MANCERA
TONKA COLA

2022

Cherry
Cinnamon
lemon
Nutmeg

Cola
patchouli
Orange Blossom

Tonka Bean
Vanilla
Benzoin
Labdanum

Mancera Tonka Cola was one of the most anticipated and pre-hyped releases for 2022. A lot of people wondered if this would be close to Roja’s Enigma and generally expectations were high (including mine).

However, Tonka Cola misses the mark for me. The opening in particular is not one I fancy. It doesn’t open with a cola scent, as opposed to Enigma, nor is it sparkling. Instead, I get a flat, dated smelling lemon that on a bad day feels closer to the lemon you find in cleaning products and on a good day might remind me of the retro lemon in Guerlain Habit Rouge… but sweeter. It’s a hard candy lemon, mixed with sweet spices.

As it dries, the fragrance gets significantly better. The spices, the remnants of the citrus and the sweetness give a resemblance to cola, but much more so like cola flavored candy. It misses all the spark and brightness. You do get the namesake tonka, although the cinnamon and nutmeg feel more prominent for a good while. Now, the cherry is not as prominent to my nose as it seems to be to other people I’ve talked to. It’s there, but it’s faint. As with everything, it sort of blends in instead of having it’s own texture. I’m not the biggest fan of cherry, but I don’t mind it in this composition.

It’s a pleasant scent, once the lemon (which almost ruins this fragrance for me) fades, it’s a well-lasting sweet and slightly spicy scent, yet not nearly as much ‘cola’ as I would’ve loved to see. Could still be one of the better Mancera, but my expectations probably lowered my assessment of it.