubbery perhaps. I thought it would go less sweet, but 10-15 minutes in, I’m not sure it’s much different. It’s still sweet, a bit heady and syrupy, perhaps a smidge less sweet.

Red Tobacco Intense feels a bit smoother and softer during the wear, but this EDP is also smoother than the one I remember from earlier, so the advantage is mostly gone. You get that syrupy sweet apple with a lot of saffron. Slightly smoky, moving into more of a sweet tobacco as it dries.

As mentioned above, there’s a slightly stronger leather tinge in the Intense, which is the only real discernible difference for the majority of the wear to ne. It feels a bit less vibrant with that (not overbearing) leather taking away some of the dynamic and contrast in the original. So I actually prefer the scent of the OG, without the added leather boost. It feels a bit more alive and has a gold lining of brightness that this Intense is lacking.

It’s nitpicking however. While I can tell them apart side by side with this fresh on my mind, if I randomly smelled one of these next month, I highly doubt I’ll be able to tell which version it is that I’m smelling.

Comparing the two current versions, performance was identical in my wearing, both in longevity and projection. As mentioned, the older batch of the original seemed significantly stronger to me (with the added bonus of a headache). These are still plenty strong and I’d prefer them over anything louder anyway.

I think getting either version will get you a very similar end result; if you have the original, I would advice against (blindly) adding the Intense; I can only imagine it being redundant. If it’s your first time purchasing Red Tobacco, I would go for the original over the Intense…. it frankly does not matter much.

I’d say this is an unnecessary release, that does not offer anything new, nor seems to counter the weakened performance of its predecessor for those who want it back (based on the versions I have sampled, your experience may vary). Its raison d’etre is solely based on the popularity of its name and a potentially eager target audience.